"ROLLICKING RAMS."

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 7, 8 January 1920, Page 5 (Supplement)

"ROLLICKING RAMS."

BUTTED AGAINST THE "STAR."

ONE RAM LOSES A TOOTH.

AND THE FLOCK TAMES DOWN.

Una uf the best stories that hover round the early days of the "Star" 13 that aboilt the taming of the "Rollicking Rum-." the name of a band of young bloods- thai indulged in what was then called "Moiiawking." They were all member* of well known families, and -ome of il:cm in later life filled high position* in the Dominion. Their pranks now read with something of the roysterousness of the doings of Hal and Kabtaff, and their rowdy crew on Gad's Hill. But fifty years ago respectable citizens did not care about having their door-knockers wrenched off. and Government House authorities strongly objected to finding several fathoms of the Vice-Re«al fence removed several streets from Waterloo Quadrant. The peaceable citizens of Otahuhu did not care to be awakened in the early hour? of the morning by a rollickinl band of •■swells" driving through the sleeping- village, hi all sorts of conreyances. knot-king up mine host Rogers, and after quenching their thirst driving known as the racecourse," when the visitors revealed the nature of their nothing less than a clandestine cockfight, a sport which was anathema to the City Fathers and the police. BEYOND A JOKE. At night, alter attending the theatre. and after discussing an oyster supper at a cosy little restaurant kept by a Mrs. Knight in Queen Street, the coterie -would wander up Shortland Street home, and their wake was traceable by door-knockers and gates rudely Some >>f them one night went down Alten Road, and it was here that they overstepped the bounds of amusing conduct. On their devious way home the party 'had become possessed of a poker, £nd one of them in passing the house ot Mr. Richmond (of the legal firm of Hesketh and Richmond) threw it through a window. The missile landed on a bed in -which a servant was trying to get some rest after a hard day. but fortunately it did not strike the sleeper. The "Star' had a popular column at that time done by "The 'Man About Town," and next morning Mr. Richmond called at the "Star' Office to get the writer to give the too vivacious young men a hint. That evening a paragraph of about a dozen lines, headed "The Rollicking Rams," told the gilded youth what decent people thought of their conduct, and the writer used easily distinguished pseudonyms, such as "James FusselL" "Joe Rennett." andXeville or "the Seven Derils/' for Seville Walker.

! THE "RAMS'" THREAT. TThile Sir. Reed (one of the founders of the "Star") and Mr. H. Brett were in the office next morning.. Messrs. Bennett and Walker entered and wanted to know if the names in the paragraph referred to them. When the "Star' proprietor? replied. "You will be the best judges." the visitors said, "You know it ivas intended for us. and unless you apologise in to-night's paper, ive will come and give the pair of you a, good hiding and pull your office down!" "Sennett" was a powerful man, over six feet in height, and Walker was con*idered one of the best boxers in the town. Instead of apologising, ilr. Reed, who had a pen that could get under the thickest armour, wrote a Taey halfeoiunm giving an account of the morning's interview. At this time the "Star" yas ver y popular on ihe Stock Exchange. It was the days when they ■were getting tons of gold from the Thames, and the paper made a point of pivinj the latest news from the field. Every morning there would be 200 to 300 "men in Queen Street .opposite the Exchange (in the old building of the Sew Zealand Insurance Company) buying and selling the precious Thames scrip. The threat of the'- Rams" to demolish the "'Star" got about—everybody knew everybody in those spacious days —and the" men on 'Change gathered a crowd of several hundred which swarmed round the office at publishing time, and haa the threat of the irate young men been carried into effect they would 'have S»t a sorry handling from the mining men. CAUGHT A TARTAK. There was. howfever, no sign of the attacking force: and 'after a wait the defending forces came to the conclusion that tii.- -Rams'" talk was all bluff, and dispersed. Mr. Seed went home, and Mr. Brett remained in the office, finishing up the day's work. The publishing office was then at the corner "* Queen and Wyndham Streets. Jlr. Brett was working behind flic counter.-

I when about half an hour after the 1 crowd had faded away. Walker came I along, and greeted Mr. Brett with "I I have tome to give you a good I hiding." at the same time hitting him on the chin with a punch thai he had learned in the gymnasium. The rollicker then tried to get round the counter, but the newspaper man forestalled this and landed the intruder a nice "'left'" in the eye. The man with the boxing reputation came again, and Mr. Brett, by this time on the public side of tiie counter, dodged a heavy swin:*, and replied with a steadier on the chest. The man with a grievance was now getting wild, and managed to get a 'heavy right on to Mr. Brett's lefc arm. which was sore for a week. With a straight left —Mr. Brett was a lefthander—to the face, the journalist scored something very like a knock-out, for the "Ram" went careering down the step of the office, and finished up in the gutter in Queen Street. "DO YOL" WAXT ANT MORE:" A big crowd assembled in no time, and sent up cheers for the victor. "Do you want any moreV" queried Mr. Brett from the office threshold, but one ot ' Walker's friends gathered up the fallen and took him home, blood-stained, and Aiter Walker had been taken away, one of the "Star" runners picked up a tootli that had formerly graced the intruder's jaw. and held ft up with the gamin-like remark. •■Here's a bit of his grll!" Mr. Brett commandeered the trophy, and later had the pleasure ot restoring it to the former owner. Very soon after the fight Mr. Eced was back at the office, and said enthusiastically to his co-proprietor. "You've made us.'* It must be remcnibcre:! that tiie "Star" was only a year old at that time, and still with its name to win. . Mr- Brett's partner arranged lor a constable to keep an eye on the Brett menage that night. Mr. Brett himself walkod -home in the miildlc of the roatij but he was not molested. DENTAL EXHIBIT. an account of the incident, and in the same paper were two advertisements time. "Teeth extracted on the shortest notice.—Apply to Brett, -Star' Office," and the other one was. "Seville Walker"* tooth will be on exhibition at the •Star Office at 10 a.m. to-day." These were evidently the work of Mr. Breft's resourceful partner. When Mr. Brett got down to business, next morning there was a crowd round the office to gee the molar of the rollicking part}-, and the extractor was loudly cheered. He was perfectly satisfied to let the matter remain, but Mr. W. (_'. Wilson, who exercised great influence in newspaper circles, and the proprietors of j the "Southern Cross" insisted that the! Press must be protected, and an infor-j .mation was laid against Walker for assault. A tremendous amount of interest was shown in the case, and the magistrate (Mr. Beckham) taking a serious view of the matter, talked about gaol, l>ut Mr. Reed got counsel (Mr. Edwin Heaketh) to say there was no wish to see Mr. AValker in Mt. Eden. Mr. Beekham, in ' his deep bass voice, gave the defendant ■a lecture on the enormity of an unpro-

yoked assault, fined him £10. ordered him to find sureties that lie would not do so again, and threatened gaol in the next ease ot assault of that nature that eaine 'before him. BECAME GOOD FRIEND.?. The sequel is creditable alike to all sides. About six months later Mr. Brett met Walker while travelling to Coromandcl, then,in the height of its golden clory. Walker came up and offered to shake haeds, to which llr. 'Brett readily i consented. Next day Mr. Brett handed j back to Walker, the missing tooth.; Walker accepted it with the best of; humour, and the two became very good friends. And that is the true story of tlie taming of the "Rollicking Rams." for they did not again allow their exuberance to run away with them, and as we! mentioned before, some of them became; very estimable citizens, and used to tell' the* story themselves with much gusto. | .