THE WHARF ASSAULT CASE

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 February 1910, Page 1

THE WHARF ASSAULT CASE

AFTERNOON SITTING. The cases of assaulting and obstructing the Railway foreman and Constable Dunne was resumed at 2.15 p.m. yesterday when Mr Joyce- called Edward Wilson who gave evidence to ihe effeel thai there was plenty of I'ooni fur the passengers to pass through from the steamer to the roadI way. Ho heard lirislane ask Gibbons to shift twice and (Jibbens gave the same answer each time. t'onstable Online was standing near and ISrislnne ordered Dunne in take Gibliens's name and he -tili said he would not shift, lirislane subsequently moved I | the horse and Gibbons told 'lirislane to have the horse alone as | le was in { charge of it. The witness gave a I ] full description of die scuffle I .-?w, "ii I j Constable Dunne and Gibbon- which ! i look place on the roadwav near ihe j j footpath. He did noi see him hit | ! Dunne at all .luring the whole affair j

I .' which he thought l.lsti-.I about seven ||! '"line down Mini took up its position I '"■"!• lite Harbor Card li„ 0 there was I!' »Iy \ impress, viz.. Martin'- there I I i'e the inspector. VII he heard (Jib- j I i pushed him with ~,,-•■ hand ..n his |''-h>-. and iiniie gently. When MrsiI; l:ine in-: oidetvd (Jihbous to shift Ins '.'ihbejis e,,|)|e ili.wn with the mail ex- ; press ;m.| there \v;is ~nh ~ne ~|lu-t j l here ;il lite time. lilhiieiis -!., j, p, ■, 1 his expn ss ~pp,,s i !,. the mam en :rane.. t<, the Criteii, n 11,,t.-I. Heard I'.risi.iee ::i\r orders I'm- th,. car! 1,, be •liift.-l I libbens ~!„-.-I Then foil-table hllline ,-;„, e ll|. ;ll|.| |. |.| him :■■ shift but (.'thh, ns r, fused, tlri-lam- t,,,k the 1„ ~,. ■,„,] turned iiin: r"iitni in fr"iit .-: ; he !n>t--l m-ai •h- !•...[,,.rh Then theiv was , set !" ' etweoll | |lf ! Wo ol t 111-11 l !.!■! I! . T v.- v. :.- ..till, |; .-Is ili.n f.-ll shult. I'he ciistal-le limn ram ■ along , M ,| ■ l.'jll! < 1 i. i >. |, .. fits. In :!;,• ;,|-|iis whil, liiis].!,,,. : . k 1,.,],| ~f t;,!,!,. ~..\ ~,.,,,„ i ■!! l-liiml. Th. cn-tabl, •!„.„ »,., i;ibb,ns l.v I. .th h mi- .11 hi- throat. • rh.-r. was ~., „,,-...<i|., • , 'he ,-..„ table t.. e|„.ki. < libhell- as i| he U"fl 111 ••I 11.-iji thl IV \M IV p], |,: x ~f people vv.uJ.l li;,ve i : - ] |... I hi", i: !.. had been. ' I'll, usual e..iir-e was a.looted ~„ this •ee.-eier, thru was usual. Ilia! waill.it the mail . \piv-s e,,t ~, the best ami most convenient I'laco opposite he forolmld where 'lie mails were . : aken fivit.i < libliens -.-. a- in t hat i"-iti..n an.l did n.it b],.ek the i.aTo the h,sj.ee|..v lie knew that the .instable h.nl u-ei| ■ • -n ;■ 1, t ,■ pres-mro e iliblviis l|ir..ii-h..ii! ..- the latt.-r \ mimi!.- a.i.l vie n Ctbhens got up InMeal. I Mr ,J..\..v I he sen file 1., e.-in by Miibbejis pushing Hri-lane with his ' .pi ti Intnl. but wiun-ss was !■•<. far avr/tv t" hear an\ wiii.ls. Willi; in lav. a wharf laborer. aiil he was a! ' the nam- when tin\l:ip..!ink;i was .-..mine ~,, i|„- nvi ., ! ii .laiiuan 271 h. He braid s.-nn- | •I'llfllin;; lle.ll w hat 1- e.'l lleii 1 he e.-|s mi lei- en tin r.-ad. The constable . had hold ..; Cllih, n- In the arm but I'.n-l ■ ha.l ,-■; le-hi then ami the .-.'ii-table .:■ : f, ■!■ t . f him l.v the j ■ ■lira: with mn- thumb at eaeh side ~| 1 the wmdpip. Subseqiieiith t'lihh. lis I va- .ii the gioiiml when In- 'saw him i iii-\l ami I h< e-.n-t able liml in- I- i I a. his ehe-! ami t.'il.beu- lia.l Ins |..m----i -lie hanuiim ■■' I :, litlle. lie was ~ j moved from ~|'f < libhetis In some ..ini in tie- crowd ami '.-. ii iiess ijii.uelil (lib- | b.-ns was .loin- a- he was unite white ! in the faro. T" the la- -lor. Is was ill t a minute i'fiei Itimtie ha.l In.hl of him , that he fell to the gr. iiml but it must have been a minute. 11. i-.-uiain.-.l "ii the ground three or lour minutes or pel hiips lin-ll b.-fole lie .„-o| up. Wit i.e.- saw mark- • i. ill.- --iit-id.- "I liih bells's (illo.-it. To Mr. .loye. He V.e- - Vll.-.llste.l S : pu-h.-.l I'.mn. ..If Cibbem t, lli'i ■ William liliiiieh.., |....ii..,i, ol Hie I'm..i, St,, h,p Compa.n I „.-v. the! .1, ftmhniL . ml iln .'..li'-' 'bh . i-inei the « xpre-s ami 'he eoii-ta'ole I,; ,! i,.,l I of (libb.-ll- In the ! Wo ll.lU'b i mi, i he throat. 11.- saw Uri-lam- 1e.1,1 llibbi ii- In 'he wri-t-. lie saw (lib | b.-ns ;., ,'lown ~n the L-roi.ml when ; I'.ii-l-u- 1.-t j.. the man's hand- ami i sum, of ', lii eioWil I- i|< the eoiisl ablI off Cil,Lens ami tohl him to let him ! ..-..,. ilibbens ha.l all ill.- imlieatioiioj havum been stran-'h-.1. Witness j lol'l the e.mstable that the Hllole lliiiii; I kiis a l.iutal attack i To the In-pert,,,-. He ,|j,| not See , Wllilt U-.l lip to the -t|e a .e|e bill ~ll]\ earn- .-n win II he -aw the eouslabl | the top of Cibbeiis lie did not think ! that tin- attitmle of the crowd that i iissembled Was hostile to the p.,lie--, oil : in- eolil ran he thought they wen pr.-p.-ii-, d to help tin- police if leoni!' i.'d. lb- tlioe..:!i! i hat Ciililiens "was I on the niouml for ov.-r live minutes. ; Winn he u.-is slandine up before he ; fi II f„ the .o'o.iml tin re was disc,.|,,ra 1 in.ii ..ii his throat but ho could not see if there were ;inv subsequentlv. j To Mr. Joyce. lie -aid oul 'loud : i hat the affair was a brutal one and I other- moved with him Hint it was. [t ! : was mean! Ilia! the constable's aelion ! in ehoKin- Cibh.-n- was brutal. .lames Met in,lev said that ho sau | Ibislane -o t,, the horse's head and . | had him round to Jnlmfson Sfr.-I. 1 Subse,pie,,i|y he wean ..ver and ..'-'.'. | lirisl.-im- li.-iving hold ..I (Jibbeu.-'s Iv. , I hands on in'- 111 mat and v. it lies- told | the e table to leave off ehokim; ill ■ j man ami he let l'o. It was a very 1 cruel wav the eonst.-ible had hold of I him and Hii-lane had hold of his j wrists. When the constable let him | :',, he was -hakim; and looking white I ill the I'aee. [I., had 1„ ,-n Hie re about twenty wars and he had never seen a vehiel'e 'shifted before. If a passage were required il was rmf necessarv t.shift the mail cart. To tin- Inspector.—The firsi he saw "f the affair was Brisbane turning the horse down Johnston St reel. He could not hoar what was said. Bi'islane hail (.ibbens's ;irms pinned and the constable had him bv the throat, lie thought it was a brutal way of treatment of any man. The constable was shaking when he let flibbens go, evidently thinking that he had choked the man to death. He certainly would have been frightened if lie had choked bin., in the way the constable had done. There were marks on Gibhens's throat. To Mr. Joyce. — lt seemed a long time before Gibbons came to and that was what made him think that he was done for. Gibbens's tongue was hanging out and his eyes wore starWilliam Ford, a whnrf laborer, said he knew all the parties interested, lie was in the shelter shed. He went over to the corner of Richmond Quay and Johnston Street where Constable Dunne had Gifobens by the throat and Brisbane he thought, had hold of Gibbens by the arms. Gibbon's tongue was hanging out and his eyeballs were staring and witness and Mr. McGinloy called to the constable to let him go as he was choking him to death. To the Inspector.—He did not know what led up to the occurrence. Francis Mclntyre, wharf laborer, was standing on the wharf when Brislane took hold of the reins of Gib-

bens's horse and turned him into Johnston Street, but Gibbons did not push or strike lirislane. The constable then came up and asked if he should arrest Gibbons and lirislane said that, he could do as he liked. To the Inspector.—'jllio constable took hold of Gibbons by the shirt sleeve which was torn. He subsequently caught Gibbons by the throat. He saw them fall the constable fell on top of him and kept ahold of his throat. Thai completed the evidence for the defence. j The .Magistral.' said lie had made up | his mind as to how lie should deal with ; tlie facts of the case but he wished to | take oxperi evidence on the question j ol tho site where the occurrence took place so as to be in a position to j decide under whose jurisdiction it j i u ' as ' j 1 lie Inspector said that the District i Engineer was in West port and tlie I chief draughtsman ai Otira, but the latter would 1„. down bv '1 ;i m (~ May. •

Mr. Joyce said he should have something to say in respect t.. the place »»<' ho Imd the engineer who had laid off the town and knew mure about this locality than anyone else and lie proposed railing him. The Court [hen adjourned till II a.in a'XoTHKI; ADJOrKX.MKXT. The adjourned hearing of the charges ~f assault brought bv the police against Alfred Gibbons which attraded so much attention during the past two .lavs was again further adj"tiniod til! 2 p.m. today as tho Magistrate was engaged in hearing a rase in '•'■mora and had several witnesses waiting oM.-iminaiioii in ihe precincts "'■ 'ho < ...m. The Court was adjourned accordingly.