USE OF INDECENT LANGUAGE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 March 1911, Page 8

USE OF INDECENT LANGUAGE.

A DEFINITION OF TERMS. AN ENGLISH OPINION CITED. A charge laid by Mr Archibald Anderson (Mr Joyce) versus Mrs Mary Ann Quarterman for using indecent language in a public place, viz., the Hamilton Hotel, Cobden, was heard in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon before Mr A. Crooke S.M. The complainant, A. Anderson, stated that on the date, February 17th, the defendant had come into the passage where he was sitting. Witness had been sitting there some time and his wife was behind the bar. Mrs Quarterman came in and shouted out the ■words named in the information within hearing of several people in the house and they could be heard by persons passing along the road. To Mr Hannan. —He denied that he had given Quarterman credit for £6 or that he had been at the hotel till a late hpur on the night before this occurrence took place. He knew that a prohibition order had been taken out against Quarterman since. James Corrigan described the language used by Mrs Qpartermari in the passage. She had used the language towards Mrs Anderson and he and others who were having a drink in the front bar heard it plainly.

To Mr Hannan. —Anderson was in the passage and witness was not quite sure whether he went into the bar before witness and his mates left.

Henry Willis, a blacksmith, testified that he and his brother, Rose, McDavitt and Corrigan were in the bar when Mrs Quarterman came in. He could not say what language she had used towards Mrs Anderson. To Mr Hannan.—He had never seen Quarterman the worse for drinking. Percy Willis said he was with his brother, Rose, Corrigan and McDavitt when Mrs Quarterman- came in and after having a few words with her husband she called Mrs Anderson a foul name.

James Hyndman said lie was a cab driver and was outside on February 17th the night of the dance. He saw a female go into the hotel and she used the term mentioned but did not know who it was used to. To Mr Hannan.—He had just come lown from home and stopped right in front of the passage door. Mr Hannan said the defendant admitted the use of two of the words named in the formation. He should call her husband to show that he spent a good proportion of his wages in the hotel and that he wasted his time 'here. Charles Quarter man said he was at he hotel on February 17th the night f the dance when his wife came into the passage and asked him to go home. He said he could not go then and his vife had said she would get square vith that meaning Mrs Vnderson. He had run up an account )f £6 and over and had paid £1 10s on me occasion and £2 on another off it. He still owed about £4. The Magistrate; ‘‘You ought to be shamed to admit it." Stanley Young said he was a member >f the Citizens’ Band and had adourned to the Hamilton Hotel for a trink. He did not hear what Mrs Juarterman said when she came into he hotel. The Magistrate said there was proof hat two of the words in the information had been used by the defendant but here was some doubt as to the bird as only one witness had sworn to it having been used. However, the cabman had sworn that he heard someme use the three words. Since the case had been called on an English report m the question of the use of the word b had been received which showed that the Chief Justice of England and Mi- Justice Avery were not prepared to lay it down that the use ;f the word b —y was indecent, therefore it did not behove him to decide the point. Anyhow aggravating and dirty language had been used and xe should record-a conviction and order the defendant to come up for sentence vith in three months if called upon. Ho costs would be allowed.