BRAWL IN LANE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 178, 18 October 1927, Page 9

BRAWL IN LANE

GIRL SENDS ESCORT TO RESCUE A NOISY PAIR OF THUGS A KEEN-SIGHTED girl, who saw a man being robbed in a lane off Darby Street last night, was responsible for the arrest of Joseph Kane, aged 23, and Francis Kane, aged 21, who appeared at the Police Court to-day. Joseph gave a brave display of forensic fireworks in defence of his brother and himself. They were jointly charged with assaulting James Henry Aisher and robbing him of three bottles of beer. Francis Kane was charged further with assaulting Stanley Sparks. An emphatic “not guilty” was their plea. The keen-sighted w oman in the case, said that after she and her escort: had left the Strand Theatre last night, they turned into Darby Street, and there she noticed a mail struggling with two other men. One was holding the struggler’s arms, and the other was going through his pockets. She drew her escort’s attention to the incident, but one of the men came over, told her escort to mind his own business, and struck him on the neck with a beer bottle. Francis: You say I hit him with the beer bottle? Witness: Yes, you did. Francis: Go on —I could beat a dozen with a bottle —I never struck the gentleman. Joseph then told the court that no man living could stand up to a vicious blow from a bottle. Turning to the witness, he began a cross-examination. “A DELIBERATE BLOW” “You say your gentleman was struck a deliberate blow?” he asked. “Yes, it was a deliberate blow',” replied the witness. k Joseph: Well, if it was a deliberate bJow he would not be here or anywhere else.” complainant, Aisher, said that he xnet the accused last night about 9 o'clock when they had a drink together in a hotel. When' they came aw'ay witness had four bottjes of beer in his pockets, but as soon they got into a lane near the hotel «pne of the accused pulled his coat his arms, and the other robbed him \Of his beer. Senior-Sergeant McCarthy: Did you call for assistance? Witness: I a bit a Y el P out. Continuing, s»e mentioned that one of the accused said they were going to “rat” Him. Joseph came forward, and leaning angrily over the dodV rail, began a flaying cross-examinatio.n. “Now, I shouted for you in the hotel, didn’t I?” he saitj to the witness. Aisher admitted that was true. “Now, you tried to beat it without giving us a turn,” pressed This Aisher denied. Stanley Sparks, who was th£ girl’s escort, said he saw the accused struggling with a man, and wheK he stopped Francis Kane came over, &old him to mind his own business, struck him a vicious blow with *a bottle. Joseph startled the court by calling out loudly and belligerently: “How the h— could it have been vicious?”' Witness then explained that the blow was meant for his head, but he dodged back, and was only hit on the neck. The magistrate, Mr. F. K. Hunt, said he would convict the accused. Senior-Sergeant McCarthy: Something is known about these men, but I would like to find out more. They were remanded to appear tomorrow for sentence.