ROUGHLY HANDLED.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 July 1922, Page 12

ROUGHLY HANDLED.

OLD MAN’S COMPLAINT. INCIDENT IN A HOME. Rough handling of an inmate of the Kumara. Old People'; Home, aged 85 year.?, on May. 25. resulted in William Henry Batson, master of the home, being convicted and fined by Mr. Meldrum. S.M.. ar the Kumara Court, last week on a charge of common assault. Senior-Sergeant McCarthy, who conducted the case for the police, said the informant was an inmate for 12 years. He was an old man, 85 years of age. He had been up the town on the day referred to, and after having tea at the home went to the defendant to ask for some medicine, when the defendant came out and took him by the back of the neck and bumped him with his knee. The old man then fell down, and while down was alleged to have been struck by Batson. Even if the old man had annoyed Batson the latter had no right to use the old man as had been alleged. It was said that the old man had fallen down, and was drunk at the time, but he had had no drink that day.

CALLED OUT “MURDER.” The complainant, giving evidence, said the master was getting his tea when he called in, and on finishing came out, and started to bustle him and kick him with his knee. “I was exhausted and j fell over,” said witness. “Batson then struck me in the eye, and I sang out ‘murder,’ and young Mclntosh came to my assistance, and took me into the home. After Batson hit me I struck at him with my rotten old stick, but I do not know whether I hit him or not.”

Mclntosh, a bush man employed at the home, said he was having tea in the kitchen when he heard a scuffle on the verandah. He heard Batson say, “Get to out of this, you old .” Then he heard a scuffle down the path. The old man called out “murder, murder;” and then went out. The old man said to Batson, “I : ll summons you for this.” Witness was at the home for about 12 weeks working. During that time he saw the complainant every day, and never saw any signs of drink. THE DEFENDANT’S VERSION.

Batson said lie saw the old man coming through the gate at about five o’clock. He noticed he was staggering, and went through the back door to tea and to stop him from going to the teatable, but eventually changed his mind. Hp then went into his own room, and told Mrs. Batson that the [ man had been haying drink again, and something would have to be done. He noticed the old man stagger by the wood heap, and ran over caught him by the shoulder, and said, “Come on home, Bob, you have been drinking again.” Tho complaina'nt then “hauled off” with his stick, but witness ducked, and the stick went over his shoulder. The old man went partly on to the ground. Witness lifted him up again, and he then struck witness on the head. Batson called out to Frank McIntosh, and told him to take the man to the hut, and he did so. When McIntosh came back he asked him if Ireland was put to bed, and he replied: “No, he would not go.” About eight o’clock he went over to the home, and the girls complained that the old man wanted to come in. At nine o’clock he again went to see the man. and ha was then snoring. The next morning he noticed he had a black eye, but. could not find out how it happened. It was nothing new. declared witness, to hear patients calling out “murder, murder.” The old man was drunk that night, “and I will swear it. He always limps, and he takes more physic in a week than the other patients do in six months.”

Dr. J. Spencer Daniell said he exam ined the old man. He had a black ey€

The magistrate said the evidence was conflicting. It was, however, clear that an assault had been committed. The evidence of Mclntosh went to prove that Batson was the aggressor. It seemed a very wrong thing that an old man should have been so roughly handled by Batson. The evidence of the doctor went to show that the injury to Batson was trivial. On the other hand, the old man had been very roughly handled, indeed. He \vould inflict al fine of £2, with costs.