BAR ROOM WRECKED.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 63, 14 March 1919, Page 7

BAR ROOM WRECKED.

NEW ZEALANDERS CONCERNED. (From Our Special Correspondent. j LONDON", Jan. 10. At the Wilts quarter sessions, at Devizes, six New Zealand soldiers were arraigned on charges ari-ing out of a disturbance in an hotel. James Henry Cannon, 33, Eric McAlind-n, .10. Joseph Hodge-, 21, James Henry Rees, 28. Vincent Revell, 21, and John Wright Christie, 28. The charges against them were: —(1) Stealing two cash register tills, value- £120, with contents, value £20, also wines, spirits, beers, and tobacco, value €53 '■'~'. the property of Messrs. Bartlett and Company, at Codford, on November 28 last; (2) maliciously damaging the Oeorge Hotel, the property of Messrs. Bartlett and Company, at C'odford, on the same date. The men's records, except in the ease of Hodges, were bad. Rees was found not guilty, and discharged. In view of his clean military record, Hodges was bound over, and the other four were sentenced to six months' imprisonment. Mr. T. H. Parr, counsel for the prosecution, said that on the night of November 2*, the men left the camp of the New Zealand forces', obviously with the intention of doing damage, and went to the George Hotel, at Codford. where they practically wrecked the bar. There were altogether 10 men or more, but all had not been arrested. At about 7.30 p.m. the prisoners suddenly entered the bar, and it was evident they had come with the obvious intention of wrecking the premises. The disturbance appeared to have begun about drinks, one or two men wanting to have liquor for nothing. At a certain stage an obvious signal was given—the hurling of a mug. or some other glass object, through a pane of glass. Then the row 7 began. Four men at once jumped over the counter. The barmaids, and landlord were terrified, none of them wishing to risk personal violence. The bar and its contents were therefore left to tha tender mercies of the men. The damage done to glass and other things was really very great, the cash registers alone being worth £00 apiece, to say; nothing of their contents.

Evidence bearing out this statement was given by the manager of the hotel.

Mr. Henderson and Mr. Seton, witnesses for the defence, gave an absolute denial that the prisoners whom they represented had anything to do with the affair, and having heard statements by the accused, the magistrate gave his decision as already stated.