A WOMEN'S SQUABBLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 249, 14 October 1908, Page 3

A WOMEN'S SQUABBLE.

VENTILATED IX COURT. Who started the squabble? This mas the question that Mr. H. S. FitzOreiibert, S.M., bad to settle yesterday afternoon. The case was one arising out of a neighbor's quarrel. The informant, Mrs. Christina Lehmann a young woman, charged Mrs. Margaret Gunn, a middle-aged neighbor, with having assaulted her on Wednesday, October 7lih, in Moleswortli street, and applied for an order i 0 compel the latter to keep the peace. This application was subsequently abandoned. Mr G'. H. Weston appeared for the informant] and Mr. X*. E. Wilson for defendant. The informant's story was that she had been much annoyed for some time by the "flheek" of defendant's children, who directed opprobrious epithets at her. On Wednesday last Harola, one of the children, offeiiued twice in this way, and, seeing him at his parents' gate later in the evening, sihe reproved him in language which she would not repeat in Court but handed on a written slip to the Heneli. Mrs. Gunn came out and the two exchanged compliments. Then the defendant struck the other woman and ■ blackened her eye, the informant declaring that she had not struck either the defendant or the iboy. The black eye was sworn to by Harry Leihmann, the informant's husband, and Ronald Davidson, a chemist's assistant, who had supplied a smeui knit. He declared the appearance of the optic would'have done credit to Tommy Burns. The defendant pleaded provocation. Her evidence, which ivas practically repeated word for word by Iflic alleged "cheeky" son afterwards" was to the effect that tlie informant struck the lad. The mother intervened, and was struck twice bv tile miormnnt before she took a hand in the fight for herself, and then, a? slie expressively .stated, "I just hit her in the eye, and that was all." The boy posed as a lad who had never cheeked anybody and never given any trouble and he could not give any reason why the informant should have struck liim, except that "the woman had been forbidden to reenter liis father's house, and consequently "had a set" on him. Sydney G. Smith, who was passing, said he did not sec the boy interfered with, but after passing the scene of the "argument," lie heard a scream, and looked round in time to see both women with their arms going "windmill fashion." The S.II. dismissed the boy's evidence as unsatisfactory, remarking it was evident he had been "schooled." On t-Ii e remainder of the facts, as stated, he found for the informant, and inflicted a fine of 10s, with £1 9s costs.