Neighbourly Amenities.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7762, 14 March 1905, Page 2

Neighbourly Amenities.

KAHIiKIt FIXED nm A.-SAI I.T. The amenities of ivs),U i ing ut Kent Iload WTO the subject of a I'olico Court case on Monday, ; when David Alexander was charged, before Mr Hutchison, S.M., with having assaulted ('lntnl.- Itoberts on Friday, Murch .'I. .Mr IJiiilliani up|'eared for 11 a- comnlttinun(, aml Mr j Wilson (Messrs Hoy and Wilson) for I llii- ilciYn.'lant. I Tho case for the informant was I thai on I hi; day in i|Uc«tion lie was cng.ip J ill ploughing. 'Hie ilWcndanl came over to where lie was working, mrciisinl hiin of having beaten his children, ind, after son f wor.ls between tin 111, proci<-.lc.i lo strike him several Mow s atross I lie b'<l,\ Willi a whip ttiiich lie carried with him. Jlr Home nave medical losl iniony show Hint complainant bole several marks, which coul.l have bii'ii inflietcd wilh the whip produced. Mrs Kolktls, wife of the complaiiiunt, gave evidence thai, she huil been subject! (I to considcrnlile iiiino) amr by the defendant's tt\ n hoys, agr I IV! anil 11. mid on the day previoim io the assault shn caught (ho lu.'ls mill "boxed" their ears. She did mil hurt -them very much, ns was proved l.j the fact that, they turned round and started •• cheeking " her again, and culling her by her Christian name. Her husband was not present or in sight when witness hit the Imys. The next day her hus--I)iiml was ploughing in the Held, and called to her to co«nc over lo wtu-ro he ami defendant were having some words. Alexander. Hie defendant, accusal her of hitting his children. Witness replied " lie did not ; it was 1 who boxed their cars," and defendant (hen said, "You are liars-." lie got lip with (ho whip und repeatedly si ruck her husband with it as he came forward and closed with defendant. Cross - examined l»y Mr Wilson : Hie children used lo puss my house on their way to school. They huve rejioatedly annoyed me, but 1 never chased them or threatened them. The defendant, David Alexander, sworn, stated that he went down to Hoborts-' house in consdquence of something told him. He asked Itoberls why his children had lieen beaten. und he replied that he had nothing to do with it. He called his wife up and said (o her " Here is (his man accusing me of boating his children." Mrs Roberts said she had done so, ami witness asked her the ivas-on. She replied Unit they were such imps tha( she could not live for (hem. Witness said he did not Irelieve her, as no one else in (ho district had ever complained of their conduct ; in fact, spoke well of (ho boys. Some strong talk followed between Koberts ai]<l the witness, and the former said : | "You have cost mo enough already, and now you come here to a huso me. Wait 'till Saturday, and 1 will put you where you will be quiet for three months." Witness then struck complainant with the whip, which ho brought with him. Previous to Mrs Rolierts coming on (hi; scene he had [ threatened Huberts (hat if his chil- ' dren were in(erferod with again 1m would use the whip. Oaring the altorcalion complainant called him a brute und a beast. Mrs Tiobortii finally grabbed itlio whip, anil liolierts came iiv btihinrt him and got his ' bands round witness' neck, 'i Cross-exam ned : 1 did not call either of thorn liars, but I said I [ did not believe it when she said niy children were imps. 1 admit T tried [ to borrow n whip on (lie morning . in <iuos(ion from Mr Herber(, as my . own was not substantial. 1 intended I In the first place to frighten him ,'with It. Since the ussault 1 may [ huve said "I know I will have to , pay for it, but ! don't mind that , at all." | The S.M. said tliore had been u lie- , libcrftto assault, without Jufdiftrn- \ tion. I( was a serious thing for a person to enter on another man's ■ property and uso a horsewhip on jhltn in Hint manner, lie took it ■ that tho defendant hail from tho fust intended to use the whip if lie .did not got satisfaction. The fact that Mrs ltoberts hud on the previous day boxed the children's ears was no provocation for an assault on complainant (hat day. 'J'he fine would be the substantial one of toge(her with £2 15s (id costs, in- . eluding 10s (VI medical fee. In de|fa'ult of payment the alternaeive would lie a month's imprisonment. I The line has been paid.