A FAMILY FRACAS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 101, 29 April 1910, Page 3

A FAMILY FRACAS.

« I - .. Sata-day, the 26th nit., must have bee» something of a "red letter day" in t_e r annals of Swa_stoh-_treet, for then" there occurred one of the most involved and complicated family quarrels that any court of justice,could wish to be __ed upon to unravel It was a double, or, rather, treble barrelled matter—a sort ol legal mitrailleuse. Albert Madig-n and his brother Charles, were- charged at the Police Court with having assaulted their step-sister (Lottie. Morris) by striking and kicking her, dragging her by the hair, and throwing her out of a house.into the street.- Onthe other side, Lottie Morris was charged j with having assaulted both bee step-brothers, and also a neigh* bour woman named Hilda Gribble. Mr. Matthews appeared-' for the Madigans, and Mr. Hackeit for the woman Morris, who pleaded guilty to having assaulted Albert Madigan and __6. Gribble, but denied that aha _a_ 6in_laxly offended in respect of. Ch—ties. Mac—gan. On the contrary, she asserted that he had assaulted her in the mogfc brutal manner. He had knocked' her down, kicked her, dragged her by =thi hair, and thrown her violently into.t—» street, and knocked hex teeth out. . j *_ notice," said Mr. Hackett, "yo», have lost some of your front teeth." . "Yes, I have," said Miss Morris. ' '•; "Where are they?" ''.... \ * "To my pocket—several of them.'* ,i * "What dentist extracted themlg "No dentist; Charlie Madigahdone-_S with his fist. I tell you they just -a football of mc, and I'm bruis_» all over." (Laughter.) The story was very m a ch mixed up, hut it appeared that the woman Morris had occasion to go to Mrs. Grin—et» house, and some —ngry words passed between —tern, with the result that Mot* ris slapped Mrs. Gribble- face, as 6ha said "with the flat of my hand." _Coj--stable Giles, who was commi—ucaiefi with, came upon the scene, and was talfc« ing to Morris, who had .some drink, but i was not intoxicated By-ond-hy along came the two Madigans, and Marrist at once used abusive language towardthem. Then they attacked her, she being inside her house, and she went for them. The constable said there was _# doubt the woman was the aggressor, ! but the conduct of the __diga_ 3 wat ' absolutely disgracefuL The woman was badly knocked about, and she reta—ated jwith equal violence. There was an ax» head lying on the floor, and this sh_ picked up and hurled at them.. Hop. pily it missed its mark. She also used some old boots as nlissiles, but her aim was not good. (Langhter.) "And why didn't you separate —temP*: asked counsel. "So Ifdid three times;*' said the constable, "but they rushed at each ofc_e_ again like furies, and I tell you that Hackenschmidt himself could not separate three people fighting as they w_— They punched and kicked and eventually Morris was thrown out into the street* The charge against Albert __digaxj was dismissed, Charles Madigan was fined £2, costs 16/, in default 14 d-yEr* i | imprisonment, and Lottie Morris was 01- $$fc dered to pay £2, in default three _W?rhard labour.