"THE LIVERPOOL STYLE"

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 111, 10 May 1918, Page 8

"THE LIVERPOOL STYLE"

Round about the region, of the Hotel Cecil late yesterday afternoon there was a disturbance, as the result of which a recently returned soldier, John George, got rather badly knocked about by a ship's fireman, named John Thompson. The latter was in the dock at the Magistrate's Court this morning, charged with assault. According to the evidence the trouble in some way started in the hotel, but as to what actually happened there no one seemed to be clear; There was, however, evidence available that George was standing on the footway outside the hotel, and Thompson came up and dealt him a heavy blow on the head from behind. While George was lying half senseless on the ground, Thompson kicked him three or four.times in the face, damaging it very considerably. To the arresting constable he "made no bones" about the kicking, remarking that it was "the Liverpool style" of fighting, and that if the other man (who also claimed Liverpool as his birthplace) had got him down he would have treated him in similar fashion. "I came from Vancouver, British Columbia," said Thompson in his own defence, "and that is a dry State. I mean you can get no booze there. I never knew he (George) was a returned soldier, as he never wore a button to show it, like they do in Canada. I'm sorry I hit him if he is a returned soldier." Three months' imprisonment with hard labour was the. verdict of Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M. Inspector Marsack was of the opinion that Thompson was not a desirable person to retain in the Dominion any longer than necessary, and as a result of his suggestion Thompson will be placed on board his ship when she leaves New Zealand.