A SATURDAY SPREE.

NZ Truth, Issue 265, 23 July 1910, Page 6

A SATURDAY SPREE.

CLASH IN OTAfiO'S CAPW&L,

Biff by the Wilsons.

"THERE'S SWEENEY— LETS GET TO Bill I"

The circumstances connected with the alleged riot m Princes-street, Dunedin, on tiie night of Saturday, July 9, were investigated at <JAe Magistrate's Court on Friday last by Mr Bartholomew, S.M. The back of the court was well filled with spectators, hut, after all the seats =were occupied, admission was refused, the court officials having a vivid recollection of how stuffy the court got when the cases were called previously.

Mr A- C. Hanlon appeared for Charles , Ora-ham, who was charged with obstruct- ■ ing Sergeant Eecles and Constable Sweeney, i and with assaulting Consta-We Kox. When the case was called previously, counsel said he desired to call about "M> witnesses, but he wasn't given that pleasoxe, as the case against his client was withdrawn. Thef Stfb-Inspector explained, that while Eecles and Sweeney were arresting a -man soon after ten o'clock, and while the crowd m Frinces-stvrcet was very dense, Constables Fox and Wall saw a man endeavoring to rescue the prisoner. They gralbibsd him ; but then the crowd got on a Wg jostle, and they lost itoeir prisoner. They later on picked up Graham, bat weren't prepared to swear that he was the man who was arrested, m the first place. The S.M. said Graham left the court; ''without a stain," but he added that*he, police could not be blamed — m the circumstances a mistake was liable to happen. THE CAUSE OF THE FUN. The case again John and David Wilson, ,wfco were responsible for getting the crowd together m the first pface, was then taken. John was charged with drunkenness, obscene language, and resisting.! Sweeney ; and David had to answer charges of obscene language, obstructing and assaulting Sweeney, and resisting, Etecles. -Mr B. S. Irwin appeared for ac cused, and entered pleas of not guilty m ■ •all cases, except m regard B to the charge of drunkenness against John. John is a young man of about 21, and David is a few years older, and is married. Sweeney gave evidence about John having been warned t.q go home, and having "been arrested some time later furt<her up the street. Their version was that as John was being put into the cab David came up and passed a biff to Sweeney, and when David w<as arrested he resisted with vigor, and used unparliamentary language, as also did John. Sweeney said David didn't come up and aslc to be allowed tofput John's feet m the cab 1 — "the first thing he Knew about v?as a clout on the head. The Sergeant toML the court about the ir.erry doings m which he had a part, stating that when John was being put into tire cab there were about five hundred people about, who were engaged m sundry measures to distress the "Johns." Some hit the horse, some tried to shove the horse forward by turning the *cab wheels, and some gentleman undid the hame strap on one side of the cab.

A SONG IN THIU ChJLL. Mr Irwin asked Eccles if John could be believed when he said he rememtered nothing about tbe night's occurrence. Eccles : I'd believe it. He Kept on.srng- . ing for a long time after he was put m the cell. : Mr Irwin : Therefore, he couldn't haveknown raueh oi what had happened. The S.M. : It depends largely on thekirsd of song he was, singing. (Laughter.) This obscene remark of his at the cab: "All the policemen m the country can't take me," makes it look as if he did rejfiem-ber. Evidfmce v/as also given by Detective Mitchell, who helped t o tip John into the cab, and who received a smack from somebody behind Mm m the owera-tion. Alfred Adolnlius put m a good word for WaWtr Owen, the driver of the cab, wiho, hs said, stuck to his rather difficult and dangerous job m good style. David then gave evidence, and said that he got nitxed up with the traps because when John w^s-pnt into the cab and the door was about to be closed, Ms feet were hanging out, aoud hs (David) tried to; tuck them m. He was pounced on toy as cop, and had his arm twisted, and he i struggled to get his arm free. "As lor -the obscene language," said David, "it's language I never use — and I often check my fellow-workers about it.''

STOUSH AT THE STATION. Sub-Inspector : Drdn'T; you nit Sweeney near the cab V David : No. Tne striking took place at . the station, and then I only hit him because Ire hit me. He hit me oa "Mie mouth.' He rattled my teeth, and some are loose yet. If Sweeney was hit at the. cab, it was through a slip when 1 was getting my arm free. Suto-inspector : You just wanted to pat him on the cheek ■? , . David : I don't think 1 could hurt a man like Sweeney is. Mr Irwm : How did this assault m the station happen ? David : I don't remember very well. What with having my braces torn off and my pockets turned inside out 1 got a bit mixed.

The S.M. delivered a long verbal Judgment, the effect of which was that lie was convinced John knew what he was doing'; that David had lost his head completely ; that David's invitation to the crowd to rescue his brother was the cause of all the bother which followed ; that there was nothing m the evidence to show that accused were roughly handled ; and that the police acted tactfully and considerately throughout.

Mr Irwin asked for leniency, explaining ftiat the Wilsons were respectable and hard-working men ; b\it the S.M. said, he couldn't let the good character of the men weigh too much wtfch him m view of tne seriousness of the offence, itoth were given a month for obscene language ; John •got two months for resisting, and David got two months on. eatfh of 'his sundry charges, all sentences to he concurrent.

SPENCE SPIED BY SIVYER. In the last case of the series, Walter 1 •Raw Spcnce, a laborer at SHackiock'srange foundry, was charged with disorderly behavior while drimk, anct incHring, to resist the police. Mr Hay entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of Walter. Spence was arrested about 11 o'clock. Sweeney had been mobbed up Frmcesstreet, and when he was sent pack to the poKce station, the big crowd honored him with their escort, passing more or less complimentary remarks the while. 'Oonstable Sivyer was amongst the crowd m plain clothes, and m Lower Highstreet he saw a gentleman rolling about ; and waving his arms, and calling out : "800 ! boo ! Where's Sweeney 7" and-, "800 ! boo 1 !. There's Sweeney ! Let's get to him." Sivyer nabbed Spence, and : , with "the help of Constable Find-lay, theytook him to the station. A FAIR RUN.

Sivyer, m his evidence, said, he was 'sure he'd got the man who made the dissrespectful remarks. He had him under ob>iservation for a minute or two. He gave ;iiim a fair rim before arresting him. r Spence was mad drunk, and m line morniiiig couldn't recognise Sivyer as the man who had run him m.

Mr Hay : Where did you arrest him ? Did you give him a fair run ? Witness : Which question do you want answered ?

Mr Hay : Wefll take the last question first.

Witness : You asked me just now where I arrested him. You -ask a (question and I'll answer it.

■Counsel: Dtm't be insulting or I'll appeal t 0 the Magistrate,

Witness: Well, ask the question. After some more trouble, Sivyer explained, as he had done previously, that the "good run" consisted m observing himfor a minute or two. Constable Findlay also told how he had seen Si>ence, and how he had watched j him for some time. "Near Dowling-strect. I I thought he'd gone far enough and pushed ahead to arrest him, but 1 found j him already m ttie capable arms of Constable Sivyer." He told Mr Hay that he also had given Spence a good run— he J usually did. A NASTY KNOCK. When the c&set&W-* the defence was open- < ed, the Su»i-lnsoector asked that all! witnesses be ordered out of the court, which was done. .- Mr Hay : This might have been done earlier. The Sub-Inspector : Mr Hay had a right to ask it when the case started. Mr Hay : It's not worth doing m the case of police evidence. Tho Sub-Inspector (to the S.M.) : 1 don't frbinJr counsel si><mi<& be ailovred to speak like that. The S.M. : . I am not taking any notice .; of the remark. (To Mr Hay) Uo on with' the case. Mr Hay : I ' didn't insinuate anything ' against the police. I believe them a nest of saints, despite recent scandals. After this little preliminary, JSpence get < going on his evidence, and testified that on the night m question he had only, three drinks. .He went to the Post Office v .about half-past ten to .get a tram, but .he dodged round into the convenience m the Triangle. White there he .heard a row outside, and soon after he had go&e over to see what was up he was arrested.

WHO GOT THE BJfIiSR -7 Spence told the court that when ar--, rested he had a bottle of beer m tois pocket. Mr Hay : I suppose the Sub-Inspector can ,tell the court if that is so or not. Sub-Inspector : I haven't the sheets fry me just now to show what was found on 1 accused. Mr Hay : Then probably somebody has got off with the beer. The Sub-Inspector again objected to counsel's charges against the police, but the matter was allowed to drop without Mr Hay coming by any damage. Evidence was given .by a number of people who were m the vicinity at the time, all of whom agreed that Spence was sober and orderly, and that it was a policeman m uniform who riled him. When Mr Hay had finished with Herbert. Hodge, a range-fitjier at Shacklock's, he made a bee-line for the horizon . out of the box, but was brought back to let the Sub-Inspector have a few words. The S-üb-lnspector : Why did you put out your tongue, as you got out of the box 7 Mr Hay : He didn't. Voice from counsel's table : He did. Mr Hay (to the S.M.) : There are some remarks being made from the back of the court. I don't think they should 'be allowed. The • witness was just smiling at the prospect of getting out. of the box. The S:M. said he didn't see the alleged ' tongue-poking and ordered the case to go on. After hearing all the evidence, the S.M. said that although he wasn't satisfied with the way some of the witnesses lor the defence gave their evidence, he didn't feel justified m presuming that they had come along with a pack :of lies. It was as unsatisfactory a case as he had ever dealt with. The charges against accused were very serious, amd, if there was any reasonable doubt, the accused should get the benefit ,of it. He would be discharged.