THE LATE FRACAS AT CAMBRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1386, 21 May 1881, Page 2

THE LATE FRACAS AT CAMBRIDGE.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court Cambridge, yesterday complaints were preferred at the instance of the police against six men named respectively : Mooney, Campbell, Grarliok, Dunb.ir, vVhealan, and Herbert, for having on the evening of the 6th inst, created a disturbance outside the National Hotel. Mooney wa^ further charged with assaulting the police in the execution of their duty. Mr Benle solicitor appeared for all tha .defendants with the > exception of Cambell, Wheelan and Herbert. On behalf of his clients »>unsel tendered a plea of guilty and iif extenuation stated that tho melee^h id arisen inadvert intly. Mooney r wa'* a swamp reclamation eintra'ot'>r and the others ior whom he (Mr Beale) appeared were employed by him: They had 'been ibusily en staged at work for > a cou-iderable time at a remot part of the discriot. On the day labelled they vi-ited the town and having indulged rather freely in liquor a disturbance took place fo* which they were now heartily sorry. Mr. Mooney considered that he had been the primary cause of the disturbance and ho was prepared ho far as it lay in , his power to bear the consequences in his person. The Magistrate inquired if he \va3 ready to go to prison in lieu of the others, whom he had evidently led into the scrape. Mr Beale was hopeful after the explanation made a penalty of that kind would not be exacted. Mooney, however, was quite prepared to bear any pecuniary loss the Court might see fit to inflict on the others. Wheelan and Herbert, who appeared in their own def»nce, pleaded " not guilty." The evidence adduced against them went to prove that they were assaulted by the others, and that so far from being aggressors they did not even retaliate when so assaulted. The case against these two was accordingly withdrawn on the evidence, also the charge against Campbell, who, the police stated at the outset, they had discovered was drawn, into the affair wholly against his will. The Court fined Mooney 40s and costs for each of the two offences to which he had pleaded guilty, and 30s and costs for each of the other defendants.