ATTACK ON A CONSTABLE.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 170, 18 July 1919, Page 5

ATTACK ON A CONSTABLE.

KICKED WHEN DEFENCELESS, v A SYMONDS STREET SENSATION, A constable engaged in carrying out his duties at the top of Symonds Street yesterday evening was made the subject of a particularly cowardly assault. About 7 p.m. Constable Steers noticed two men who .were conspicuous for their noisiness at .the tramway penny section in Symonds Street, and spoke to them, advising them .to move on and conduct themselves moTe quietly. He waa answered by some offensive, obscene language from one of the men, and this man he arrested and started to a motor at the adjacent taxi ijank, despite some resistance on the prisoner's part. In the course of the business the constable stooped, and his cape went over - his head and -face, and then the prisoner's mate, stated to be a heavilybuilt native, came up and kicked the constable, who fell to the ground. When he was down, and striving to free his head from the enfolding cape, his assailant kicked him on the body and head, bringing a protest even from the man who had been arrested, though none of the crowd that had assembled seemed -to deem it their business to interfere.- One of the kicks caught the - constable behind the ear, and rendered him insensible. He was then taken to a chemist's shop, with his face bleeding profusely, and medical attention was obtained. A soldier who came on the scene at the close of toe episode, and inquired (what (the trouble was, was greeted with a fierce and threatening mqtdry from the constable's assailant about whether or. not he was: looking for fight. The soldier answered toe bullying challenge in -the affirmative by promptly planting a blow on (the aggressive person's face, and the .bully didnt wait for more, but -pushed into toe crowd and got away, as also did mc man who had been arrested, it waf found that the constable had[not »uifered any serioua &&*% _H* *„* •being confined to pgjtofuJJ^^S 3 ° n .and fyg&iiSs&Y^*