RICHARDSON IN COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 299, 17 December 1900, Page 2

RICHARDSON IN COURT.

CHARGED WITH INSULTING

LANGUAGE

At the Police Court this morning, before Mr T. Hutchison, S.M., further' evidence was heard in the ease against William Richardson, charged with using insulting and threatening lan-o-ua"-e in a public place, and towards Sam _iel Marks, last Sunday week." Mr Baume appeared for the prosecution, defendant conducted his own case. Jackson Palmer, barrister and solicitor, deposed to hearing Richardson addressing the crowd in Quay-street on the Sunday in question. The defendant and his friends appeared to be baiting Marks and trying to get him excited. Defendant- was endeavouring in every way possible to create a.breach of the peace that afternoon. He repeatedly called Marks a liar. Tim crowd round him completely blocked the footpath. Richardson: That is not true. His Worship: You have no right to say that to the witness.

Richardson: I have a character as well as Mr Palmer. Witness (with emphasis): You have - a character! (Laughter). Richardson: Did your electors tell | you I recommended them to turn you ■:_. out? ' '":; Witness: No, but I wish you would, .7 because, knowing your character, I should imagine my seat would be safe || for the rest of my life. (Laughter). | Richardson: Did you expect a com- 1 motion that afternoon? Witness: I.fully expected some one | to throw you over the wharf. -I thought there would be _.• fight be- i tween your crowd and the other crowd. 'Witness added he was satiso tied defendant, had been trying for a long- time to defy the law in New Z-sl-land. Defendant had attacked the Supreme Court judges and juries in front of the mob, and "was defying alb the. Courts and trying to bring them' > into contempt. E. H. Montgomery and Sergeant Gordon also g-ave evidence asp to the abus- .: ive nature of the lang-uage commonly . made us of by Richardson at his pub- J lie meetings. Sergeant Gordon said he thought the terms "liar" and "pimp" when used in the public, street were decidedly calculated to [ cause a breach^ of the peace. If he heard such language he would consider it his duty to stop the speaker, '■. and to arrest him if he persisted.. 4 "Week after week," said .the Ser- ' geant, "we are expecting a; fracas at ■ your meetings. . No matter what, other : meetings are on there have to be coa- ; stables on duty at your meetings." Witness also gave it as his opinion.:!' " that some of defendant's remarks ' were not fit to be uttered in the public -* street. He had seen ladies hurry out of hearing as though scalded.

(Proceeding.)