A NAP IN THE LIBRARY.

Evening Star, Issue 14638, 7 August 1911, Page 5

A NAP IN THE LIBRARY.

This morning, before Mt Bartholomew, S.M., William. Macdonald was charged lhafc on the 25th July, at the Dunedin Public Library, he assaulted Arthur Patsick Dean. Defendant pleaded guilty. Mr \Y. C. AlacGregor. inetxncUd to prosecute, &ikl that Dean weg caretaker at the. Library. About 6 p.m. en the date mentioned he saw a man asleep in the news room, with a paper in front of him. Dean went close to the man and watched him, and saw that he was sleeping, He touched the man ou the shoulder and told him thai he mast not sleep there. The man jumped up, and Dean again said that he wats. sleeping, whereupon the man eaid "You're a liar," and struck Dean with his open hand on the. back of the head. Quito a number of people were in the room at the time. It was perfectly clear that he was asleep, and that when wakened he lest his temper and struck out. There was- a by-law forbidding anyone sleeping in the institution. The caretaker was acting according to hie- duty. Mr Bedford said that the facts, a-s he had them from Maedonaid, were the.se : He said he was not acleep, but that ho could not read unless the book was a long way from his eyes, and that he was lying JMck in a chair reading. When the earetatcer tapped him on tire shoulder and ■aid that he must not sleep there he replied that ho was not sleeping, and as the caretaker repeated that- he was he became irritated. But he denied tho striking. He eaid that tho caretaker threatened to tell the police, and he replied : "Well, go and tell them," at the time throwing up his hand impulsively, but he had no intention to strike—the most that was done was to tap the caretaker on the back of the head. A very email fine would meet the case. His Worship said it was necereary that the officers of an institution like this should be supported in carrying out their duties. Defendant would be fined 30s, witnesses' expenses ;9s), and solicitor's j fee (21s). ' |