TOMMY TAYLOR'S TRAP.

NZ Truth, Issue 135, 18 January 1908, Page 5

TOMMY TAYLOR'S TRAP.

A COLOMBO-STREET COLLISION. The Crank and Cracroft Wilson's Coachman. DID TAYLOR CALL HIM A DIRTY PIG?

Magistrate Considers the Case 1 Stony-faced "Tommy" Taylor, the 'cold water crank, who comprises one of Christchurch's eternal "agents" 'for want of something better to do, broke out m quite a new place the other day. He bad his gig almost capsi/ed m Colomho-sbreet owing to a chap named Birchwood running into him from the rear. Birchwood happens to be < oaebman to the Cra'croft Wilsons, who own Cashmere Hills, a good deal of which "Tommy" Taylor acquired and made a greo'l deal of money out of, or is reputed to. However, none of the Wilson family wcte m the buggy at the time, only the groom. It wasn't much* of a' collision as -'collisions go, - pyr-pnt thfft Mrs .-. Taylor, who was [ •> earning a bal¥yT^^nisfft"*»Wiifc"^iaigr / , 1 the splash-b^aid.- Be that as it may, 'there wasn't the slightest damage dou ■ to eithe. vehicle, and a certain amount of vindjclivehess was shown Tiv Thomas T., Avho summoned the coachy/for' negligent driving when hi v boss wouldn't give him the sack. To \m-v apparently 'thinks that beca se be recommends that , a man sl -ou Id lie given the boot " that he shmi'-d get it and ho further remark be ..made. -..But he i" .■: cry small spuds [ iio'.v, -and -'few neople" m Christchurch !ta' c' no.-i- eof lim. '. - Tie i o ! i-N' rsrally take up charges of nr}i'Hg"nt driving ; m fact they ilvJays do. if th_" case as presented is -,?ood enough. In. the present instance Thomas -E. - T.. pi-ofsecutwl himself, ar,:! ' e v o're be took the oath when the lease ,v.'iv S presented at. the 'Oh ris t-(h-'-hPoli/'-R Coiirt," he -««as asked by brderly Scully foracpus.de of bob, Tlie cost of the information, or some thing, and he parted up \ WITH A SERAPHIC. 3t was a deci 'edly interesting case. Thomas, unre,ire_enl_d by counsel. con-''ucted.Hs own yarn, which was a most convincing yarn— until the, ofhpr.skle was. h^ard.. T?e ( . said -that ;tke little .f^iimly occurred en Decem.- : ber 7th ; be v.*as -driving his. gig to /Cashmere I-lilis," where he resides when "?ip- is at home. r:<?'?'g accompanied by 3ii« v ife and four little, girls. He was o:> ]-ix li lit side the Whole journey When opposite Sydenham Park he loo 1 ed round and say.' a vehicle 50 or f>o ya'dsavay. He heard a whistle, and then cue of his children, ' sitting at the back, fold him that the man behind was going., to drive into them. . And that was just what happened Tavloi" ' swore that he was three feet away from. -'the kerb: When the col■]i«ifn Ta'pr_ned his horse was thrown on tp-'the foat|>a?th...- and Mrs-. TayLohad -a '-narrow'^ escape from, going overboard ; but th£ horse regained its nprraaj. cy.(uiiiiuj'»9i, Li and all wn.S well. However;'-;' ; ''Bvrcliwood r . " didn't ■'■-• stop, wber ""ai'etl upon, but drove off at full speed. He. dropped his cpmpanion at tbe S an (lrid^re "Hotel and drove right round a number of streets until ■he pfeked the other chap up again. All tads time Taylor Vas going. hell for leather after him, and on asking some roadmen the identity of ' tho man vho was likely to reach the winning lost first, "-hey yelled, "Oh, it's Mr WisonV eo?-chm»n." So on Tommy weit until he reached the Cashmere Tills, where the Wilsons do abide, and he came up to Birchwpod, who ms •delivering washing, or the groom was, prior to going to" etables. rte complained to Mr J. C Wilson^ who remarked, "Oh, he has only ben working for me a fortnight, s>rid bethinks he can do as he likes 'on iberoads." Taylor remonstrated wit. Birohwood at the same time, ?.nd. th latter, with true fighting inslinc, said that he would fill Taylor's rauth with bones, ppwever, Tcmmj told the Magistrate that it loo'ed ike a deliberate attempt to trip hi trap up ; it was a disgraceful hit if business, anyway-.' >• ■* Lawyr Donnelly, ' who appeared for the defend ant, askesd the prosecutor whj be thought that an experienced cpahtnan like his> client should purnoscl upset him ? Tom nf rep He'd .that, it may have been a «msy joke, bi something of • that sol, "'biit the indications were tha* it as m the opposite direction; Covn-^t: When you got to Wilson's didn't vi CAI- HIM A DIRTY PIG, : and say vat he was no man at all ? •—No, I ,'d .riot. • Will ye undertake to swear that ? •r-l didn'say he was a pig. Didn't ou say something about shooting m with a revolver ?— '"No. Did lie Say anything to you ?i— He sai*', "I m pay you for any damnbS damagl have done." :' But \yhi-ahdut' ' ' this' revolver business, . cli --Well, I said that m some countries iere tiiere is less law than there is mew Zealand, and more abst ract jtice, i revolver would be 'used on h. . Yes, this all very well. Now, is it not aiir assumption on the stateftiohtm 'have just made to infer that y got a little excited and lost your nper ?— I don't think so, J was as tm and calculating as you are now. merely followed up that man m ore to know who he was.— Dint ycnsk-M. Wilson to dismiss him 'No, but I told him he shoul'jn'i Ye a reckless man like that m 1 ifoploy. Tb's affa happened on the 7th December ; hy did you delay laying the infoTm^n until the 18th Decern her. T 7th, you remember, , was Ihe dajau said he should have, been shotNo.! ".'.''.. W'ieP ''S'lii^) jjhot m some countries hen. as the delay made m o r e* o s,(f Wilson y/ou ld dismiss .tbif-- 'oarhrrv, ant j |f no \ proceedings would ta'-ren ag.'-inst him for ■negligent drig ?— T think it is like-' '„ Jy- 'hat T shoi not. -But if Mr Wi! sdn 1 p -: Pt>.d him I might nol have done a r -Ml, but his employe* did "'pihi'ig' -bat dire^i'ion. Did you wi lo Wilson during the

but Imposes no Penalty. last two days saying that if Birchwood expressed regret '. you WOULD WITHDRAW THE INFORMATION ?— Yes. , Why did you delay laying the inormdtion so long ?— Well, it was holiI day time, and 1 was busy, and I thought it wouldn't matter. The next witness called was Mrs T. b;. Taylor, who corroborated hei husband's evidence. She heard hei I daughter say, "Oh, dad, look out . he's driving 1 into you." She lost her balance, but managed to hang on until the trap (which was on its right side) was righted. Her,l3-year-o.ld daughter also gave evidence', as /did another girl who was standing by the wayside, and saw a portion of a thing that was only remotely allied to a smash-up ; but she didn't see the whole of it, which was a pity, J-cimusp it was lust the kind of evidence that was required. However, the defendant gave testimony on his own bo! alf. and save-' himself a good character for leliabiJity and all the rest of it. He has a good training, and young as he is, and has mouthed 1 neddies m several places m Hingland and, swapped' back-chat with dozens of drivers of alleged v/it un--1 intellectual capacity.'' Birchv.ood staI (cd that there was tons of room for I him to pass' between Taylor and tbe c!e;-tii-: poles, and he .Whistled that be was rom ing pp.. But Thomas E. T. pulled towards, the polcs'-hc may have done it mvolr'n'tsrily '; v/j'ien. he look.-d round— and so narrowed t lit; ! passaye. It was that action that ; really 'brought about the collision, j His. bind wheel struck the bub ofi Taylor's wheel md put the latter ye- J bile m ,Ihc gutter. He and bis mate | looked round, and - saving that no lvu-'n bad been done, drove, om ! Magistrate Dbv cO'ildn't see how l,th'e acd-'dr-nt hanpencd ,aS described, i-'and said so pretty 'straight.. This a-vo-isod the ire of Donnelly, barrister;who T'-o' c heatedly, saying it wasn't the cheese to tell a witness straight -out Ihet be was -telling. untruth. ■Mt, Par : I .didn't put it that way. j. Co'-nsel : Yon did, sir. \ ' . S.M. What I said was— • v Counsel : It simply meant. that the ' WITNESS WAS TELLING, A LIE. S.M. : 'Nothing of the kind. If you will examine his explanation of the accident 30U will see that it could- j n't very well have happened. Counsel : Well, I'll withdraw ; from the case, anyhow. If your Worship's against him right here, it's no use going on with the defence. Explanations followed, -and counsel resumed. •■■•"■ Birchwood . said that the prosecutor must have jerl.ed the reins to the right ; had he gone straight everything would have been well. When Taylor came up to them at Qashraere he said to Birchwood, ' r What is your name, man ?" Then he said, "You are not a man, but a dirty pig." Then he shook his fist m witness's face. Afterwards he made a remark about revolvers. What did he say ?— <Hte said that m .some places if anyone did what I did I might have a revolver with a couple of b0i11.... 'cveHed at me. What did you reply ?— I said, "If you had- a revolver with two bullets you would he afraid to pull the trigger, anil if you tried I would fill your mouth full of bones." Archie Llojid, groom at . Mir Wilson's, corroborated tbe coachman. J. C. Wilson, owner of Cashmere estate, then entered the box: He paid a high tribute to Birohwood as a driver, and stated that he came with excellent credentials. The coachman wasn't the' sort of man to pull m and J upset Taylor, or try to. Taylor had] made the suggestion tp him that Birchwood should be dismissed. Witness wouldn't do so. , Taylor was very excited, and he didn't know what he was talking about. How was I excited ? asked prosecutor. Well, you were talking away, and took hold of my hprse's head, and I won't allow you to touch any of my horses. Did you see me do it ?— My wife did ;- you were just leaving, go when I came' out the door. Could you have discussed this accident with me'on Saturday afternoon ; wasn't it Moriday thkt it . happened ?— lt was Saturday afternoon. WERE YOU IN A FIT CONDITION tp talk about matters on Saturday ? —Oh, nonsense !■■'.,-. Magistrjate Day found the case proved, but didn't think Mr Taylor thought Birchwood did the business on purpose. Defendant had evidently miscalculated his distance. He wouldn't inflict any penalty under the circs \ but defendant would have to pay the costs. And those costs .were paid right on the nail.