AN EXCITABLE CAPTAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8061, 23 September 1887, Page 5

AN EXCITABLE CAPTAIN.

Yesterday morning, at the Police Court, some little excitement and amusement was cauiod during the hearing of a charge against Captain Evelyn Arthur Rich, of Patetere, of challenging Captain Sewell to fight witii a view to provoke i. breach of the peace. When the complainant's (Cap sain Sawell) oaine was mentioned by the Clerk of the Court in reading over the information, the defendant exolaimed, *' Do you mean that dog Sewell behind me.' Mr. i'heo. Cooper who appeared for the complainant, asked that notice should be taken of the language used by defendant in Court. Mr. Tyldon, who had been instructed by the defendant a few minutes before, applied for an adjournment, which was however refused, as Mr. Cooper at.-»«d that hia client would have accepted publicly tttterea. At im»uu»b»»i.i« wnrde so defiantly, " You'll nevor get one out o! me, old man ; 1 uever apologised to anyone, and am not going to start now." Mr. Cooper then f.'catsJ the case, and laid stress upon the desirability of heavy sureties being itnpMfcd if the charge should be proved, as the evidence would show it X<i have bseu entirely unprovoked. Captain Soweli vn\a put in the box, and stated that on Tuesday, the 20tb, ho was prenent at a meeting in Mr. Scheiff'a office, at which defendant, Mr. Wiiutone, and Mr. Koberton were also present. Suddenly defendant jumped Uμ aud challenged witness to fight. Witness did not move, but asked him to apologise. Mr. Koberton and Mr. Winstone interposed, and defendant used some abusive language. He also threatened to shoot witnese. Me would have accepted an apology previous to the opening of the case. On being asked by the clerk if he had ouy questions to put to witness, the defendant exclaimed with very soornful emphasis, " Do you mean to tell me that a man like me would hit you ? I would not touch you.l would as aoou his acat." George Winstone deposed that ho was pre» eent at tha meeting of Tuesday. Certain business matters were being discussed In what the witness coasidered s, friendly and deliberate manner, when Captain Rich jumped up and challenged Captain Sewell to fight. The latter kept his seat. There was no provocation that witness saw at all. Captain Sewell asked Captain Rich to apologise, aud the latter said all the apology that ha would get would he that ho would meet him in the morning and have eouie shooting. Franz Scherff corroborated. Cap« 1 tain Rich stated that there was merely a difference of opinion in a meeting such as often occurs, and that possibly ho had got rather hot upon it. The Beach ordered accused to find bonds that he would keep the psace for six months in hie own reoog- ; uizancea of £'200, and two sureties of £100. Defendant:" £200 ! I'll go to the jug. If they condemn mu, a uiaa who has beeu well known throughout the colony for 25 years, to go to the prison, by G , I'll go there for the six months." H.i afterwards thought better of this .-insertion, and found the iequired sureties.