POLICE v. PEOPLE.

NZ Truth, Issue 93, 30 March 1907, Page 5

POLICE v. PEOPLE.

"MOVE-ON" WRIGHT WOEFULLY IN THE WRONG.

Truculent Trap Tackles a Tartar.

Makes False Charges Against a Watchman.

Police Authorities Abandon Proceedings.

Express Regret at a Damnable Wrong.

In the last issue of this paper occasion arose to animadvert upon the bull-dozing, bouncing, and blustering behaviour of some of the young policemen m Wellington, who, once m uniform and intoxioated with the idea of their authority set out to play veritable hell with whoever dared to cross their path or dared to resent their impudent officiousness. One of the truculent traps singled out for a few words of- reasonable advice was Constable William George Wria^tV' known as '"Move-on-Wright,' 1 and it certainly looks, after* what transpired at the S.M. Court last Monday,' that advice' is wasted. on such -as he, and that Commissioner Dinnie had better study public safety by kicking Wright out of the force.. Wright has been guilty of outrageous conduct on a Harbor Board employee named Rutherford Dodds, and though Police Court proceedings were abandoned by Police Sub-Inspec-tor o 'Donovan who expressed regret for what had occurred, the last of it, so far as Wright is concerned, will not be hear S of for a time to come. Yesterday (Friday) week, there stood m the "dock at the S.M.s " Court a man named Rutherford Dodds, , who was charged with having UNLAWFULLY ASSAULTED Consitable Wright while m the execution of Ms duty, and also with doing damage to the value of £1 19s 6d to clothes, the property .of Wright, When Dodds was [placed m the dock, Mr. Wilford, who appeared for him, said that he (Dodds) was a watchman employed by the Harbour Board; that he was . a respectable man; that his 1 story was extraordinary as far as it concerned Wright, and m order to verify what had* been told him and to call such witnesses as were necessary he thought the case should fee adjourned till the following Monday. Dodds\ was accordingly remanded and * released, strange to .say, on his own bail of £10. Last Monday, when the case was called on, something, singular occurred. A police case was abandoned by the police. Something serious must have been under the surface", because seldom indeed do the police abandon any case no matter how rotten it is. Giving no reason whatever, Sub-Inspector O'Donovan only sought permisgion to withdraw the charge. He was sorry to say the arresting constable had made a, mistake. f Wright, he further said, was down on the wharf when he was accosted by a woman, whojmtide aCvijintpraper propesa! to him . ' He ' attempted to arrest her •, and Dodds, who was on duty, interfered, thinking that sdbie civilian was .molesting a woman. "And," concluded the sub-Inspector, "I can only express regrets that it ..happened." Mr. Wilford, who .appeared for Dodds, was not disposed I<o let the matter drop there, and told Dr. McArthur f that Dodds' story to him ,the morning after tha arrest was .so far fromi.'bieing an ordmgry one that he went to work at once to make enquiries to see whether the man was deserving of belief. Counsel defending prisoners have so many stories t told them that sometimes they were to be TAKEN I WITH A. GRAIN OF^SALT to be believed. He discovered' from the secretary of the Harbour Board and from Captain Johnston that Dodds was of an exemplary character ; that the Board had- absolute faith m him and offered him every assistance to bring . forward evidence to show # that his word was jtjuite to be believed, evi&n against that of a constable. ,The facts were that Dodds, the watchman, on the night j m question, Thursday, March 21, :-was doing his rounds, and he generally endeavoured to work m with the police to keep order ' on thp wharves, and on this night the wharf was practically deserted. During the course of his peregrinations Dodds had to mark a clock, a tell-tale arrangement showing that he had done his duty, and visited a number of spots at certain times. On the way, to mark the clock he met one Constable Butters, and after conversing with him arranged , to let him know if anything happened. Near No. 1 shed on the wharf Dodds heard a woman scream for help. He rushed round and saw a man struggling with the woman.. Wright appeared to be roughly using her, and the woman was shrieking for help. SubInspector ' O'Donovan said the woman solicited Wright and of course he . endeavoured to arrest her. Mr. Wilford knew nothing about that. It was a curious thing for a woman to go on a wharf while a constable was there, even if m plain clothes, and there, m suoh a deserted spot, solicit prostitution. Mr. Wilford was sorry he could not contiadict Wright's story m! that particular. This woman screamed out for help, she was struggling with a man m plain clothes. Dodds knew neither of them Wright said as Dodds approached, "THIS IS YOUR BLUDGER COMING." Dodds then sailed m at Wright. He threw him down and sat on him, and called for police .help. S(oon afterwards a constable came up, and Wright gave Dodds m charge Tor assault and obscene language. On the way. to the station Wright said, " You, have been using obscene language,' and you will be charged with it." Dodds said, "You cannot prove it, because* l did not use it." Wright nevertheless preferred a charge of obscene language against Dodd, but m the morning the language charge was dropped, and charges of assault and damaging Wright's clothes were made against him, the police haviw m the. meantime, no doubt, found out who Dodds was. He (Mr; Wilford) htvd intended to call

|, Constable Butters, and no doubt the police had got from him the full particulars. Dodds had only done his duty, and Wright was all to blame. If Wright was on duty m the first place what was he doing on . the wharf m plain clothes. If he was not on duty no one could object to him being there. Was It Wright's duty to go on the wharf and usurp the constable's functions? He was there anyjhow, and so was the woman. Tjhis thing was not gome. to droo, even if Sub-Inspector O'Donovan"'had made ' enquiries and abandoned the prosecution. The ordinary drunk, or criminal who frequently appeared before the Court, thought nothing, perhaps of spending a night m the cells. Dodds was neither a criminal nor. a- drunkard, He greatly felt his awful position and degradation. With regard' to bail, Mr. Wilford went on, Dodds asked for bail, and was told it would be £10. He was satisfied he could find bail, and sent home . for his pocket-book, which contained £14, and this was brought down by* a man named McKenzie who resided at the same place as Dodds. Having offered to put up £10, he was told that THE BAIL HAD BEEN INCREASED to £20: vThis was at one o'clock m the morning, and he had to remain m the 'cells till brought before th,e Court: All the newspapers, m a -fair way, had reported the fact that a Harbour Board watchman had been arrested for assaulting a constable and damaging his clothes, and a rumour had a thousand legs, and it was difficulty to catch it. There were some people who took everything for gospel, and he therefore itook the opportunity Of making, the only possible reparation due to Dodds. SubInspector O'Donovan had done, as he always did, squarely by Dodds, who felt the indignity very keenly, and would seek redress m- another way. Sub-Inspector O'Donovan: I ' am perfectly satisfied that Wright acted as he did m good faith. Mr. Wilford: That is a matter of opinion! Sub-Inspector O'Donovan went on to say that the woman got away, and had been followed by another, man. ..*.'> Mr. Wilford :. Do you know her? Where is she? Sub-Inspector O'Donovan : I don't know. .We it's a mistake, it occurred so quickly. ! There so far as the police j£purt waS^^concerned the matter emleti. Dodds was not subjected to the further indignity of being, placed m the dock,, and Sub-rlnspector O'Donovan had the case called on out of its order to be disposed of as soon as possible. Dodds, according ito his legal I representative, is not finished with Wright, who to say the leastj is very much m the wrong /but what is more pertinent to the public whom Wright and his kind are supposed to protect, is what does Commissioner! Dinnie intend to do? Mr. Wilford very properly put every aspect of the affair before the Court, and there must be some explanation forthcoming re the presence both of WRIGHT AND THE WOMAN on the wharf. He roughly used the i woman, and her cries attracted Dodds,. whom this very brilliant policeman stigmatised as her bludger. That is . characteristic of Wright's conduct from what "Truth" knows of him. Moreover, when the police abandoa a prosecution without any reasonable explanation and regret what has occurred it is significant and suspicious. That course is far from what is generally -adopted, and' "Truth" hazards, the opinion that more is yet f?» be learned, and what is yet to be learned' will not be to the credit of Wright. ■ : ■••.'■■'■