"ARE YOU A SOCIALIST?"

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14659, 7 May 1913, Page 2

"ARE YOU A SOCIALIST?"

A COURT INTERLUDE. MR BISHOP OBJECTS. There was an amusing interlude tn tho .Magistrate's Court yesturday ,■ when Thomas Tarpy, a niiddle-aged; man, api/eared to auswer cnargt» of ' ui'UUu.eiiiiebS and Übiug obsceuo ian- ; guago in Colombo sciect. lie uouicd. ; luc laDier cuaige uuu vie poi.ee caved : a ui&a naineu uiuis to give eviueuct; «i i tue point. Iha witness proceeded to write at great/ leiigtu wlieu jtqutiSDeu vo give.iuo wui'us lie Had hearu .accused Übc. Air I'i&hop (iJiUirrupi/iug;: —"A iui>ie will ao. We don't want the wnoie ot it.-' Accused then proceeded to question the witness. "Are you a bociansif" ho asked.. M) liishop : What has this got to do witii it,:- . Accused: There, is bad feeling oe- ( tween us. I Mr B.shop: Don't you impute : Socialism against anyone in Dais cuurt. It lias nothing to do witn tho case. { Accused: We used to work together. , ''Well, wnat has that got to uo wuh I it?" Mr Bisnop askod again. Accused: He is a isociaLst, and because 1 disagreed with him he got mc discharged. He took a uislike to mc. Mr Bishop: i What led up to mc j troubler , , > •. . ) J Accused: I was waiting at the cor- ; ncr to go home, and ho came up. 1 said, "Hullo, you Socialist; what are you doing here? ,1 Then he said he : would give mc in chai'go. i Mr Bishop: You called him a Socialist, ! did you? » I Accused: Yes. and then said ' iou ' will, you red-ragger. will you P" : Mr Bishop: The 'charge of obsceno language is dismissed. You will oe fined 10s or 48 hours' imprisonment for drunkenness.