HOTEL BRAWL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20118, 12 December 1939, Page 8

HOTEL BRAWL

FRACAS IN WAIROA CONSTABLE ASSAULTED FINES TOTAL £25 (Special to the Herald.) WAIROA, this day. Fines totalling £25 were imposed on Charles Montrose Jenkins, aged 51. and Alexander Mclntosh, aged 45, both of Tuai, when they appeared in the Wairoa Police Court yesterday to answer charges arising out ol' a brawl in the private bar of an hotel in Wairoa late on Saturday afternoon. Jenkins was fined £ls in all and McIntosh was fined £lO. Jenkins was charged with fighting in a public place, using obscene language, assaulting Constable Alexander McLellan while in the execution of his duty, behaving in a disorderly manner while drunk, and resisting Constable .McLellan while in the execution ol' his duty. Mclntosh was charged with acting in a disorderly manner while drunk, obstructing Constable McLellan while in the execution of his duty, and assaulting Arthur Clyde Hague. Both men, who were represented by Mr. G. M, O'Malley, pleaded guilty. 'Messrs. V. E. Winter and O. A. Jonson, J.Ps., were on the Bench. Had a Lot of Beer The circumstances, according to Sergeant L T. Moore, were unfortunate as both accused were respectable hard-working men. They came into town on Saturday and went to an hotel, where they had a lot of beer. It appealed that Jenkins’ wife and the driver of the car were waiting in the yard of/the hotel for the men to come out and go home. Jenkins wanted to have one mbre beer before they departed, but Mclntosh considered that they should go immediately. Mclntosh then accidentally pushed someone and a glass of beei was upset. This resulted in a general mix-up and things looked very ugly for a while.

Continuing, Sergeant Moore stated that Constable McLellan, who was on duty outside the hotel, went into the bar and on arriving there he found the two accused and another man fighting together on the floor. The constable tried to get Jenkins up and pacify him, but Jenkins struck at him. It was fully a quarter of an hour before the constable eouid overcome Jenkins. .vho was fighting viciously. Sergeant Moore added that during the struggle between the constable and Jenkins, Mclntosh endeavoured to assist his friend, telling the constable to keep away and that he would take to him if he hit Jenkins. In such circur. c .tances, said the sergeant, no one should interfere. He added that there was no doubt that Jenkins was fighting mad. Struck Without Warning

In connection witl the charge of assault against Mclntosh, Sergeant Moore stated that just after the trouble started a man named Hague who was in the bar, jokingly told Mclntosh that he could do anything he liked but upset his beer. Mclntosh thereupon hauled off’ and without any warning struck Hague on the nose ano knocked him down. Sergeant Moore said it was very sad indeed to see two men who had not been before the court before mixed up in such a brawl. Unfortunately, it seemed to be that last drink which had caused the trouble. In asking that the accused be deah vvitn as leniently as possible, Mr. O’Malley said that the men were great friends and he did not think it would have happened if they had noi been full of liquor.

For fighting Jenkins was convicted and discharged, for assaulting Constable McLellan he was fined £5. ir. default one month’s imprisonment, for behaving in a disorderly manner he was convicted and discharged, for using obscene language he was fined £5 in default one month’s imprisonment, and for resisting a constable he was also fined £5, in default one month’s imprisonment. Mclntosh was fined £5, in default one month’s imprisonment for behaving in a disorderly manner and was similarly dealt with for obstructing the police, while on the assault charge he was convicted and discharged.