GANG WARFARE

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 September 1928, Page 3

GANG WARFARE

YOUTHS-ON TRIAL.

An amazing story of a street fight between members of two gangs of youths was concluded at the High Court in Glasgow, when six lads appeared on a charge of murder. The accused —James McCluskey, Abraham Zeinmil, Alexander McGaughey, Archibald Gaughan, James Walker and George Stocks—were charged with having, 'at or near Albert Bridge, being members ,of a gang known as the “South-Side Stickers,” formed part bf a riotohs mob and attacked and tought with members of a gang knowri as the “Calton Entry” gang, threw Stones, bottles and other missiles, and brandished swords, kriives and other lethal iri’-traments; and assaulted James Tait, 30a, Charlotte Street, stabbed him-in the back, inflicting injuries from which he died, thus murdering him. A plea of self-defence made for McCluskey, an alibi for Walker, and of not guilty for the others.

A graphic description of the fight between the two gangs was given by James Cunningham, a fifteen-year-old lad. He identified all the accused with the exception of Gaughan as belonging to the “Stickers.” The two gangs, which had a large membership, were once friends,, he said, but trouble arose between them as a result of an incident in a picture house a fortnight previously, a member of one of the gangs having struck a girl belonging to the other. On the flight of the fight Cunningham added; he went with Tait to Glasgow Gteen and then to Jail Square, where there was a disturbance betweefi the two gangs- Stones and bottles were, being thrown about. The witness and Tait were standing at East Clyde Street and he saw McCluskey run Behind Tait’s back with a knife or a dagger and put it into Tait’s brick. Tait had no weapon in his hand, and there was no fighting going on around him.

After the hearing -of medical evidence by Professor 'G]aister and Dr John Anderson, and police evidence from Detective-Lieutenant John Montgomery, Mr James Keith, K.C., requested an interval for retirement for consideration of the case. Lord Hunter agreed, and upon the resumption of the Court after a quarter of an hottr Mr Keith intimated that a plea of guilty was now tendered by McCluskey to mobbing and rioting arid culpable homicide, while the other counsel,, on behalf of their respective clients, tendered pleas of guilty to mobbing and rioting- The charge against James Walker was withdrawn. The pleas were accepted. It was clear from the evidence, said Lord Hunter, that rioting and mobbing had been committed to a considerable extent by this gang of vouths. It was also clear that the blow which McCluskey had struck at Tait had been a cruel one, with a dangerous weapon. If he had been older he would have sentenced him to a very long period, of imprisonment, but, taking into account his youth, he would pass sentence of five years’ penal servitude. McCaughey had had knives in his possession and was willing to give them out to others for the prpose of rioting and mobbing. That was a perfectly intolerable thing and he must go to prison for eighteen months. Zemmil came under the provisions of the Childrens Act, and he, sentenced him to be confined in a. place of detention for one year. Gaughan and Stokes Were sent to prison for one year.