Bagpipes and Booing

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 589, 15 February 1929, Page 1

Bagpipes and Booing

New Year’s Eve at St. Heliers

Constable’s Story of “Riot”

SKIRLING pipes, hoots, abuse and shouts of “dump him in the harbour,” were said, by Constable C. E. Collins, to have greeted his appearance on New Year's Eve at St Heliers, when eight men appeared at the Police Court this morning charged with disorderly behaviour and inciting to assault the police.

Another witness said that the constable, who sported a flourishing moustache, had been referred to as “Old Walrus.”

The men charged were James gtubbs, Walter H. Brown. J. Thompson, Leonard Glogoski. Alexander Black. John Black, J. Harper and Alfred McLei»h. All appeared except Glogoski. and Mr. C. J. Lovegrove entered pleas of not guilty on their behalf. "Only the forbearance of the constable saved what might have been a serious riot,” commented Sub-Inspec-tor McCarthy. ‘‘The events took place on New Year’s Eve in St. Heliers Bay and the constable was in uniform. The constable in the Bay is necessarily on his own and his duties are difficult enough without interference such as this.” Constable Collins told the story of what happened at St. Heliers in the first few hours of 1929, when celebrations were, to say the least of it, boisterous.

I was standing in the street about 110 a.m..” said the constable, “when an Auckland -Helensville service car with several men in it, started up and drove straight across the street, biting an electric standard, which saved it from falling into the* harbour. I went over and told the driver to get out and produce his driving licence. He said he didn’t have one, and another man in the car said that he was the driver and produced a licence from which I started to take down details. The others got out of the car and one man started to play the bagpipes.” Mr. Lovegrove: Ah! That’s the trouble.

TOLD PLAYER TO STOP Witness said that he told the man to stop playing as there* were boarding houses and hotels in the vicinity. Alexander Black urged the man to keep on playing and told witness he had no right to stop him. "Black then started to abuse me,” continued witness, “and there were cries of ‘Dump him in the harbour.* Black said, ‘You had a fall at Pakuranga and you will have a fall here.* Other men took up the cry and counted me out, and started booing.” Witness considered that there was a particularly large crowd in the Bay, as four charabancs were driven Ulled with youths from Auckland, many of whom were excited with drink. The men who started trouble were trying to incite the visitors to assist them in throwing witness in the harbour. Constable Collins said that he crossed to the other side of the atreot because he realised that if the two parties combined his chances of keeping out of the harbour were slight. Jke men had then formed into line with their arms linked parading round witness with the piper at; the head and Alexander Black in kilts. The disorderly conduct was continued until three ©clock, after which the chara--s“®* went to Auckland and,” continued the constable, “I can assure you i wa* gi a( i to see them go.” >' Wtneaa ' who was new to St. HeliWas °* the opinion that there was

a lot of ill-feeling against him. This had not come to a head until inspired by the whisky and beer of New Year’s Eve. The noise and language had been so bad that witness’s wife had come down to see what it was all about at 2 o’clock. Witness took no hand until the car smash, and then he? wanted to see whether the driver was fit to be in control of the car. NOT LOOKING FOR TROUBLE After the constable had identified the seven men who were lined up in Court. Mr. Lovegrove asked whether it was not a fact that he had gone out looking for trouble. Constable Collins: No.

Counsel: Did someone not say no the piper, “Give us a tune, Scotty,” and cheer him? Constable Collins: Iso. Counsel: I gather you are not a Scot. Constable Collins: I am an Englishman, and proud of i'c. Counsel: You evidently have no ear for music.

Air. Lovegrove then suggested to witness that the crowd had called, “Go on. Scotty, don’t take any notice of old Walrus.*’ Was not the whole prosecution brought because you were called “Walrus?” he asked. Constable Collins: Certainly not. I have never heard the expression before.

Mr. Lovegrove: Did your wife not say, “Oh, daddy, they are calling you Walrus. What an insult! Go and arrest them!”

Constable Collins: What a yarn! My wife never called me daddy in her life. All my wife suggested was that I should not put up with the behaviour. I thought of phoning for reinforcements, but no telephone was available.

Mr. Lovegrove suggested that Constable Collins’s nerves were bad, and he was worried about the Elsie Walker inquiry, but the constable vehemently denied that also.

William Voitrekosky, Charles Clifford Skett, Nevil Marshal Gandy and Frederick Collins, four youths, then gave evidence corroborating details of the constable’s story. A suggestion was made by the Sub-Inspector' that the nervousness of at least one vatness under examination was owing to his being frightened to give evidence against defendants. “I don’t know whether your Worship thinks there is any case t'«i answer,” said Mr. Lovegrove. “The evidence of the prosecution is full of contradiction, and out of about 400 bystanders, it has been possible to collect only four youths to substantiate tht x constable’s story.” “There is certainly very little evidence against two of the men,” agreed Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., “but there is a case against the others.” The case was adjourned for an hour to enable another constable to be brought to the Court so that he could put in a statement made by Glogoshi. (Proceeding.)