A KOKIRI “SCRAP.”

Grey River Argus, 10 January 1928, Page 2

A KOKIRI “SCRAP.”

At Railway Station. OVER SOME TIMBER. A couple of Kokiri residents, Thomas McKenzie (caretaker of the Kokiri Sawmill property) and Alfred Priest (grocer’s assistant), who were associated in a little melee on December 14th last at the Kokiri Railway Station, were yesterday fined at the Magistrate’s Court by Mr W. Meldrum, S.M. Both pleaded not guilty, there being a second charge against McKenzie, for whom Mr W. J. Joyce appeared, of using indecent language in a public place, namely, the Kokiri Railway Station.

Alfred Priest said that on December 14th he was sent to the railway station to get the bread, and awaited the 1 p.m. train. When it was approaching, McKenzie came up to him, saying, “Did you get all that timber?” He also said, “There are a fine lot of b here.” and said witness was one. Before witness could pull his hand out of his pocket, McKenzie hauled off and hit him. on the face. Witness, who did not know McKenzie at all, was only doing his duty. There was nobody about. McKenzie, when asked whom he alluded to, said in a loud voice that it was to witness. There were houses nearby, and it would be possible to hear McKenzie at these. The fight went on. as the train came in. McKenzie then dodged round the train to get away.

To Nir Joyce: McKenzie was caretaker of the Kokiri Sawmill property. Timber which witness had taken was not on the mill property, and he had the permission of Mrs Hudson to take it off her property. He took aboat 200 feet. Mr Joyce: You knew McKenzie was appointed caretaker by the Kokiri Milling Coy?—Yes.

You know the timber was getting away pretty quickly?—Yes, but I was not taking it. I was only taking firewood, according to agreement. Witness only got 200 feet from McKenzie for building. Mrs Hudson gave witness some hundreds of feet of timber. He put it into a cowshed, fowlhousn, and an addition to a house. He had paid £5 to Stratford and Blair for timber, bought some from Newman and O’Neill. He took only 200 feet from Mrs Hudson’s place. McKenzie had come when*witness was loading it into the lorry. He had receipts to say where he got all his timber. He did not know that there was some feeling there against McKenzie over his taking the job of caretaker. He did not call McKenzie a for taking on

the job. The Magistrate asked witness not Io

shout. Witness did not say McKenzie was scabbing. He did not remember anything of a truck of poles. Mr Joyce: Did not he say to you:

“If the cap fits you, wear it”? —I swear lie did not. In my opinion, he had it already planned. The fight lasted a couple of minutes. You found him the stronger, and you got the worst of it, and then you went to the police?—l went to the police to got justice. I had my hands in my pockets. If I don’t get justice here, I’ll finish it with him. Mrs R. Hudson said her house was across the road from the station. Sir? came to the front door to see after the children. She saw McKenzie and Priest there. “Have I to use the language I heard?” asked witness. She mentioned words which she said McKenzie used: “There are a lot of about here.” Priest, who was just inside the station door, said: “Am I one?” McKenzie then up and hit him. Witness gave Priest permission to take waste timber off her own land. There was more there. They had put rubbish on her land. That was what the trouble was about. She had used this timber herself. It was waste timber.

To |Mr Joyce: It did not trouble li'*r which of them won the case. She was not anxious for Priest to win. Why did not McKenzie stand up and tight for himself? He had said he would not need a lawyer. The Company paid for the tram,way through her property, bur. not for a timber yard.

Did not you have an agreement for a chain width.—Half a chain. Witness said Priest used the timber for burning. He might have taken some to put on a pigsty. He had not been taking timber. One could hear anything from the station at her place. Was not the engine between your place and the station?—Yes.

Dill you see Mr Bird there or young McKenzie?—No. I did not stop to listen if he asked Priest to wear the cap if it fitted him. Mr Joyce: That will do.

Constable Rodgers said he interviewed McKenzie on the day of the alleged offence, and produced a statement by him in which he said the Company hail its line through Hudson’s paddock, with a half chain on either side; and that

he saw Priest removing some of t! > timber stacked along the line, saving he was going to clear it up. At the station he (McKenzie) had asked him if he was going to take any more. Priest had asked if he meant he was a St b , and ho replied: “If the cap fits you, wear it.” Priest had said he was in Kokiri. Ho (McKenzie) had then hit him, and they got to holds and were on the station floor, and then it ended. The constable said he knew there had been considerable trouble at Kokiri.

Mr Joyce said McKenzie had been appointed caretaker, having been one of the large shareholders, and putting, with another, £lOOO into the mill, which was lost; and the appointment was some recompense. Nearly all the timber cut by the Company came from private land. They had a right to a line

a chain wide. McKenzie knew a considerable amount of the timber had been taken, including posts, and when Priest carted some, McKenzie considered he should be stopped. What happened at the station would be relat° 1 by him. The engine was between them and the woman witness. Priest made a blow, missed, and got the worst of it, and then went to the police. McKenzi • was justified in what he had done, and the charge should be dismissed as trivial.

Thomas McKenzie, sawmiller, said he was caretaker since August. He was a large shareholder in the Company, and his appointment was made by the liquidator. Alongside the tramway through Hudson’s there was about 6000 feet of the Company’s timber stacked, a lot of which was going, as he could see each morning. He caught Priest taking some. He had asked

witness for some, and bought £2 worth previously. On Friday witness saw him taking a four by three on his shoulder from the paddock. One day he took away a couple of lorries of sawn timber. Once when witness was with Mr Bird, Priest started to carry away timber, and when witness spoke to him, he asked: “What have you got to do with it?” Witness said they paid £27 a year for half a chain on either side of the tram. Bird also talked to him. Mrs Hudson then came out and Bird left, saying he would not argue with her. At Kokiri Slation witness said to

Priest there were some s b about Kokiri. Priest asked if he was alluded to, and witness said if the cap fitted, he could wear it. Priest said witness was the biggest b in Kokiri. Witness said that was all right. Priest said “Come on!” Witness had his pipe in his mouth, and Priest shaped up and hit out. but missed, and witness hit him ami he fell. When he got

up. witness laughed. There had been quite a lot of trouble over witness taking the post of caretaker. To Senior Sergt Roach: Witness did not call him a s b , nor speak loudly. Two men were closer than Mrs Hudson, who he was certain could not have heard him. Mr Bird was nearer, and said he never heard anything. Witness was not excited. It was a case of witness getting hit or hitting. Priest missed. Witness had not before hit a man in his life. He had nothing against Priest except the taking of the timber. If Mrs Hudson said she beard him, she was telling lies. To Mr Joyce: Mr Bird bought out the mill. The Magistrate said that there was no question that there was a fight on the platform, both being to blame. Each would be fined £l, with costs, on that charge. In reply to a police application for Mrs Hudson’s witness expenses, the 'Magistrate refused to allow any, stating her evidence had not been given satisfactorily. As to the charge of indecent language. the evidence was contradictory, but McKenzie admitted using certain terms; but denied using them in reference to Priest, who did not seem, from his evidence, to he one whom such i language would shock. The offence was I not as serious as it" there were members of the public present. McKenzie would be convicted and lined 10s on that charge. Expenses would not be allowed for Mrs Hudson, as His Worship was satisfied she did not hear the word*' used.