Brawl In Town Dance Hall: Seamen arrested

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 October 1948, Page 4

Brawl In Town Dance Hall: Seamen arrested

A brawl in /Inch seamen, dance officials, dancer, and a policeman were' involved developed at the Lyceum Hall siortly aftex - midnight last night, and is a result three seamen. were arreded and appeared in the Police Coui’t at Greymouth this morning on clurges of fighting. A further charge of assault was preferred against me of the accused. Several fights took place in various parts of the entrance' to the hall, while the major brawl occurred in the lobby, whe*e a police constable endeavoured to'apprehend a bleeding seaman who Vociferously resisted while his friends took care to see that none of the dance patrons or officials crowding the lobby made it, in their words, “two onto one.” The arrival of police reinforcements broke up what was by then a general mix-up with many persons involved in the struggle and several others on the floor. i

The three yo’.rng seamen charged this morning—t!vo of them wearing the marks of battle —were William James Wolsey,. Ernest Alexander Miller, and William Andrew McNicholl. Two were members of the crew of the Kartigi find the other of the Omana. McNiclioll was charged, in addition to fighting with his two companions, with assaulting Thomas Gordon Garth, i The first two accused, who denied fighting each other, pleaded guilty to fighting “under provocation,” while McNicholl pleaded guilty to fighting but denied assaulting Garth.

Police Called

The police were called at 0.5 a.m. to stop fighting at the Lyceum Hall, where a dance Was being held, said Senior-Sergeant R. C. Mcßobie, prosecuting. The three accused were seen fighting by Constable Jackson. A committee-man, Garth, who went to the assistance of the constable, was assaulted by McNicholl and his injuries included a black eye and several cuts on the face from blows.

Wolsey and McNicholl were fighting in the passage when he arrived at the hall, said Constable A. E. Jackson, and he endeavoured to stop them but to no avail. The third man, McNicholl, then joined in the fight and witness saw him strike Garth as the latter came to the assistance of the police. Constable Jackson, questioned by Miller,,said he saw Miller fighting. “How was it, then, that when I was ‘picked up’ later on, that the police said that I looked as if I had been in a scrap and so arrested me?” asked the accused.

“Were you fighting?” asked the senior sergeant. “I was fighting all right,” said the accused. >

A After the two first - accused were locked up I came back to the hall lor this other man involved,” said Constable Jackson.

“We definitely were not fighting each other,” said Miller. “I know someone flattened me and stuck a boot in my face. I got up and was knocked again.” “I came out and someone hit me, splitting my lip. I wasn’t just going to sit and take that,” said Wolsey. _ “How could I have assaulted this man when he hit me first?” asked McNicholl.

"Everyone Was In” A member of the R.S.A. social committee conducting the dance at the Lyceum Hall, Thomas Gordon Garth, said that he had earlier warned the accused fox - making a noise and for taking a bottle of liquor into the hall. He heard a “devil of a row” and came outside to see a policeman trying to arrest one of the seamen. “I tried to give him a hand to restore order, but McNicholl got ‘stuck straight into me.’ That is how I got the eye,” he said. “Everyone was in in the finish, but I did not see that, fox - I was on the floor,” he added. “Things were a bit tough,” said Miller. “Everyone was hopping in and sticking the boot in or something. There must have been a dozen others involved. Why are we the only ones in court today?” Evidence was given by Wolsey and Millex - in theix - defence. “I was dancing when I heard this noise, and on leaving to investigate I saw fists flying everywhere and I copped one,” said Wolsey. “I decided to give one in return. That’s all there was to it.” “Hit Nearest to Me” “Did you retaliate with the person who hit you or just the first man you saw?” asked Mr R. J. Truman J.P.. who with Mr E. O. Henry J.P, presided. “I can’t say,” replied I suppose it was the nearest to me.” “Someone ‘hung one on me’ when I was in the passage and the next thing I was on the deck with someoxxe tramping all ovex - my face and booting me in the ribs,” said Miller. “I got up ana had a go, but things got a bit worse and I was flattened again, I was down most of the time,” he said, admitting to tne bench that Jxe had had a few drinks. After examining a list of convictions against McNicholl, Mr Henry said that he would be in serious trouble shortly if he did not behave himself. . “This business of fighting and drinking in dance halls has got to be stopped in this town and in the future steps will be taken to prevent this sort oi thing as much as we can,” Mr Henry added. ... •The three accused were convicted and eacix was fined £3 for fighting, McNicholl, in addition, being fined £5 on the charge of assault.