WALKER'S WOBBLE

NZ Truth, Issue 276, 8 October 1910, Page 5

WALKER'S WOBBLE

.DESCRIBED as DRUNKENNESS. A Napier Nark, % Poor Cripple— Shot m for "Safety" , — ife Ascribes the Real Reason — < Called a Constable a "John Hop" I — A Touchy Trap from Lon- . ;■ don Town — Moriarty's Mistake.

! Tilings m have been rather* hslow m the nobby town of Napier siace the record-breaking' performr ances put up by a piano-playing crank there a: month or so ago. There has been nothing more excit- , ing than the usual biiograph .tragedy for wectfs past. So it is not to te wondered at tftat "gre a t public interest" has been taken by -Vigor Brown's constituents m a charge of drunkenness prcferrei by the police against a mienxber of the local Working Men's Club named Arthur Edward Walker. \ A correspondent, sends "Truth" a verbatim report of the police court case, heard* before Ma: McCarthy, S.M. Mr Cresswell appeared, for Walker and, Inspector Dwyer for the police. While tlfe case ! is not of suffifcienti interest to the j majority of our readers to publish ! m 'detail, the facts may vbe boiled- ! down for the .purpose of showing how { "t'HK*,by," if nt>t- vindictive, a Lon- ! don copper can be when referred to las a John" Hop. Also Walker's promptness m obtaining a medical man to examiine Mm / at the lock-up when tp& chaJ'jre of drun^mress was laid against him supplies an » example of'liiow to proceed when | BOOBED W-RONOFULLY FOR ! BEING BOOZED. On the night of September 30, at \ .about 8 o'clock, the terrifying tones , of the nrebell r ang out an the evenIng zephyrs, awd startled tlie members of the Working Men's Club, the iove-maklng couples on the marine parade, the cabbies on the ranks, and the police on their beats. Arthur W.ilKer was at the club at the time, and sft-out to see where the cojxfiagn.tion was. Cabby , Paton came fowling along the street, and Walker stopped on the kerb and waved" a •stick towards John's horses'- heads. Paton pulled up, Walker said soime-!-.tilling and wofobled, and Paton came | "to the conclusion that Walker was I under the influence. In cross-examln--•ation, Patpn- admitted that Walker may have asked him where the fire was, but he did not heaar what was said. The cabby had John Waterbouse as a passenger, who also ..-thought .Wai leer was drunk ; he saw him staggering on the road. Apart from' the arresting constable, Waterhouse saidi he jhad not . spoken to anyone about the case. The arresting constable, by tho way, was a member of Wie London-M etropolitan Police Fore© b-ef-nre coming to Maori-j-laoifl, and wears the highly historic police foorce m-onniker of Mloriarty, I made famous m the good old days by the good old music-hall comedians with the tuneful ditty, "ARE YOU THERE/ MORI ARTY ?" He, too, was. m Paton's.;Ca)b s , and backed-up what the cabby and fais fare stated as to Walker's alleged state of woeful wobble, but adimit- | ted that Walker had shouted out j "'Yihere's the fire ?" when ne stop- ! ped the cab. lialf-an-hour later, whan the fire excitement had subsided, MoT-iarty saw Walker at the Post Office, and ran Mm m "for his own safety," he said. At the station, Walker sai'tl, "1 don't think I'm <j,uito j drunk enough to he locked up. Can il see Sergeant Cruickshsnk ?" Seri gearrt Cummln^s was called m. He smelt drink .on Walker, a.ml was satisfied from what Mioriarty had told him, and from what he saw, tJi&'t the locfctap twos the best place fox Waller. Constable Bird considered Walter was drunk when being tak-eo to the station, but when he saw him latter on there was a considerable change m Ms condition,, although he was locked up only about ten tio fifteen minutes before the doctor saw him. A friend of Walker's brought Dr. Henley. This practically was t?he case for the prosecution.. FOR THE DEFENCE, Dr. Henley stated that he examined Walter at tbe police . station to see If he were drunk". Walker seemed quite rational, and admitted having one drinfe. Walker walked up and down the passage c^uite easily, as a sober miari should do. He stood, pn one leg for some time, whilst he removed the tlondages from his bad leg. Considering Walker's injury he , thought he walked very well. He did not think; Walker was drunk and did not think he showed signs of having been dru<nk. Of course, it was., a matter of degree. Walker detailed-, the quality ana quantity of seven drinks — mostly lemonades and beers— he had during that day. He had b^en, out of employment for tihe last 21 months, through his : leg having been twice ; broken, and was still drawing iirsuriance for the accident. After the incident with tbe cajbby he returned .to the club,! where he was asked to have the "only drinks" he had that night. When near-, the Post Office h*j saw the constable, and remarked to a catfrjy, who was pulling ; off the stand to i "MIND THE JOHN HiOP," meaning: the oonstajble.- Morrar-ty ' then came up and said, "111 give you John Hop ; get inside.' 1 And he put Walker into a cab. He did not know the nature of the charge until he arrived at tine station. He was refused 'permission to bay* a doctor by two or more constables. Limbrick, later i on brought the doctor, and then the police allowed him to go. H. J. Holder, timber merchant; i John Dunlop, chief steward at the Working Men's Club ; T. D. Hobbs Jones, postal clerk ; W. Reading and W.. Howard, the caitiby who conveyed • Walker to the police station, one and ■ all testified to having seen Walker : sober "tlhat night amd to his usual , sobriety. I I n giving his decision, his Worship said that . whilst Walker admitted having bad Pi&ht drinks his wobbling , walk "was evidently • affected mjore . by Ms lameness than by liquor. Bearing m mind the evidence of • the reputable citizens whdm Walker had oalled and also the evidence of Dr. Henlpy, his Worship said he would not feel justified m convicting Walker. The case was dismissed.