COURT NEWS

Grey River Argus, 14 March 1938, Page 6

COURT NEWS

WOMAN’S NAME WITHHELD. I Per Press Association] AUCKLAND, March 12. Since her arrest yesterday afternoon on a shoplifting charge, a woman, aged about forty-five, has persistently refused to disclose her identity. When she appeared in the Police Court to-day, before Justices of the Peace, she still maintained silence, and was remanded in custody to Friday next. This happening is unprecedented in the records of the Auckland Police Court.

There were three charges relating to the theft of eggs and dress material. The police said the woman told them she was married, but had no children.

“Will you not disclose your name?” asked the presiding justice, but the woman, small, well-built and smartly dressed, still refused. STOWAWAY ON MARIPOSA. AUCKLAND, March 11.

Having spent four days in prison on remand, Stephen Jonson, aged thirty-three, appeared for sentence in tne Magistrate’s Court on a charge of stowing away on the Mariposa at Sydney on March 4.

Counsel said that Jonson was unable to obtain work in Australia, and, having no money, returned to his native country as a stowaway. The Magistrate said that Jonson had been sufficiently punished, and ordered him to come up for sentence if called on within six months, and also to pay the amount of the fare, £lO, within three months.

Unruly Seamen

TROUBLE AT LYTTELTON. CHRISTCHURCH, March 12. A ' fracas on the Lyttelton train, leading to the arrest of three seamen off the Tainui, culminated in a general melee in the streets of tne town, when other seamen from the boat endeavoured to rescue their comrades from the police.

’ The trouble started on the 2.10 p.m. train from/ Christchurch yesterday when the guard, remonstrating with the seamen for occupying a first-class carriage on second-class tickets, and for drinking beer in the carriage, was assaulted by one of the seamen on the platform at Linwood.

One of the seamen threatened the guard that he would kill him- if the incident was reported. After the assault, the guard rang the Lyttelton police, and throe constables met the train on its arrival at Lyttelton. The seamen left the train on the side opposite to the platform, but Constables H. A. Sayers, J. H. Bu’rrell and J. W. Buckley soon caught up with them. Constable Sayers accosted George Henry Whiting, a fireman, who had a cut hand. Whiting assaulted the constable, and used obscene language, which, according to the constable, could be heard a block away. The constable

finally threw and handcuffed Whiting. On reaching the corner by the British Hotel, a crowd gathered, and the\ struggle increased. Senior-Sergeant Wilson arrived, and William Flanagan, also a fireman, one of those arrested, cried out to the other men that they should go down to the ship and get the rest of its crew to rescue them.

Several of the Tainui’s crew took part in the trouble, but finally Whiting, Flanagan, and the other arrested man, Walter Minard, ship’s cook, were brought to the police station. These facts were related in the Lyttelton Magistrate’s Court this morning, when the three men were dealt with. Whiting was convicted and discharged for assault, lined £1 and costs for disorderly conduct, £5 and costs for obstructing the police, £5 and costs for obscene language, and was ordered to make good a damaged carriage window. Flanagan was fined £5 for resisting, £5 for obscene language, £1 for disorderly behaviour, and was ordered to make good the damage to a cell can. Minard was fined £2 for obstructing, and convicted and discharged for disorderly behaviour.

Whiting and Flanagan, who were taken handcuffed to the Court, were again handcuffed on their way back to the police station. The guard of the train, Alfred Hodsen Leopold, told the Court that when he got olf the carriage on to the platform at Linwood, he stopped to pick up a ticket. He received a blow on the neck from behind as he was bending down. He saw three pairs of boots coming at him.