UNWELCOME BAPTISM

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 101, 20 July 1927, Page 13

UNWELCOME BAPTISM

IN COUNTRY DITCH PROVES COSTLY CEREMONY (From Our Own Correspondent.) PALMERSTON NORTH, To-day. “Complainant had recently joined a sect that believes in water baptism, and defendant, who was drunk, on seeing him in the street, thought that he would baptise him in the ditch,” stated Mr. Laurenson in explaining to Mr J. G. Hewitt, S.M., at the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court, the conduct of a young man named Basil Stokes, who was charged with having assaulted Donald David Wilsoti at Tokomaru on June 25, with having wilfully damaged complainant’s clothing and with having used obscene language. “Defendant.” added Senior-Sergeant O’Grady, "held complainant under the water, and, had not two persons pulled him away, the consequences might have been serious.” Defendant, maintained counsel, was a rather high-spirited young man and his action had only been in the nature of a prank. “Was the obscene language part of the baptism?” inquired the magistrate. “That occurred when defendant was pulled off,” replied counsel. The unwelcome attentions paid complainant cost defendant £5, with costs 30s, the damages to complainant’s clothing to be made good out of the fine.