BOUT OF FISTICUFFS

Northern Advocate, 21 January 1936, Page 7

BOUT OF FISTICUFFS

BUT “PURSE” GOES TO STATE A short bout of fisticuffs on 'the Three Mile Bush Road, near the Kamo Hotel on December 11, was the cause of James McAteer receiving injuries to the face and being unable to work for a week. , He reported the occurrence to the police, and yesterday, before Mr G. N. Morris, S.M., both the stars in an open-air battle appeared, McAteer charged with behaving in a threatening and sordid manner in a public place, and Abraham Brott, with striking James McAteer in the face with a clenched fist. Lost Week’s Work. McAteer went into the witness box and told how he had two false teeth removed by Brott, and, as the result, had lost a week’s work. w The dispute arose out of an incident in the Kamo Hotel. He had had seven or eight drinks. Brott had struck him in the face. Wanted To See Brott. His reason for going into the hotel was that he wanted to see Brott about some pigs, said Joshua Harris. There he met McAteer and Brott. Shortly afterwards they both went outside and McAteer had said: “You take your coat off you black Brott had thereupon knocked him down two or three times. “I told him that he was getting all he deserved.” said witness. ( Brott’s story was that McAteer had asked him for a ride from Kamo into Whangarei on his truck. He refused and McAteer asked him to get out. He did so and invited McAteer to go into the hotel for a drink. McAteer insulted him in the bar and he struck McAteer on the face several times. Magistrate’s Comment. The magistrate summing up said that McAteer had precipitated the row. Up until when they went into the hotel, it looked as though Brott .was trying to avoid trouble. He was satisfied that McAteer was the cause of the row. Brott would be fined 30/- with costs 16/- and McAteer 10/- and 28/6 costs.