MALOLO FIREMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 December 1929, Page 5

MALOLO FIREMEN

ASSAULT ON DETECTIVE. (Special to “Star.”) AUCKLAND, December 3. “And I hope you put him in the cooler, when he did-that,” said Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court, this afternoon, when he heard that Chief Detective Hammond had been struck on the nose, by William Beattie Wallace, a fireman; of the American liner Malolo, after an argument in the de- ( tectiv.e office. :, Wallace was charged with having! been disorderly while drunk. J He swung into the dock chewing a sticky mass of gum. To the invitation that he say something in explanation, accused shifted the gum to one side and drawled: “Why I just don’t remember a thing about it.” Then he smiled all round the court room and went on chewing. Chief Detective. Hammond explained that Wallace had entered his office at the city police station just before noon, and had started to argue concerning another fireman who was in custody. “I told him to get out, because he was very argumentive, and when I stood up to open the door he gave me a short arm punch on the nose,” said Mr. Hammond, “Fined £l, or three days’,” was Mr. Hunt’s immediate announcement. “Sir,” queried Wallace, in between chews. ■ “I said fined £l, or three days’,” shot back the Magistrate. “I’ve got that much on board the ship,” remarked Wallace in a relieved tone. “Do you think they’d pay in for me?” Mr. Hunt supposed they would, and ordered Walalce to be placed on board in custody. ROBBERY AT HOTEL. In the hotel robbery case, when Wallace’s friend, Edward Blakney O’Reilly, came before the Police Court this afternoon, Chief Detective Hammond said the police had communicated with the accused’s uncle at Wellington, and a full refund of the stolen money would be made. He should have been given six months’,” said Magistrate Hunt. “He is fined £5, and ordered to be placed on his ship.”