WATERFRONT ASSAULT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15551, 7 March 1914, Page 8

WATERFRONT ASSAULT.

STRUGGLE IN AN OFFICE.

SECRETARY ATTACKED.

ACCUSED SENT TO GAOL.

ILL-FEELING ON THE "WHARF,

111-feeling between the members of the old Watei-side Workers' Union and the new resulted in Daniel Frederick King being charged in the Police Court yesterday with having, assaulted Stanley Rickards. the secretary of the new union. The accused, who pleaded not guilty, was defended I y Mr. R. A. Singer.

Stanley Rickards in his evidence stated that on March 3 about half-past two o'clock in the afternoon he was sitting in the union's office in Quay Street doing some work, when the accused put his head through a window at the rear of the office, saying to j witness, "I'm looking for you." The accused then came round to the front of j the office and came in at the door. He j wanted to know why his application to j become a member of the new union had j been rejected. When he was told that i such matters lay in the hands of the com- ! mitt-ee, he seized witness, who was silling at the table, by the throat. Witness had some difficulty- in getting to his feet, but when he did so he wrenched the accused's hands away from his throat, and called for assistance. A rough and tumble ensued, the office furniture being knocked all o\er the place. When assistance finally did arrive, the two men were found struggling on the floor, witness being uppermost. The accused made good his escape, but was subsequently pointed out to Sergeant Cowan by witness. The accused thereupon made a How at witness, but the sergeant received the blow instead. As the accused was being taken into custody he called out, "Come and have some more. Woods," showing that he had mistaken witness for Mr- Woods, who is the president of the new union.

Cross-examined, witness denied that he hit the accused with a ruler, and thus started the fight. He said that he was unable to speak for some time owing to the pressure of the accused's hands on his i throat.

Sergeant- Cowan said that he saw the I last witness shortly after the assault. His | clothing around his neck was all disari ranged, and the office furniture had been upset. When the accused was arrested he I said. "1 have only done it to draw public ; attention to the matter." When told that ! it was Rickards and not Woods whom he had assaulted, the accused said no more. The Old and the » New. Mr. Singer said that all the facts of the case would be admitted, except as to how the finht started in the office. He said that the accused had very strong provocation. Through the arbitrary action of a self-appointed body of men, the accused had been prevented from earning a living. "He was not allowed to belong to ■ the very select company of heavers," | and as he had a wife and family to look 1 after, he wanted to bring the matter be- ] fore '.he public. Counsel went on to say ■ that there were at the present time hundreds of men starving although there was plenty of work. "Such a state of affairs cannot go on much longer," be concluded, "and unless there is some radical alteration, and that soon, there will le a worse upheaval than there was a few months ago." Inspector McGrath said that undoubtedly strong feeling existed on the wharf, and : that the conduct- on the part of some of the dissatisfied men was becoming intolerable. He added that several cases would be brought before the Court shortly, and he trusted that they would be severely dealt with. Magistrate's Comments. " I have no hesitation in convicting the accused." said Mr. E. C. Cutten. SM-, ''or in believing the story as set forward by the prosecution. Any appeal for leniencv on the grounds that the accused had strong provocation is absurd. That he disagreed with the rules of the tiew union is not a reasonable ground for leniency. The accused's act was deliberate. and done in order to attain an end. It is the duty of this Court to see that the peace is kept, and I should be fa.iline in my duty if I did not deal sever el v with such cases." His Worship went on to say that- the rights and wrongs of the union's action in rejecting some of the old waterside workers had nothing to do with the case, which was purely one of assault. He said he did not think the present case was one for a fine, and sentenced the accused to 14 days' hard labour.