POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15947, 18 June 1915, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

TRAMCAR INCIDENTS.

ASSAULTS ON CONDUCTORS.

The attention of Messrs. J. R. Walters and J. Walton, J.P.'s, was occupied at the Police Court yesterday morning in hearing charges of, assault on tramway conductors preferred against a woman and a man.

E. Johnston, a young woman, for whom Mr. W. Hackett appeared, was charged that on May 28 sho assaulted Percy Burton by striking him on the face and also with using insulting language towards him. Percy Burton said that on the date mentioned ho was a conductor on a car on the Onehunga line. Defendant produced two return ticket*. He inspected them and found they had been punched. In consequence he told her that they were finished and he could not accept them. She then used insulting language towards him, and Inter struck him on the face with her hands. When the car reached Sytnonds Street she again hit him on the face, and he called a constable and asked him to take her name. In reply to Mr. Hackett witness stated that he told the defendant quite civilly that her tickets were finished with and could not bo further used. He gave her no provocation for the assault. He subsequently ascertained that the tickets had been wrongly punched by the conductor who issued them and that they were genuine! Professor M. Walker, who was a passenger by the same car, said the conductor gave defendant no provocation. Mr. Hackett said the facts as given for the prosecution were substantially accurate His client became annoyed when told that the tickets, which had been wrongly punched, could not be used, for she did not wish the other passengers to have the impression that she was attempting to defraud the company. The Bench said they thought the defendant had some excuse for annoyance, but she should not have behaved in the way she did. She would bo fined 5s and costs.

Herbert S. Eastgate was charged with assaulting a tram conductor named George, Jeffrey on May 13. George Jeffrey stated that the defendant boarded a Newmarket car at Customs Street and was standing in the passageway of the car. Witness asked him to move along so that other passengers could get inside, but he took no notice. Between Victoria Street and Wellesley Street defendant grabbed him by the throat, and when defendant left the car he again caught witness and shook him violently. Other witnesses gave evidence that Jeffrey asked defendant civilly on several occasions to movo along, and he took little notice. Tho assault was quite unprovoked.

Tho defendant stated that Jeffrey had provoked him on numerous occasions, and continually talked to other passengers about him when he was on the car. On the date the assault occurred the conductor again persisted in holding him up to ridicule, and ho caught him by the lapels of the coat, not the throat as stated, and cautioned him. Tie threatened to report him, but this did not have the desired effect. When leaving the car Jeffrey made some more remarks, and witness caught hold of him. shook him, and "boxed his ears." The conductor struck him on the jaw, and he again hit him across tho ears with his open hand.

The Bench said that evidence was overwhelmingly in favour of the conductor. There was no occasion for tlie assault, and defendant would be fined £2 and costs.

MISCELLANEOUS CASES. A female first offender, who was only discharged from the Inebriates' Home at Roto Roa Island on the previous day, was convicted and discharged on the understanding that she would leave for her home in Wellington without delay. John Cockroft, a second offender, who did not appear, was ordered to forfeit his bail, amounting to 20s. Joseph Alexander Wilkie, who was found by night, without lawful excuse, sleeping in the railway yard, was charged with vagrancy. He was ordered to come tip for sentence when called upon. Norman Anderson and Oliver Copeland were each ordered to pay 17s 6d costs for riding bicycles on footpaths. Eric Caldwell was fined 5s and costs for driving a motor-car at night without having it properly lighted.