INCIDENT AT PIE-CART

Grey River Argus, 6 December 1938, Page 9

INCIDENT AT PIE-CART

TEST PLAYER IS CONVICTED. ADELAIDE, November 8. Victor York Richardson, the former international and interstate cricketer, of Richmond Road, Westbourne Park, was charged at the Adelaide Police Court to-day with having refused to move on when requested to do so by Constable D. Judd, in King William Street, city, on November 1. The defendant pleaded not guilty. Mr Muirhead, P.M., convicted Richardson, but imposed no penalty. Constable Judd said that about 1 a.m. on November 1 he saw about 20 men in evening dress leave the A.M.P. Building in King William Street. They were making a noise. The defendant was one of the men.

They went toward a piecart. Somebody untied the horse attached, and lifted one of the party on to it. One of the party took hold of the winkers and led the horse along the street. Another one hung to its tail. The men were singing and cheering. It was suggested that the horse was the Melbourne Cup winner. Then a member of the party put a light grey overcoat round the horse’s neck and said that he was decorating the winner of the Melbourne Cup. When witness remonstrated with the men, they took the horse back to the piecart, where they ate pies and pasties, talked, laughed, recited poetry and sang. When witness again warned them about their conduct and asked them to go away, Richardson said, “Why should we go away.” Later Richardson said, “You can’t shift me,” and he again refused to move on. The defendant was then arrested and taken to the city watchhouse. Mr L. M. Hogan (for the defendant) said that Richardson, with several others, had been to a smoke social. They went to the piecart for a cup of tea. There was joking and laughing and a lot of fun, but nothing occurred fo which anybody could take exception. Richardson was not a party to the decorating of the horse and he considered that he had done nothing to warrant his removal.

Mr Muirhead said that he did not find that the defendant was making a noise or that he took any active part in. the horse incident, but he found that Richardson did identify himself with the group of men. It was the morning of Melbourne Cup Day, and it seemed probable that the spectacle of the piecart horse being ridden along the street caused amusement to the friends of the rider.