A CHARGE OF ASSAULT.

NZ Truth, Issue 136, 25 January 1908, Page 4

A CHARGE OF ASSAULT.

HOW LACY WAS LARRUPED. A Beery Brawl m Willis-street. HANRATTY EARNS A MONTH.

A person who drinks and plays up Old HJenry is severely handicapped with a name like "Hanratty" if he desires to pose as a respectable individual. Lawrence Hanratty, N whosent Thomas Lacy to sleep m Wil-lis-street, Wellington, on January 3rd, was so full of beer at the time as to. justify the expression "ratty," but there are probably Hanrattys living who have a clergyman m the family and have other claims to alleged respectability. Beer played a prominent part m the disturbance mentioned, which occurred iri the back premises, kept by one Fox, of 118 Willis-street. New Year festivities were prolonged m the neighborhood, where Hanratty and Lacy occupied rooms opening into the same yard, and; they misunderstood each other to such an. extent that they inflicted damage on each other. Lacy's injuries were so bad that he was removed to the hospital, Where his head and chest iwere treated by the medical staff. It was at first supposed -that the skull was fractured, but Lacy got well sooner than was expected and dispelled this supposition. This was extremely fortunate for Hanratty, whose charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm was reduced to one of common assault after, the evidence of Dr* Ewart had been heard m the S.M. Court; At ono time Lacy was m a serious condition, but pulled found with luck and medical attention. Lacy Is a sea-man, and was sampling the city beer at the time, but he recollects Hanratty stopping him on Friday, 3rd, AND KNOCKING HIM DOWN, While Lacy was embracing the globe Hanratty kicked him twice on the eye and once on the jaw. It is probable he kicked him. elsewhere, but Lacy was partially dead after the third kick and didn't remember any more until lie.woke up m the hospital., Hanratty had been getting ratty On purge. Lacy acknowledged to Solicitor Jaeksdn (for the defence) that he had had a' slight; misunderstanding with Hanratty. on the previous day (Thursday). He called Lacy a crawler, and Lacy repudiated^ the insinuation with anger ; whereupon Hanratty hurled a tin pannikin at him. Hanratty followed this missile with a gin ' bottle, bi fortunately his aim was not good. He desired to fight Lacy, but Lacy offered to defend himself m any place m; Wellington bar th_it ; yard. There was too much firewood m it for his liking. Lacy did bang ' Hanratty on Thursday; but riot before Hanratty had discharged his dook With violence •at -Lacy's countenance. Lacy then' felt justified m knocking Hanratty down, after which Lacy recollected that he had an engagement up town, and he didn't know that Hanratty lay m a 'state of unconsciousness for half an hour subsequently. He didn't attempt to get into Hanratty's room at 10 o'clock on Friday morning and .didn't ask Whitton, H^ratty's mate, "Where is the Irish b— — ?" He didn't shake him m his bed and ask him to get up and fight, \ arid he didn't tackle Hanratty at 4 m the afternoon. The: strife that Wood ened Lacy occurred at about 6.30 Now, didn't you want to fight, and went into the yard and had a fair fight ?— No, v I DIDN'T HAVE A FAIR FIGHT. I wouldn't fight m the yard. Why wouldn't you fight m the yard? —There was too much stuff there for him to pick up and aim at me (laughter)., • The Orderly : Silence ! He was on the ground on Friday ? — Np, he was not. , He was a better man with his fists than you ? — lt wasn't proved. He knocked you but ?— With his boot. The orderly : Silence! Silence! Jno. McKay, who had also been looking on the stagger-juice with great freedom, didn't know, anything about the Thursday occurrence, but swore that on Friday Hanratty knocked _Lacy down, dragged him several yards, then kicked him into a state of insensibility. "It was a sort of drunken row," he remarked, confidentially. "I wasn't properly sober myself," he added, complacently; "nor was Hlanratty nor Lacy. It's a hard case to say which was the- most drunk. Hanratty dragged him round the yard and used his boot on him. W:hat part ?— I think it was all over him. Accus&d : I beg your pardon, Inspector O'Donovan — — • , The orderly :. Silence ! McKay, who couldn't recollect the exact number of drinks he had got outside of m the morning, had a sleep m the afternoon, and viewed the proceedings m the evening from a table m the -yard.' "I WAS HALF MUDDLED," he admitted magnanimously to Mr Jackson. "I haven't got the same intellect now as I had some years ago. I can't remember things." Counsel : So I should imagine. Hanratty made some unimportant admissions to Constable McGregor and Sergeant Dale when arrested. Mr Jackson secured an adjournment until the following morning,, as he hadn't instructed witnesses to be present, not anticipating a reduction of the charge to one of common assault. In granting it, Magistrate Riddell commented upon the fact that the adjournment should have been applied for when the charge was reduced. As it was the prosecution had disclosed its case and witnesses for the defence could be communicated with.. Mr Jackson disclaimed any intention to get ahead of the police, and his assurance was accepted by the ' bench | The version of Hanratty, who is a wharf-laborer, was that on the Thursday Lacy, who had been drink- | ing, started quarrelling, but Hanrat- j ty went oiit to avoid him. He return- '

ed about 10 o'clock and saw Lacyand McKay standing m the passage' Lacy delivered a dirty left and Hjjanratty kissed the asphalt, where he was the recipient of sundry. Ipclfs from Lacy's beetle-crushers, and lapsed into a state of blank. He believed they carried him into the house. At 8 on the following morning Lacy came to Hanratty's room and asked, "Where is the Irish b— -g". But Hanratty wasn't- fit for hostilities, and Lacy retired discomfited. Subsequently Hanratty went out for his pay at the wharf, arid imbibed sundry beers, then returned home and sought his couch. Lacy wanted to fight. again: on ■■ Friday, afternoon, and this time Hanratty responded to the invitation. Both men's innards were submerged m, . beer, but Hahratty. ■ twice knocked Lafiy down, proving: that he was the better man with Msv fists. He didn't exercise his feet on Lacy's anatomy, as had been alleged. McKay was somewhere ahout the premises IN A SQUIFFY CONDITION. The yard surface was composed principally of asphalt, and. cement. • To the Sub-Inspector : he attributed Lacy's injuries to the falls on the unsympathetic asphalt. ' John Whitton, a sailor man and room-mate of Hanratty, stated that on Thursday Hanratty called Lacy a crawler and Lacy rejoined that Hanratty was a blanketty blank. ' Lacy then invited the enemy to eorixe down to a quiet spot on the re. claimed land, whereupon Whitton left. That evening Hanratty had a out on, his noble brow. WhitUbn ,-krieW nothing about the sequel on Friday. Hanratty endeavored ineffectually to get into Lacy's room. Mr Jackson submitted that it ifc was not proved that Hanratty had ' kicked Lacy the accused must be acquitted. The only evidence that Hanratty had used his feet was that ef .McKay, who was indubitably m a state of mental entanglement. Hanratty was convicted aad sentenced to one month's in_sri_wnm*a.t.