ORANGE BARRAGE

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 August 1935, Page 2

ORANGE BARRAGE

CHINESE FRUITERER UNDER FIRE War was declared in the shop of Percy K. Wah, Chinese fruiterer, Mackay Street, last night, and Percy K. was made the target of a barrage of oranges. The aftermath came in the Magistrate’s Court, to-day, when, before Messrs. F. W. Shallcrass and N. V. Lovell, J.’sP., a charge of behaving in a disorderly manner, while drunk, was brought against James Henry Sellars, 26, blacksmith. Defendant did not appear. After taking the oath, and kissing the Bible, Wah stated that he was sweeping his shop at 10.30 p.m., when three voung men came across Mackay Street. They asked him for some fruit, but he told them that he could not give it to them for nothing. They started using bad language to him, and he warned them that if they did not get out of the shop, he would ring for the police. They threw oranges at him, and he rang for the police. When a constable arrived, two of the men ran away, but the third was caught. About a dozen oranges were damaged, valued at 3/-. Constable MacDonald stated that, in response to the distress message, he went to the shop, and saw two men running away. When he entered the shop, Sellars was in the doorway, challenging Wah to come and fight. Sellars was strongly,under the influence of liquor, and he was arrested. A case had been upset, and oranges were lying around on the floor.

Senior-Sergeant E. Quayle stated that Sellars was bailed out this morning for 30/-. A list of previous convictions- was handed in. Defendant was fined £l, and ordered to pay 3/-, the value of the oranges. Wah did not claim witness’s expenses.