THE "TE AEO CLUB" AGAIN. A DISGRACEGUL OCCURRENCE.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 41, 17 August 1881, Page 3

THE "TE AEO CLUB" AGAIN. A DISGRACEGUL OCCURRENCE.

The cironmstanoea surrounding a m^st disgraceful quarrel between the steward of the "Te Aro Club" and one of its Boi-disant members wore revealed at the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day before Mr. B. Shaw, K.M., when James Flaherty, the Bteward in question, was charged with committing an assault upon Janus Maginnity, a printer. Mr. Stafford appeared for the defence. The complainant, who appeared in Court with a bandage round his head, deposed that shortly after 9 o'clock on Sunday morning last he visited the Te Aro Club, Courtenay Place, for the purpose of obtaining a glass of beer. Tho club was looked up, bo he went to " some other place" and was served with liquor. On issuing from this " other place " he encountered two acquaintances named Joseph Hancocks, a baker, and Henry Me Loughlin, a bootmaker, to whom ho mentioned the circumstance of the club being locked up. It was then suggested that the club should again be visited, and, this being done, they managed to effect an admittance, and were each supplied with drinks. Flaherty mentioned that ho had lost his cash-box, and this led to some discussion, in the course of which the complainant, who by this time became quarrelsome, accused Flaherty of " looking black at him," and ''talking snappishly," adding that if he wanted "satisfaction" he could have it. Thereupon Flaherty flung a pintjug at Ma?innity's head, striking him on the riifht cheek. Orosß-oxamined, the complainant admitted that ho was slightly under the influence of liquor at the time or the occurrence ; and it was stated by other witnesses that he gave the steward a gentle " push," which induced the assault. On behalf of the defendant, Mr. Stafford addressed the Court, contending that the aggravation Flaherty received entitled tho offence to bo leniently dealt with. His Worship expressed bis opinion that the whole transaction was not very creditable to the parties concerned. He pointed out that Flaherty had not long ago been heavily fined for keeping this Te Aro club, and it seemed his present position was the result of his evident \ determination to continue to set the law at defiance, and carry on an illicit traffic in a sooalled " club." which on three different occasions had been pronounced to be neither more nor less than a sly-grog bhanty. Mr. Shaw reminded tho delondanfc that on his assurance that this illicit traffic would bo absolutely discontinued by him, ho had consented to an arrangement whereby Flaherty could pay the fine in periodical instalments, because he believed the defendant had been led to commit that offence more through ignorance and Btnpidity, than anything else. But the Court now heard that, in spite of the defendant's assurance, he was in his old position behind the bar at the "club," and that, too, on a Snnday morning. He (Mr. Shaw) was not, however, going to import thia circumstance into the severity of the sentence on tho present occasion. Had the assault been a coldblooded one there would have been no alternative but to send the defendant to gaol for a considerable period ; but he was excited for the moment, and to a certain extent the complainant brought the assault upon himself, and under these circumstances | tho sentence would he comparatively lenient. Flaherty was ordered to pay a fine of £5 and £1 Is costs, in default, 28 days' hard labour. Chiei-deteotive Brown, who had charge of the case, announced the intention of the police authorities to take steps for preventing the re-opening of the " c üb," which ho described as a rendezvous for thieves and Borne of the worst characters in the city.