“REFLECTION ON THE CIVIL SERVICE”

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 221, 19 June 1928, Page 3

“REFLECTION ON THE CIVIL SERVICE”

TWO CLERKS CAUSE A DISTURBANCE

GIRLS FOLLOWED AND FATHER ASSAULTED Shortly after midnight on Saturday, the peace which usually reigns in Lorne Street (off Cambridge Terrace) was rudely disturbed by screams, and later, byf the sound of breaking glass. The trouble was caused by the unwelcome attentions of two men ; —John Gerald Sigley, a clerk, aged 26, and Robert Timothy Keary, a clerk, aged 23 —to two girls - *who reside in that street. Sigley and Keary appeared before ' Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with behaving in a disorderly manner. They were also charged, with wilfully breaking a pane of glass valued at £3, and with assaulting an elderly Chinaman. According to Sub-Inspec::or Lander, the two girls were returning home from a dance. When near the Basin Reserve, the two ■ defendants, and a third man came up and followed them along Cambridge Terrace into Lorne Street. The 1 girls went to the front door of their house, and called for their mother to open it. When the door was opened, the two defendants stopped the girls

from closing it, and later assaulted the girls’ father, a Chinese. Following this defendants hurled pieces of rock (one fair-sized specimen being produced in Court) through a window. The third man took no part in the proceedings. Evidence was given by the two girls. One witness said that when her mother opened the door, one of the men put his foot inside' the opening to stop the door from being closed. Witness, aided by her mother and her sister, did her utmost to keep the men out, and finally rushed away and called'to two strangers to come to their assistance.

The second girl stated that when her father came on the scene he' was assaulted and insulted by defendants. The father, a naturalised British subject, said that when he went to his daughters’ assistance he received a hit on his face and his nightcap was pulled off his head. His wife was screaming. Witness added that a window in a bedroom was broken by a rock, and that a bedroom door was cracked. Constable Goodsoil said that when he was summoned to Lome Street the two accused were on the side of the street opposite to the complainants’ residence and were surrounded by several people who had come out to see what the trouble was about. He described the damage that had been done, and said that he found two large boulders and a piece of rock which had been taken from a rock garden in front of the house. One of the accused told him that he and his friends were returning home from a smoke conceit. They saw the girls and followed them. When they saw the Chinaman'put his head round the doorway it enraged them. Both accused, added Constable Goodson, had had liquor but were not drunk. Air. S. Joll, who appeared for defendants, submitted that his clients were both men of good character, nothing being known against them. They were under the impression that the girls bad turned round. When they saw the face of the Chinaman they concluded that the’girls had gone into a house with Chinamen, and thought it the manly thing to go in and investigate. The Magistrate told the two "accused that they had behaved like drunken young blackguards. They had followed the girls, forced their attentions on them, and forced their way into the house of an inoffensive old Chinaman. The only explanation of their actions seemed to be that they were to some extent under the influence of liquor. The fact that the third man took no part in the assault, and was said to be sober, bore out that theory. Had their characters not been good, the assault charge might have been a case for imprisonment. Seeing that they both bore good characters, and that they had undoubtedly committed the offences while under the influence of liquor, Air. Salmon said he would impose lines. Accused were each lined I's, in default one month’s imprisonment, on the charge of disorderly behaviour. A similar tine was imposed on the assault charge, while cm the charge of damaging the window, they were each ordered to pay £1 10s., in default fourtoc. (lavs’ imprisonment. Air. Joll applied for the suppression of the names of his clients, who, ho said, were both in the Civil Service. To this Air. Salmon emphatically replied: “Certainly not, Air. Joll. Their conduct is a reflection on the Civil C-rviee!”