A KAIMIRO CONFLICT.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 November 1917, Page 7

A KAIMIRO CONFLICT.

HAPPENINGS AT A DANCE, THE BACIAL QUESTION. Happenings at a dance held at IvainJii'o on Thursday, October 16, were ventilated at the Inglewood Magistrate's Court on Friday, before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., when three young men, named ttugh Paterson, Charles Coldrick and i>red Coldrick (the last-named a returned soldier) were charged with using indecent language in a public place, and also with disturbing a Meeting held for the purpose of public entertainment. Mr. A. H. Johnstone, instructed by Mr. Paterson, defended. The Court was crowded.

Sub-Inspector Button, who prosecuted, stated that a dance was being held in the Kaimiro Public Hall, the proceeds to be devoted to the Y.M.C.A. About 10 p.m. some horse manure was thrown into the hall, and a plate was broken. Some time later accused came in with a jar of beer, and their conduct was such that Mr. Copperth, qhuirman of the Hall Committee, had to remonstrate with them. A fight ensued, shocking language being used, and an undescribable scene ensued, the entertainment being broken up. In the back blocks it was not an uncommon thing for beer to bo introduced and entertainments broken up, and as there were not police available in all cases he thought the matter should be put down with a strong hand. Miss Josephine Hinz, one of the comJijittcip that organised 'th|e entertainment, deposed that at 10 p.m. the three accused, who had evidently been drinking, came in and said: "Now, ladies and gentlemen, we'll have a chair polka." '•Wicy then "brought in a box and put the jar of beer on top of it. Her brother, Wlio was M.C., asked them' to remove the beer and behave themselves. Chas. Coldrick invited every one to 'have a drink and poured out beer in a' cup, which Fred Coldrick and 11. Paterson drank, some being split on the floor. After a while the beer was taken up by one of the accused, who walked out. The young men appeared to look for trouble. There was no dancing afterwards. Later in the supper room she beaid the sound of breaking crockery also a Tumble, as well as ladies crying out. and when she got outside she saw J. Gopperth bleeding. She decidedly heard the young men use bad language the words of which she wrote down. Cross examined: Witness said she was engagijd to Laurence Gopperth. She had attended every dance in Kaimiro and knew it was the custom to bring beer there. After the beer was taken out dancing was resumed untii supper time, when the fight took place. Though, the men might be accustomed to swear, none but accused swore that night. To Sub-Inspector Hutton: The fight took place after the first cups of tea and tray of cakes went round. She was in the supper room at the time. The language could have been heard from the road.

Ivy Earp, school teacher, gave corroborative evidence. She heard tTr saw nothing-to provoke the language used. Cross-examined: Accused took the beer out when requested by the M.C., and the dance continued.

Albert Benedick Hinz, farmer, Kaimiro, who was M.C. at the dance, corroborated his sister's evidence a* to accused's actions with the beer, stating that when they removed it he took the box to the opposite door. Accused were not drunk, but looked as if they had some beer on them. They had not at this time used any bad language. Later while at supper he heard some crockery smash, and, looking up, saw H. Paterson and J. Gopperth struggling and the two other accused pulling Edward Gopperth about. He pulled Charlie off. After five or ten minutes the struggle stopped. H. Paterson then took off his coat, which he gave to his sister, saying "You fight the ladie9 I'll fight the men," and then, from the centre of the hall, challenged all to fight, a challenge which no one accepted. Bad language then started, the word German being freely used. Hearing that E. Gopperth had rung up the Inglewood police F. Coldrick called him "a ■ German cur," whilst H. Paterson said; "Let him come; he can't put me out," and used other oaths. F. Coldrick said he'd fight the policeman, whilst Charlie had some argument with the ladies and witness heard him use some bad language. This went on for two hours, the language being in a loud voice. The next morning he remarked to Clias. Coldrick that the beer had caused a nice disturbance, but the latter said the beer had not caused it, that J. Gopperth had hit first, and, beer or no beer, there would have been a disturbance.

To Mr. Johnstone: Witness had never contributed to the cost of any beer brought into the hall. There were a good many of German birth in the Kainiiro district, and the fight may have been the outcome of racial differences. Mrs. Schicker (nee Miss Gopperth) had dressed the accused down, but he did not hear her swear, nor did lie hear any one else but accused do so. The entertainment concluded nbont 1.30 p.m., and a number from both sides remained to the end. He did not know if there was any strong feeling with fche women. Witness had been in camp, but was now on leave. ' He did not know whether that was because of his nationality. Edward Gopperth, farmer, Kaimiro, deposed that at supper time he noticed tiifct Hugh Paterson was in a cantankerous mood sitting on the stepi near the stage. He heard boisterous lahghter in the hall and a little later his brother, said: ''This has gone far enough and must stop." Paterson said: "Who'll stop it?" and his brother said: 'T will" Paterson threw his cake and saucer to the ground and said:' "You German " Almost simultaneously his brother struck the blow. He then detailed the nature of the struggle so far as he could see it owing to the congested state of the hall. Ladies screamed and when parted H 'Paterson said: "You're Germans. I'm British, and I'll fight the lot of von." He asked his sister to fight the ladies, saying she would be sorry if she didn't. He offered to fight anyone, shouting: "The German nation is the lowest, in the world. I'm Scotcli. The British are worse than the Germans." When witness suggested sending for the police, Paterson lost control of himself and used vile language. Witness never lifted his hand.

Cross-examined: Witness stated that two dances took place after the beer was [removed and before further trouble ensued.

To the Sub-Inspector: There was no racial feeling as far as witness was ftwar», and there were no sides except those of order and disorder. To the Magistrate: Very often there were drinking bouts in the hall. Up till now the committee had not taken any Steps to stop the beer, but he understood they were takinsr steDS now The trou-

ble was that there was too much of a family connection in the district and one was afraid of offending tho other. The Magistrate: It is a pity it was not stopped sooner. James Benedict Gopperth, farmer, Kaitniro, deposed that tho real disturbance took place at supper time, when witness noticed the three accused were under the influence of liquor. Witness remonstrated with Paterson for spilling tea 011 the floor. Paterson used the" language complained off when witness hit him and a fight ensued, followed by an uproar "German" was used in every offensive epithet in the presence of IS ladies. He struck the first blow because he resented the language. This closed the case for the prosecution.

Mr. A. 11. Johnstone raise-Vlie point d£ law as to whether the </J&ice took place at a public entertainment, seeing that the 'hall was let to a committee who had the right to exclude any one. The Magistrate: Could not the language be heard in % nublic street? -Air. Johnstdne submitted that there ivas no satisfactory evidence of this, and before a conviction was granted the Crown must prove every essential ingredient. Tho three accused, Schrider and 0. Peters, had clubbed together and got «ome _ beer which they took to Chas. Coldrick's .but. After n. drink or two about 9 p.m. three of them went to the dance, leaving Paterson and Peters irt Ihe' hut. Later all went back to the ivhare, and after another drink and light supper returned to tlie dance, taking What remained of the beer with them. Their action at the dance was in the nature of folish ostentations in inviting nil to drink. This incident terminated with the removal of the beer at supper time. When Paterson sat on the stage J. Gopperth stood in a menacing attitude and threatened to put them out, and this led to the trouble. Gopperth struck 'Paterson, and it was perfectly clear the whole trouble was due to this stupid act, because there was general confusion, and in the tussle it was hard for an exasperated man to know whether he u&ed the language complained of or not. He knew hia Worship's attitude in regard to indecent language where women were concerned, and appreciated ifc. He pointed cut that the ladies stopped for two hours after the incidents occurred, and that there seemed to be no proper management in the place. There was also the feeling of a man injured by being struck by a man who was of a different race.

The Magistrate: W'hy do they go, then ?

Mr. Johnstone said that though the feeling might not be strong, it unfortunately existed, and men did not vi,e\v this as calmly as they did four pr live years ago. He did not contend that they were not entitled to as much protection but one of them began the fight. Evidence for the defence was given on the lines of counsel's address by the three accused and O. Peters. The Magistrate stated he was satisfied that the beer had been introduced in the way it had been for the purpose of interfering with the entertainmnt. Two or three dances later the evidence showed that Gopperth had said this must be stopped, and it could not be imagined that he must be referring to the beer incident. All that Paterson questioned was Gopperth's right to stop it, and had disputed this Copperth said that he had been called something before he had struck Paterson, and he must believe Gopperth and hold that the others created the disturbance. The evidence showed anyone could attend by paying, so lie roust hold that it was a place of piiblic entertainment. The defendants, one of whom was a returned soldier, had been very frank in the matter, and though he was strongly opposed to indecent language in the presence of ladies he did not like to send a returned soldier to gaol, and of course could not treat the others differently. He therefore would impose a fine. Paterson lie regarded as the greater offender, and finedhim £lO and each of the others £5 on the charge of indecent laguage. On the charge of disturbing the entertainment each of the accused was fined £2 and costs 10s 4d. None of the witnesses claimed expense.'.

The fines were immediately paid, the greater portion being at once subscribed by friends outside the Court.