THE SEAMY SIDE

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 April 1927, Page 3

THE SEAMY SIDE

IN THE POLICE COURTS.

Two barristers, two policemen, and thrfee taxicab drivers occupied an hour at Thames Police Court recently deceding whether or not a fourth taxicalf driver hdd stood on the pavement or in the roadway. The accused driver had invoked his union to defend him, hence a very trivial offence became a serious case.

“Vanity, just vanity,” declared Mr Cairns, the magistrate, who observed thrit certain types of modern young Men had such an exaggerated idea of their own importances that they reserited any reflection on their highlydeveloped ego. Three drivers obeyed, ail officer’s order and went into d cafe, tlie fenirth objected to any interference, an# promptly arrested. “He firid dii exaggerated sense (it his tind importance,” saiu Mr Cdtriid. “He ought to have, jbihfeu his frien&s, iiiid wrirnidd ddwri fife dignity cbffdb'. tie is dfi bgbtisticrit obstrttfeubiiist oii d paveiiibiit whittfi ifi this p’rift pi tfib bity is ve‘i't and f will discotitage this kind of vanity by a fine of 20/-, and £3 costs.” There is more in this case than meets the eye. There is resentment against constituted authority, and the fact that two barristers were engaged on such a small affair shows that ordinary incident of discipline might be magnified into a political situation. Defiance of constituted authority represented by the police, who are working for the peace and comfort of the common weal, is the effect of an insidious case. Mr Cairns, in inflicting a fine of 20/- and £3 costs, denounced an exaggerated ego which resented any interference with its license; but, as I have said, this defiance of discipline may have a wider significance. Hence the employment of learned counsel to fight over what should have been a 5/- fine.

Mother-in-law jokes are in bad taste, 1 admit, hut I must record the excuse of a man charged at Tower Bridge Police Court with having been drunk. He said he received a letter from his father-in-law saying that his inother-ih-law was dead, and he simply could not contain his joy. At the same court recently a wearylooking man said: ”1 was in a public house, and put a shilling down on the counter. A woman picked it up, arid 1 looked her in the eye. and said, ‘Open your mitts.’ and then the harmony started.

Mr Tassell, the magistrate at Tower Bridge, does not use strong language, but recently he made William Janies Fawn squirm. “I have nevei' heard of a worse case,” said the magistrate, his wdrds tinkling like icicles. “You are a contemptible scoundrel, and you have got hold of the life’s Saving of a young girl who could ill afford to lose them. You will go to prison for 12 months with hard labour.”

The prisoner, who had been previously convicted, obtained £42 from the girl, a. typist, who supported her widowed mother, on the pretext of buying a house. Also he persuaded her to advance money on a patent which he sttid would make their fortunes.

Middle-aged and plausible, he was an outstanding example of the fact that you cannot tell a confirmed criminal by' his face. An open countenance is the practised criminal’s best asset.