BOARDINGHOUSE BRAWL

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 409, 16 April 1937, Page 4

BOARDINGHOUSE BRAWL

PUNCHED NOSE; SMASHED WINDOW. Sequel in To-day’s Police Court. As a result of a brawl at a private boardinghouse in Stratford at the tea hour on April 9, William Walley, a labourer, aged 56, ot Ohawe Beach and Edward Nicol Crombie, foreman carpenter, aged 43, of Normanby, were charged in ’the Police Court this morning with assaulting Darcy Quinn. Both were represented by Mr. N. H. Moss. Watley, who pleaded not guilty, Was discharged, and Crombie, who pleaded guilty, butt under extreme provocation, was convicted and fined 10/-, and ordered to pay witnesses’ expenses amounting to £2/11/1. The presiding Justices were Messrs' J. W. Mclnnes and. H. C. North. In outlining the case. Sergeant T. Brenchley, of New Plymouth, laid that Quinn and the two accused were employed in Wilkinson's building in Broadway. Crombie, the foreman, found it necessary to discharge Quinn. Later on that day the three melt at an hotel, and Quinn became abusive By this time they reached the boarding-house where they lived the whole three were intoxicated; | Crombie became abusive and wanted to fight Quinn, taking off his pbaS and shirt. The next thing, a window was smashed and Quinn was found lying on the ground. Wasley, it was I alleged, had held Quinn, while Cromj bie did the hitting, "it was a drun- | ken brawl, and cowardly, because Quinn has a withered arm,” Sergeant I Brenchley added. Lawrence Lewis, who also resided it the boarding-house in question, said in evidence that Crombie hit Quinn once or twice, while Was'ey was trying to hold him up Quinn was not badly knocked about; he Went and finished his tea after the disturbance. Mr. Moss: Wasley is not the type who would deliberately hold up another man and allow him to be hit? Witness: I don’t think so. Both th se men are decent—not the type who look for fight? : I’ve known them for a long while, and have always found them peaceful. When the police, were telephoned for after the window was smash, d, Constables W. Hughes and W. Rae went to . the boarding-houte. Constable Hughes seated in evidence that on arrival he found Wasley in the bathroom, but Wasley denied any connAw tion wi h the fracas, and Crombie and Quinn in the dining room. The latter was crying, and said that he mid teen punched on the tfoie. Wasley dad admitted paying £1 to the landlady for the broken window. Mr. Moss told thfc Justic > (that Quinn had now left. Stratford, and his whereabouts were vague. Crombie ind Wasley had not previoutly been in trouble; Quinn had become abusive 'to Crombie, and had tried to hi,! n.m. and had call.d him a bloody 1 h • “He admits that he had i reached the end of his tether,” added , counsel, “and that Quinn got up suddenly and put his elbow through the window.” There was no evidence againi'H Wasl Jr, and he f.rould ask that the case be dismissed. As tar as Crombie was concerned, he had admitted striking Quinn, but under ex-t-eme provocation. “There’s a limit to whe,; any man will put up with,” concluded Mr. Moss. The Justices found that there was insufficient evidence to convict Wat.ley, but convicted and fined Crom- ■ bie.