A TEN-SHILLING NOTE

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 26, 22 April 1927, Page 13

A TEN-SHILLING NOTE

CAUSED MUCH TROUBLE SEVEN MEN CHARGED It was only a 10s bank note, but it caused more than £ll worth of trouble. Alexander Williams took it from his pocket one day last month, smoothed out its creases and placed it on the bar of a hotel in Panmure Road to pay for drinks for himself and Albert Cole. He looked away for a minute and when he looked back again the note had vanished. He might have thought Cole was having a joke with him, however he blamed his friend for the note’s disappearance. One thing led to another and the argument finished in a free fight out in the roadway, during the course of which a shop window was broken. Reinforcements, including some ■Maoris, were added to the melee and the habitual calm of Panmure Road was shattered for a few minutes. Cole and five of his friends tried to get into their car but the opposition was too strong. The breaking of the window however dispersed their opponents.

In the Police Court this morning, Williams, Cole, and five of the latter’s friends—George W. Stephens, Harold Cozens, Thomas Watson, William Foley and Frederick Hendrickson were charged with behaving in a disorderly manner. The charge against Foley who, it was said by all, took no part in the fight, was dismissed. According to Thomas Watson, who told the story from the point of view of the Cole faction, he took no great part in the scrap either. “The way I defended myself was by getting behind a post and dodging,” he told the court. Neither Cole nor Williams was in court. Mr. Singer said that although the six men for whom he appeared were not responsible for breaking the window they had quite willingly paid £ll 3s to make good the damage. Mr. D. Gould, who was watching Williams’ interests, chuckled noticeably. “Such Christian acts seem to be unknown to my friend,” Mr. Singer remarked with cheerful sarcasm. Mr. Hunt, S.M. thought Williams was the instigator of it all, and observing that he had not contributed towards the £ll for the window, and had not taken the trouble to turn up in court, he convicted him and ordered him to pay £ 2 5s costs. The charge against the others was dismissed. Mr. Gould asked for suppression of the names. “Oh, bother the names!” said Mr. Hunt, and the matter ended.