DISTURBANCE IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 14 June 1907, Page 2

DISTURBANCE IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE.

! Austin Brown (Brightwater) and : William 'Andrews' (Wakefield) appeared to answer charges of- being; dmnk- and oJ behaving violently respectively in a~, railway carriage on' May 27th; • The, . accused pleaded guilty. , '."■':;; *. ■ .Gordon Hunt«r, Waimea/' West, also " ■ charged with 'violent behaviour, in a : railway carriage, did not appear. ' ' John E. Burge, railway guard, stat- " ed that on -the date in question, on 1 the~ip p.m. train from town, his atten- • tion was. drawn-to a disturbance in the 1 carriage, and he was informed that ' -Hunter had struck Andrews in the ■ ■.. face. - He did not himself see Hnnter. , , do anything wrong. Harold-Andrews i , complained to witness that Hunter i had struck Wro. Andrews. Hiertert Nald'er, engineer, stated r that he was on the train when the diss turbanco occurred. The disturbance fc started at Nelson, and continued until s the train arrived at Brightwater. Hun- ) ter was.very quiet till two or three I young fellows provoked him. .Hunter . •struck one of ■ the young fellows after' I a statement had been- made that- Hunter's wife was a — liar! He saw ! Austin Brown on the train; but. though ' he .-w.as-vlio.t~,drunk he was disorderly. Wnt Ancbjews told Hunter that his f (Hun'ter's)-'wife was,a ■ liar, where- . upon Hhnter strucJr Andrews, who-was - ' under the influence of liquor. Brown was fined 10s, with costs 17s 4d. „ -" ', Hunter was convicted and dischaTg--1 cd. The Magistrate said he- did wrong - in striking Andrews, but he had been subject to extreme provocation, and this would be taken into consideration. Andrews, the Magistrate said, appeared to be the worst of the lot, and ho was , fined £1, with costs £1 13s Bd. ' f ' ! '> ■ 1 '■ - . • i • , ■ > : t ■ ,