Donntybrook Rouses Quiet Te Kauwhata

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 760, 5 September 1929, Page 1

Donntybrook Rouses Quiet Te Kauwhata

MAORIS RUN AMOK fight lasts for hours (From Our Ourn Correspondent; PUKEKOHE, Wednesday. “I took my coat off and sailed In and hit everybody I could see around me/' . . - “The air was blue with language." . . . “Someone was biting me and someone was holding me around the throat.” . . . "One of my fingers was bitten through to the bone.” These remarks were made in the pukekohe Police Court today, when the sequel to a Donnybrook at Te Kauwhata on the evening ot Saturday, Tune 15, was the appearance of five Maoris and two Pakehas from that district. Messrs. J. P. Stembridge and C. K. J.P.’s, were on the Bench. Kahi Puru was charged with drunkenness, threatening behaviour, assault and obscene language; Jack Puru, with obscene language, assault and fighting; and Henry Peru, with fighting. Kahi Puru admitted being drunk. Mr. VI. It. Grierson appeared for accused. Tetnohi Taupiri and Paul Clark were charged with lighting. John O’Connor McCartney, with threatening behaviour, and L. Gordon, with assault. Mr. E. o'. Foster represented the first four. THE FIGHT STARTS When he came out of the pictures at g.hi), said Robert Gibbons, he saw two Maoris, one of whom was Kahi Puru, fighting with Charles Gordon in an aiieyway between two shops. Jack Puru was holding Gordon down, and Kahi was kicking him. Later the accused, Kahi Puru, was walking around the town looking for trouble. Accused was using obscene language. Charles Beresford Gordon, a young man, related hearing shouting on the road and to seeing accused and another native engaged in a bout of fisticuffs. This was before the pictures commenced. At half-time and at the conclusion the row was -still going on. HELD BY THROAT ‘I don’t want to fight; don’t get my blood up,” a native named Taupiri was saying to Kahi Puru. Jack Puru knocked witness, down, and someone held him by the throat while someone else bit his fingers. Kahi had been refused admission to the pictures, and did not appear to be very much intoxicated. Mr. Grierson: Was it like a football scrum? Witness: Absolutely! Sergeant Cowan: They don’t bite in a football scrum. Mr. Grierson: They do sometimes. "There were well over 60 people fioating around,” continued witness. “They were kicking up a row and making a regular Donnybrook.” “They were all under the Influence of liquor and were using the most disgusting language,” said L. Gordon, in referring to the native accused. He could not identify Kahi Puru as being one of those assaulting Gordon junior. Witness attended the pictures, and at the conclusion was advised by his daughter that Maoris were killing Charlie Gordon. He “hopped in” and took steps to quell the disturbance. Kahi Puru was threatening Taupiri, and was ready to “come at” Gordon junior again. “SAILED IN AND HIT” “I took my coat off and sailed in find hit everybody I could see around me,” he added. (Laughter.) Mr. Grierson explained that the South Kahi Puru had consumed a few too many drinks after a football match, and like pakeha boys had indulged in some later fight. “It happens in the best-regulated families, and to every man in some stage of his career,” said counsel in extenuation of accused’s drunkenness. Mr. Stembridge said it was to the authorities’ credit that they refused admission to the hall. On the charge of drunkenness Kahi Puru was convicted and discharged. The charge of assault was dismissed, and on the charges of obscene language and using threatening behaviour he was fined £2 and £l. respectively. Costs totalled £3 17s 2d. Ciiving evidence on the charges against Jack Puru, C. Gordon said he saw Jack and Kahi Puru both fighting Paul Clark, whose shirt had been torn off. “The air was blue with language,” said L. Gordon, who saw the incident hut could not identify the parties. Other evidence was also offered. Jack Puru was fined £3, with £4 Is 5d costs for obscene language. The other charges against him were dismissed.

The charge against L. Gordon was and those against the other men were dismissed.