DISPUTE AT HOTEL

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 31 January 1933, Page 5

DISPUTE AT HOTEL

FREE LABOURERS AND UNIONISTS CARTERTON INCIDENT. CARTERTON, Jan. 30. _ Several cases arising from the clash which took place at an hotel in Carterton on the afternoon of Saturday, January 14, between unionists and free labourers ca.me before Mr J. Miller, S.'M., in the Carterton Police Court today. Kenneth Page pleaded not guilty, to assaulting Edward Joseph by striking him on the head with a stick. The evidence for the prosecution disclosed that on the afternoon in' question some unionists and free labourers were- in the hotel, and as the result of some words two of the party came to blows. This was promptly stopped, and a little latex further trouble arose outside in the hotel yard, and a free labome'r named Edward Joseph was hit on the head with a stick, which inflicted a wound one and a-half inches long. It was alleged against Page that lie was the person who assaulted Joseph. Evidence was called to show that Page was in the hotel during the afternoon, and was on the scene when Joseph was struck. For the defence it was denied that Page was in the hotel that afternoon. He admitted being in smother hotel, but returned to Masterton- by car at 4.30. He called evidence to substantiate his statement that he was in Masterton at 5 o clock, which was in the vicinity of the time the assault took place. Alter reviewing the evidence, the magistrate said a doubt existed as to the matter of identification, and gave defendant the benefit and dismissed the information.

Ed wax Wills Wiltoi., for fighting, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within six months. A similar information against Robert Hadfield was dismissed. E. W. Wilton and C. It. McCormick for using insulting words were each fined £d and costs. “Dominion” Special.