HOT STUFF.

NZ Truth, Issue 66, 22 September 1906, Page 4

HOT STUFF.

A REEFTON COP GETS BUSY.

Ryan Requires Double-reefing. There is a policeman named Ryan at Reefton and from all accounts he is diligently searching for trouble. Now, no nian ever sought for trouble yet without finding it. Even from the stone age, down through mediaeval times, with axe, lance or club, up to the to-day of fists and firearms, spittoons and bottles, this h<rHds good. The trouble-seeker is d§ad sure to find what he's out for ; aed therefore it behoves Constable Ryan to "get next to himself," as our American cousins say, and cut out the bully act before things happen! to him. Constable Ryan's latest exploit was the iarrest, on Saturday, Sep.t.\,B, of a mW who had been drinking "not wisely, but too well," and on the following Monday the poor fellow, after being "(36 hours m the cells, was fined, with costs £2 10s m all, by two Jay P&es, who ought to show wider sympathies with their fellow-sinners. Fancy ififty white uns for a plain, unadorned, drunk. The thing is monstrous «bn the face of it. But wforse was to come. That same jafternodfn, at about 3 o'clock, the I man wafe standing talking to his two | mates w/hen Ryan appeared on the scene anip!, without a word or any i provocation, seized him and started to run hjim off to the police camp, again. \ In giving evidence on his own behalf m Cctart, on this second charge, thfi victim^ swore that on the way to the catmp, on the Monday afternoon, Ryaifi used disgusting language ito him, teaying : "You b y , I'll make it warm for you." No less than fpur witnesses swore that the man w&s sober when pinched the second time and so strongly was the weight of Evidence m his favor that even the poUice-biased J.'sP. would do no more\ than convict and discharge the \ man, and flatly refuse costs, even for the medical opinion the police piled on, as to sobriety or otherwise, so! that it is safe to say that the Jusjtice Department will be saddled .with the expense incurred by this bumptiouis booby bobby. On the samle afternoon, Ryan, who must be menjfcally peculiar to so far commit hims&lf and degrade his office, went to . arrest another, and a notably quiet, inoffensive man, although his sergeant Mad advised that he leave ths man alone, which he then had to do. On the] same night two friends went to the /police camp to bail out their mate. \They were compelled to wait until 9/ p.m. before their companion was /released and then Copperman Ryaia left the office with the trio. Nq slooner were they ciear of the stations gate then Ryan seized hold of one fof the bondsmen and ran him back \to the office on a charge of drunkenness. This was too hot for the sergeant m charge to countenance, however, and he refused to book the change, and the man was liberated. i■ . ■ This is absoluite proof that the arrest was not justified and, it behoves the able and just-minded Commissioner Dinnie yto cause a strict enquiry into the Vconduct of this bumptious bobby, Rwan, for, if he is allowed a free han®, no citizen of the town of Reefton Will be safe at any time that he feefcls desirous of adding to his list ofl "cases." If Mr Dinnip does this \ impartially he will find the Department of Justice at his back and will earn the plaudits of all right-thinking citizens.