"ONE FOR HIS NOB."

NZ Truth, Issue 251, 16 April 1910, Page 7

"ONE FOR HIS NOB."

A Beer Glass Scores. Troubridge Stops it with His Face. A Chris fcchurch bookmaker named Archibald. Anderson "did his block'' -with the aid of hops oh March 31, when he went temporarily insane m the >Star and Garter Hotel, with a long beer glass clenched murderously m his right hand. A butcher named James Troubridge would have regarded the circumstance with indifference, only his amiabie countenance /-happened to be nearest to Anderson at the moment, and a sickening crash led him to believe ' that Halley's comet had 'arrived before its ; time. When Troubridge came back from an adjoining world, his chin and lip were laid open, and the gory mess about reminded him oE his occasional visits to the slaughterhouse.- A vacant spot existed where Anderson, used to be, and a shattered booze receptacle told a silent story of cause and effect. When Anderson was charged with assault, before Bailey, .SJVl.,' and was defended by Lawyer Donnelly, Troubridge said that the hour of the tragedy was between 9.30 and 9.50 p.m. The smitten person was standing m the passage talking to friends, when Anderson entered with two others and enveloped a drink at the bar slide. His pals departed, but Anderson remained. He made no remark to Troubridge, and it is assumed that he objected to the other man's size m hats, or the hang of his tie ; he smote him silently on the jaw with his glass, and walked out. Troubridge didn't see it coming, and it might have been; the first shot In "the expected sanguinary war between Auckland and poor little New Zealand, for all he knew. The witness, m answer to Mr Donnelly, was sure that his stoush was not the result of an accident. He bad been twenty minutes m the hotel and had only two drinks. Dr. O'Brien saw Troubridge at 1046 p.m., and stitched up. bis lip and chin. The lip was cut clean through, and a piece of glass was dug out of the wound by the medioo.. To Mr Donnelly : The patient smelt of drink, but the doctor would not say he was intoxicated. Troubridge told sawbones that brandy had been administered to him .after the violence. Augustus Clemens, a driver, saw Anderson seize bis glass with both hands and crash it down on to the unoffending countenance of Troubridge. Anderson , made no explanation and departed without haste. ':■ To Mr Donnelly ': It was not " a fact that they were all shikkured. | Thomas West, barman, gave similar evidence. , ! Mr Donnelly said that Anderson? s> party was under the influence of liquor when jit arrived, and Anderson had no intention of inflicting injuries on the victim. In tiie absence of any reason for an intentional assault, he attributed the blow to an accident, and it was the result of circumstances over which the odds-layer had np control. i The Bench decided to convict. ■ Sub-Inspector McGrath submitted the prisoner's past record. ; Mr' Donnelly claimed the right to scrutinise it, and directed the S.M.s atjtention to the fact that Anderson had not been convicted' of any offence for ten years, excepting that of trespassing on a. racecourse. Counsel entered a strong protest against the production of this jist, and said that tbere should be a statutory limitation of offences produced for inspection by the bench. ) The Sub. remarked that the S.M. had a' right to know the. man's history. I Counsel claimed that the magistrate should, not allow such a record to influence him m imposing a penalty. : A fine of 40s was imposed, and the defendant was also ordered to pay the costs of three witnesses. Archibald Anderson and his brother Walter were then charged with assaulting Hugh Grainger, bookmaker, and pleaded not guilty, The hearing of this case was adjourned' till the following Wednesday.