CHARGE OF ASSAULT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 52, 25 November 1907, Page 9

CHARGE OF ASSAULT.

. A PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DISPUTES, • (BY TELEGBAI'II—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) ■''■ y ■''':' '" " Auckland, November 23. '.'A Whangaroi message : published in the "Herald" relates an interesting episode'in the career of;:fi 'parson. • T,ho : .telegram states that at the Magistrate's Court the Rev. MrSoule, Presbyterian preacher, charged Alex-* aiKler.M'Lood with striking him in tho tace ,on Np.yeniber: 1. .M'Leod counter charged the parsoii ; : wi,t.h ..using ..threatening and insult- ', ing language. - ; -The, case out of a dis- 7 ;: pufcoj'ii-.rcferenco to'tho Presbyterian Church .;. . atiflikura'ngii'-'ll'Leoi'ahd'M'Aiines, two Co guarantors, had, received 'instructions from '" thij .Presbytery to demand the keys of the church : ajid. lnarisofrdiiv Soule.■; When they. •■■' •a.slU'd'':'ter them'-'Soule was alleged' to have •"'* callo(l'M'Li?6d ; 'a'coward,' and to have referred ■'''" ,'ioi.M'Lcqd's ■.■housekeeper in terms which ■'•' : ii':Leodt6ok. to -be-a 'reflection oil her char-?..'•;;. acij'eri.'•'•M'Leod thereupon struck Soulo vio- .10.' lei\tly in- the face; and threatened him with ~-.-. an; .umbrella, i Soulo >did not ~retaliate ; .m .>■■. Viiid';.,but .admitted calling- M'Leod a; liar aiid ■■■-• a contemptible our,,-. ;: .. . . . [-~ -. In reply to Mr. Killen (counsel for M'Leod), ;.;.-: .> !-Sonic' said ho was. a. minister-of the Auck- .'. '? laiid Presbytery. If' tlio Itev: Robert SonK '■ .movville, clerk to the Presbytery, said any. ■'■*,■. .thingSdifl'cront- lie not -speaking . tlw tnitii,, -f.'..--.. ....,-.;•'.,. , . . .•:,." ,'-■ J\lK' : "l)yer held that the canons of -the ..Qlnirclr-on ■"the qu'esti'cii of'Soule's ordiria- '- : ' : ; tio)i-'did"nbKall'ect the assault-case. • ■~. '•.-./••»■ (to-the- ]!eneh): The fact..of., .y. withe'ss'.bei.ng :in clerical gai'l).does, not pro-"'^..f' , 'tect "■ jiiin' ,: 'frpni be) iig bound ■"over to keep-''";. .;th(i pabci." 1 V:i '' ■"'"" •.'"■' :: -"-;t-> ■" ' ' ~- : ■'■■-■ ■-•"'J'htt-floiich: •Ib , irihlies i n6'difference.to-. '■ jiii ■thor.'inter.est flf., the .garb', a-.,^j-, jcoa'ti-'prjiOjOoat a,t, a 11.... -.. J '".*. .-, .'i V,' . iijan'wears'i' wlietlier he "wears' -'a', clerical-i"-"' ";.;Lal6r-Mr. Killenvaskcd Soulo.if he did iiot■-;.;'■': consider M'Lcod , . was a .peaceful, resident.of 'ilikurangi. "" ;.} Soule: I do.not, or ho would not bo ■'BJ. , ' , ',' Court on this charge. ' ■■ ■' ■■ -.' .v'-'i" ,, ', ~'';! Mr:'■ Ivillen :// Whom' do >ou think are , -tht-^-<_ .respectable.'residonts.of H.ikura_iigi?. ; :..;■■ -\l' ■'•'■' ;I'think. Soule is one them.. 'V '/,."■, Mr, r ."lC!illen: . Have you ever beard the , ';•;._ • ada'go"."'!Lot gfhers praise'ybuj" not your own - •■:.;.• month■?•'■'■'■. :r ■' '-.■ ' -.;■:' ■:: .-. :^-': •'•-Soule.:'l have, heard the adage, "Answer ■a-fooL.a.ccoi:diiig-t-0..hi5..f011y.". .'.".', - '"" .',.•/ ri . :, .;Mi : rKillen"said Sonic was not a minister ',".,' 'of .the Presbyterian Church, and never had! : '-v.\ • bcen,'':buf'-'l<o'wa ; s merely' actjng'.as tlio Pres-:!-- .: byfery,'.s .-.agt'nt at IJikiirangi on. the. .reeom-. - .;■ :meiKlatidn..!pf Rev. Air. \Vost. He : l.;>' thought-the 'Presb'ytery acted "ultra vires allowing Soulo to marry, baptise, and bury. -■.-'; Mv.Aftor hearing'the evidence ot-.Bev'eral .»:■ ncssesiJfi'i Dyer said ho thought it unlikely; ithatSoulo,liad.used i; the ( languago/attribu'ted:, ' u .: : .to li i ill pi* east 'reflections oh the liouseketiper;-" 5 :0n: tli'6*first!"charge M'Ledd was : co.nvicted' : ..o£r- - assault, anil! directed to ■'.pay.costs.. £2>; lpa. r! , ; : The counter charge of insulting language was . ■■;.-., -dismissed,- the Bench holding also. thattherH. V| .V >was iio 'liccessity to bind the .other side tA'.,';,., iktep the peace. . -.' ■"'■' '