A CURE FOR "HOODLUMS."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14933, 5 March 1912, Page 9

A CURE FOR "HOODLUMS."

EIGHT MEN SENT TO GAOL. A FORTNIGHT'S HARD LABOUR. Ten young men—George Bradley, John Martin. Thos. Herk, Win. Estall, Alexander Jones, Geo. Jones, Henry Whiteside, Alexander Walker, Herbert Gamble, and Joseph Howard— before Mr. K. C. Cutten, S.M-, in the Police Court yesterday, charged with using threatening behaviour in Wellingtonstreet, and also with assaulting Ernest Mather and Geo. Evans. Evidence for the prosecution was that Mather was standing in Queen-street on a recent Saturday night, when Whiteside came up and asked for a match. Mather gave him a box of matches, which, after lighting his cigarette, ho put in his pocket. When Mather asked for tho return of the matches, Whiteside struck him on the nose, and then disappeared. Later, when Mather reached Wellington-street, he met a number of the accused young men, who set on him, punching and kicking him. Evans then came on tlie scene, and asked for fair play, and a section of the gang then assaulted him. One of them then went for reinforcements, and Evans (a man of fine physique) was again set upon with such violence that ho had to call for help. Evans then went for tho police, and while he. was away, the crowd again turned their attention to Mather, kicking and beating him unmercifully, one of the accused holding his head while another hit him in the face. Describing the affair, Evans said the accused behaved "like a pack of wolves." Constable Murphy said when ho met Mather and Evans they were terribly battered about, their faces and bodies being a mass of cuts and bruises. The defence was a total denial of any asasult on the two men, Geo. Jones stating that the row, as far as Wellingtonstreet was concerned, was caused by Mather striking him a blow which resulted in a fight between tho two. Most of the. others stated they were merely bystanders. With regard to Alexander Jones, it was admitted that lie endeavoured to act as peacemaker, and that Martin was net in the habit of mixing with the rest of the gangHis Worship said the charge against Alexander Jones would bo dismissed. Martin would be fined £5. As to the others, he wished to make it quite clear that anything of the nature of formation of gangs would be put firmly down, and he was going to take the somewhat unusual course of pending them all to gaol, except Martin. Each would be sentenced to 14 days' hard labour. , The accused, when they heard the sentence, were evidently staggered, few of them treating the affair seriously.