STREET DISTURBANCES

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 134, 4 December 1917, Page 8

STREET DISTURBANCES

TROUBLESOME FOREIGNERS.

Various' foreigir'members of the crew of an oversea vessel led the police a' lively dance last night, and to-day two batches of three appeared before Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court to answer charges of disorderly behaviour in Grey-street. . Both-lots of men created at drunken .disturbance in Grey-street a few minutes-after 6 o'clock, and as the streets were very busy at that time, a big crowd , quickly gathered. Though the me'nrhad.'alhbesh' engaged in a rough-and-tumble they appeared in the-dock apparently, very little the worse for wear, and with the exception'of one man, who was; inclined to argue with the police, all maintained a stond silence, .broken by occasional "Je ne sais pas" to questions. Sergeant.. Wado_, stated that the first three, Dirk: Suykens, Johannes Pome, and Pierre Depobter, bad created a disorderly scene in Grey-street shortly after the new closing hour for hotels. Poms was very druntv aud Depooter knocked off witness's helmet and stood on it, making it quite useless for future wear. Suykens' behaviour'was not "as bad as-that of the others. •.• A> fine of 40s, with the option of'seven days'/hard labour, was imposed in each case, and in addition Depooter •wag ordered to make good the damage.to the sergeant's helmet or to spend a further' fourdays in<gsol.- N ' John Stephen^Harvey, Thomas Sharpe, and John Curoe, who. were concerned in the secohd'scerieV'were charged with, using obsreho language, breaches of the peace,, and' two of' them with wilful damage to the clothing of the police,. in addition to disorderly drunkenness. ■ The men'pleaded guilty to the last-named charge only. 'Inspector Maisack stated that when Sergeant Wade'and Constable Graham returned' to Grey-street after-placing the first, three -men in the cells they found the. accuseds engaged -in a triangular fight and -using disgraceful language. When an attempt was made to arrest them the police-had a very strenuous time. Constable Graham's shako was destroyed by Harvey, and when the constable grappled withCuroe the. pair rolled ;on the ground and- one tronser- leg of the uniform was badly torn. ..After a struggle,two of the men' were got into a . cab, but Sharpe bolted and wae found in bed in a board-ing-house feigning eleepr Curoe appeared before. the. Court on 26th November ana was'fined •for-hisi part-in -&■ small riot in Waiis-street.".,;..,', ....„..,■.,;.

The accused Were each sentenced -to .one month's imprisonment on the charges of obscene language, and. were convicted and discharged on the other counts. Harvey was ordered to pay. 11s 6d to make good the idamage-to ..the. . helmet, in default seven days' imprisonment, and Curoe was called upon to pay 3th,, • xh« value of a pair of uniform.trousers, or to serve an additional seven days in gaol;: The men will be handed over to the maeter of their vessel on. the completion of their sentences;,.or; on the sailing of the-boat.