ANOTHER MOTORMAN CHARGED

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 145, 16 December 1913, Page 8

ANOTHER MOTORMAN CHARGED

ALLEGED ASSAULT ON SPECIALS. John Paton, motorman, was charged yesterday, at tbe Magistrate's Court, with assaulting a person unknown on sth November, and that he did negligently drive a tram-car in Willis-streefc on the same day. Mr. P. S. Macassey prosecuted, and Mr. H. F. O'Leary defended. William H. Morton, City Engineer and Chairman of the Tramways Board, stated that defendant was driving a Brooklyn car on the sth November. He appeared to ,be labouring under suppressed excitement, and drove down from th© Evening Post stopping place to Stewart Daweon's corner at such a rate that witness expected him to run into the mounted specials. There was a continual ringing of the gong, and the car was travelling at the rate of fifteen to eighteen miles an hour. Witness told Paton later on that he had heard complaints about his driving, and said he had seen him driving at an excessive speed down Willis-street. Paton said he had been threatened by one of the men — witness presumed one of th© mounted specials. Th© motormen were supposed to make themselves acquainted with the notices put up at the car-sheds. Replying to Mr. O'Leary, witness stated that defendant was an exemplary motorma n ; he was one of the best driven they had, and his conduct was good. A man must always drive his car subject to the circumstances of the case. Th© speed at which defendant drove on sth November was an excessive speed. Witness was very sorry to see Paton in his present position. / ' The evidence of two special mounted constables, Detective Bailey, and a resident of Wellington (who crossed the street and cried out to the motorman, "You cowardly curj ") having been taken, Mr. O'Leary addressed the' Bench, stating that his client was the only tramway man, either inside or outside the shed, who was not a member of the Tramways Union, and was therefore unlikely to harass the special constables. There had not been a single complaint against Paton driring the time he had ,beea in the service. The case was adjourned, at th© rising of the Court, till to-day. , , The hearing of the charge was resumed this afternoon, when evidence for > tbe defence was taken. Duncan M'Gillivray, ticket inspector on the tramways, gave evidence that Paton was a careful driver, and on tha occasion in question witness did not notice anything unusual in regard to the way in which Paton drove nis car in Willis-street. John Paton, the defendant, said that he had to stop the car when the specials wheeled round to charge the stonethrowing crowd. The pace of his car when he cam© up to the horse was no more than ten miles an hour. To Mr. Macassey, who conducted the prosecution, the defendant denied having excused himself for negligent driving to the City Engineer by saying that one of the special constables had waved a baton at him. y Evidence for the defence was also given by George Charles Gordon, a bootmaker, "of Upper Wtlh's-atreet, and' by John Andrew Jamieson, another motorman, who said that the horse knocked down was five yards ahead of Paten's car ; also by John StevensOn, confectioner, Willis-street, who stated that he saw the horse fall, and was sure that Paton's car never touched it. The car in front of Paton's car "bumped" a couple of horses opposite the Evening Post office. ' Sydney Edward Jones, fireman at the Empress Theatre, gave similar evidence. (Proceeding.)