A STRENUOUS STOUSH.

NZ Truth, Issue 250, 9 April 1910, Page 6

A STRENUOUS STOUSH.

; - , — ♦ — - NEWSPAPER EMPLOYE UPSET By Fat Boy's Piercing Gaze. Biff the Result. Early m- March, the "Lyttelton Times" right-of-way was the scene of a short and disquieting scrap. Frederick ivirmode,"L.T." employe, who looks about 18, was rolling a reel of paper into the establishment, when the passage way was obstructed by .Ernest James Ditford. Eraesfc James, a news runner, -though young, is exceedingly fat, and his bulky anatomy obscured the landscape. itermode requested the elephantine mass to .remove itself, but it refused, and was pushed aside by the reel roller. lamest James then called Kermode something top horrible for ladies to hear ; and it must have been particularly insulting because Kermode hauled oil and delivered a crushing jab. on the point m Jack Johnson's most approved style. Ditfprd went down and out, so much out, m fact,- that it was feared he had qualified .for . the morgue ; but he regained consciousness :subsefuentiy. . • . . . Both youths were afterwards charged .with committing a breach of the peace, vkermode pleading "guilty under provocation," and Ditford not guilty. A youth named Walter Kirch stated -that Ditford merely looked at Kermode, who exhibited considerable anger and 1 asked whom the fat person . was looting At. The stout hoy continued vto look, and Kermode, made frantic by the significance of the stare, went over and. as.sauited the glarer, who made an unpleasjant remark. . " . A young man named Henry Frith requested that the court . might be cleared' iof ladies when he entered the witnessSibox, hut was assured by Station-JSer-ggeant Johnson that he might omit the Hilanky from his evidence. The witness said that Ditlord was .kicking Kermode when he separated the? two. Kermode sent the corpulent boy to sleep. . A carrier gave siniilai? evidence, and a boarder from the hotel adjoining saw' Kermode's "mudhook" collide violently iwith Ernest's" jaw, after a lurid expression had escaped from Ernest. ' Kermode earnestly requested that ladies .should be removed when he entered the-* ibox. It was on account of Ernest's; language. , . x ■'-.'•' Chairman Wallace, of the' J.P. bench, : him to. write the words down,' ■•tand they were duly penned and shown to Ditford. One lady m the court connected* ?with Ernest came, forward to read them,} •and was sternly repelled by Orderly Scully. . ' . ■ . The witness complained that Ditford • ■ .was m the road and had called Shim (Ker-; 'mode) by the opprobrious epithet on the : rsheet of paper,' whereupon the outraged.■witness connected With his reviler's •> 'countenance. ? Ditford denied using the words. He 'warned Kermode not to stoush him. "If you do," he said, "you will only fall, m." They both fell m, as it happened, the fine and expenses amounted to 28s, and each was ordered to pay 14s. Likewise; j they were sternly rebuked by a fatherly ■court.. . •.