DIFFICULT INMATES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 94, 29 July 1910, Page 7

DIFFICULT INMATES

TROUBLE AT THE OLD MiSN'S HOME. I Two inmates of the Old Men's Home' appeared before Mr. H. Fitzherbert, tJ.M., I yesterday morning, charged, on the information of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board (for whom Mr. Quilliam appeared) with having broken certain of the Board's regulations.^ The first charge heard was lliat against Patrick Dale, who pleaded guilty to a charge of having behaved in a disorderly manner by striking Alexander Allen on the head with a poker. Mir. Quilliam stated that Dale had received great provocation irom Allen. The latter had to be removed to the Hospital to have seven or eight stitches put in his head. Grievous bodily Harm had been done, but the Board was not concerned with any charge of that nature. It would be quite impossible 'to preserve order if this kir.d of thing went on. The penalty under the regulations was a fine up to £'s, or imprisonment. ! Sergeant Haddrell pointed out that Dale had committed an offence lor j which he could be sent to the Supreme ; Court for trial, but the Magistrate pointed out that Sergeant Haddrell had no locus standi in this case. His Worship fined Dale 20s and costs 7s, in default 48 hours' imprisonment. Alexander Allen, a military veteran, was charged with having introduced spirituous liquor —whisky—into the Home without the permission of the ineaical superintendent, with having been guilty of swearing, the use of indecent and profane language, and with having behaved in a disorderly, abusive and offensive manner in the Home. Accused pleaded i not guilty to each charge. [ Charles M. Lepper, secretary to, the j Taranaki Charitab.e Aid Board, deposed ' that he visited the Old People's Home on Saturday evening last, and went into the smoke room. There lie found Allen, who had a cut on his head which was bleeding profusely. Afterwards witness found a bottle of whisky in accused's locker. Mrs. Annie Bayly, matron of the Old People's Home, stated that Allen came to the Home on Saturday evening very drunk. Accused had no tea, but witness found 'him lying, on ibis bed almost unconscious from the- effects of liquor. Later in the evening Allen used Very bad language indeed. Witness sent Assistant Jackson to see Allen, and the latter struck Jackson. ' Witness then telephoned for Messrs. Bellrmger and Lepper,. who quelled the disturbance. Accused 'had caused a lot of trouble in the Home. He used awful language, and was always picking quarrels with those inmates who belonged to the Roman Catholic persuasion. To vhese peopl.? he used particularly awful insuiting and profane language. In the course of some question which Allen put to the witness, it appeared that Aden had been reported for refusing to clean out the lavatories. Accused, haughtily: I would sooner throw myself off the wharf than clean lavatories. A sergeant-major of the army does not clean lavatories. Mr. Fitzherbert: What regiment were you in? . ' Accused: I was in two regiments, sir; I was in the Twelfth LanciM-s, amongst' gentlemen. Mr. Fitzherbert: You ought to know what discipline is, then. William E. Michael, an inmate of the Home, gave corroborative evidence. j Da'e gave evidence, stating that while I he was sitting in the sitting-room on the night of the trouble, Allen poured forth a stream of the dirtiest, filthiest abuse against him for a couple of! hours. He stood everything that Allen said until the latter brought witness's mother's name into his talk, and then witness went for the poker | Samuel Adams, a warder at the hospital, stated that about 4 p:m. on aat-1 urday he saw accused absolutely drunk.' Alfred Ernest Jackson, a warder at the Old People's Home, stated that it was his duty to go round the Home about 7 p.m., giving allowances of whisky to the inmates whom the do2tor mad ordered should be given it. He found the accused drunk, and therefore aid not give him hjs allowance of whisky, but told the matron of the matter. j Later in the evening the matron caned • witness to go and see to Allen, who was' making a, row in the sitting-room. Witness went there, and Allen, after using! a lot more bad language, struck him. j Accused stated that on Saturday af- J ternoon he had a pass to go down town. | All the liquor he had was two glasses of : whisky. He had been under two doctors for over six months, suffering from his head, and the blow Dale had given him! would make it worse. ! "Have you seen this before?" asked I Mr. Quilliam, holding up the bottle of whisky that accused was said to Have, taken into the Home. | 'Accused: "Yes, a Masonic brother j gave it to me in town, and I took it: into the Home." His Worship pointed out to accused that an old sergeant-major of a crack cavalry regiment should know what discipline was, and that these homes could i not be carried on without absolute dis-j cipline. Accused was; the cause of the wlio'ie trouble. He would be fined f.l, and costs (7s), is default forty-eight! I hours' imprisonment. In answer to His Worship,, Mr. tapper said that Allen received both an imperial and the old-age pension, but Dale had no pension and no money. Mr. 'Fitzherbert remarked that he did ■not want to send either of these old men: to gaol, but the penalty must be im-: posed. Each of them would be allowed a week in which to pay the fine. ( Allen: Thank God I'm free once more. Mr. Fitzherbert: Well, you're not free until you pay the fine. |