ROSSITER'S RAZZLE.

NZ Truth, Issue 326, 23 September 1911, Page 5

ROSSITER'S RAZZLE.

„. PAWNBROKER AND THE POLICE. Confission Coiiceoiiiig,,a Charge. The Liliies' Case Re-called — The Suppress Again — "Truth* Tells the Tale—The Magistrate's Remarks—" Druink," but not "Disorderly "—"No Gollasion," says the Sub-In-spector — A Satisfactory Explanation -r- Clerk of Court Cleared-^ A Connection and a Coinci-dence—-Save Me^ from My Friends." ,

Dunedin is the latest centre fit the Dominion to provide material for an investigation into ; the manner m which the police perform their " official duties. The Royal Commission of Inquiry elicited: much that was discreditable to the, administration of the Police Force, and later on "a mistake of the heart," of In-, spector Gillies, of Christchurch, • i showed what is possible. 'In view, ''"; therefore, of. the tangle at Christchurch, and the subsequent developments, one would think that care, extraordinary care and circumspect caution would be adopted by any responsible police officer, m dealing, with official records and documents. Now something has transpired at ■ . Dunedin, and "TRUTH" DECLINES TO BE ■■■ silent; on the matter, and makes no apology to anybody for exposing what, if it was not a little misunderstanding, was a mighty big . mistake on the part of somebody or. "other. '•" "; ■_../.■ N ," The matter m question happened over a case of drunkenness and disorderly conduct, which was preferred against a well known citizen of Dunedin, j and the manner 7 m; "which the' whole affair was hushed up, and the dastardly method by which the local daily news rags suppressed • the name of the party concerned, is characteristic of the so-callel . respectable, press. W On Friday, September. S^ last, , a; well-known, popular , pawnbroker, : called Walter Gabriel' Rossiter, who; runs a three-ball "foxmdry" m George-street, Dunedin, was aroused :at the early 'hour- of S a.m. by Constable Johnston, who was -wearing put the footpath oh his nightly round. The constable noticed . a' light m the shent per shent . emporium and gave ah enthusiastic bang on his door. Quoth the con■stable - ' f Are you m Rossiter '■?!'■ and then things happened. -■■;"'• Walter objected to large dents being made m the door of the ancestral mansion, and he/therefore, stepped; out on to the footpath and b-aid so,; j with much vehemence to the unsusIpecting officer. In tho ' ; meantime- ! Johnston was joined by a "brand ne^ j policeman, one Jones, hailing , from ii the peaceful, righteous city ofAuckland. ■■■"■;.:'■; '.-,..■ ;.; ;;■;./•• .-•;' .;-,-■'-.■. '" ; %:: .: ■.,;;: ' 'Walter' had been . seeing, a few friends m the earlier part of tho evening, and must have had one or two soda waters straight,, as he , -MOVEI3 A MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCEI". ";■• m the police, and' proceeded to "rub it m/ ' ,'. - . ' . ■ '■ ■ ••■■'. The officers ..attentively listened . to Mr Rossiter's arguments m support of his .motion, but), as Mr "Rossiter put his foot (m fact both feet) through, the - Standing Orders m quit© a number of places, the constables adjourned the debate .and took him for a nice quiet ; stroll, the terminating point of which was the -'lockup" m High-street. There Mr Rps-r siter was told that the 'Ouse had adjourned, and that there was a nice little bedroom ! m the back passage which he" could have \for nothing. ' '■ So pressing was-' the invitation thatl ?Mr Rossiter aeceptiod for quite a few hours, and' then he ;. suddenly remembered an engagement, and left, >after leaving his card and a . lew, odd shillings. , Right here, however ' is where the peculiar police practices come m.. When Mr Rossiter retired to his virtuous couch, he took with him a polite invitation to. meet the S.M.| on the same morning to explain the' fact .'. that "iveing, drunk he was I guilty of disorderly behavior m a! public place, to wit, George-street, Dunedin, on September ''&." Rossiter duly did not appear, but was represented by Lawyer Hay, of the ' firm of Solomon,' Gascoygne and Hay. - Lawyer Hay : asked • for an adjournI ment until the following Monday. The S.M. (Mr Bartholomew) granted the adjournment. lii the Grandmotherly -'Tunes'", and Cohen's ".'Star" no mention was ihade of Rossiter'ti- name. "Truth's" reporter • bought no less then ten copies of Cohen's "Star" . and m each one of them .} .Rossiter's ■ name was, m. the report of the case, represented by a blot. The "Grandmother" didn't even cause R- splash lin the leads— it left the name sej verely out. .:, ! Now, just here "Truth" would ; draw,' attention -to the fact that- ! some time ago two unfortunate let-ter-carriers were up before the court' m connection, with a drunken brawl m the Arcade, but -neither Cohen's ' 'Star nor the Grandmother j "Times" suppressed their names, al- j though the case against them was j dismissed. .They, were presented with j jthe ancient and honorable insignia ■ of ."the sack m ■:onsequ e nce of the ' publication of the case. I On. the following Monday morning ROSSITER'S CASE WAS DULY ; ■;•'; CALLED i before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M. \ louring: the : interregnum' between j tho Friday and the Monday, how- ! ever, the chai-ge -sheet had under- jgone a most remarkable' change. jWhen Walter Gabriel Rossiter was .' called on the Monday 'morning, the j only charge against him was "On; the Sth September lie was found .; drunk m a public place, ' to wit : : .George-street;"- .' | Lawyer Hay, for Walter, pleaded jguilty. ..'.., ]; Now, the reduction of the charge. j without the consent of tho S.M. „-- was, to say the least oi 'it. 'a most j flagrant breo.ch of court etiquette, 'and a most 'unjustifiable proceeding. [ Evidently this iuct must have . l-gradually ' dawned upon tho police ' authorities, as a special sitting of | the court was ordered for 2 p.m. ]

on the same day, and Sub-Inspector, Cruickshanks brought forward the police explanations. The genial Sub. explained that tho , facts' - of . the '- case did not justify a charge of 'disorderly conduct. He had forgotten, about the first charge when the case came before the -court m the morning. Lawyer r Hay reckoned that Rossiter wouldn't ; have pleaded guilty to the disorderly charge anyway. The police, on inquiry and: m looking into the reports, had decided to enter ah ordinary charge of. drunken-, ness. ' •'.,-' ■ / ••,,'■■" Then the S.M:, Mr Bartholomew, addressed a few remarks to Mr Hay and the Sub-Inspector. He - said the position was plain so far as the court was concerned,. The police had no right to 'alter.the charge as entered iii the watchhouse book! The charge could not be without the consent, of the court. If the circumstances were such as not to justify the police m not going on with the disorderly charge, it was the duty of the police to explain,- them. On this occasion he. accepted the explanation of th c Sub-Inspector, but* there was a matter of ■ principle involved. The other charge should ' have come before the court m the ordinary way and have beeh disposed of before the charge of drunkenness was laid. r . Sub-Inspector Cruickshanks said thatl when the. case was remanded h 0 thought that the Clerk of the Court ought to have read it out. The charge was reduced so as not to enter , another charge m the charge book, and the watch-house keeper was directed to ." ; SCRATCH OUT "DISORDERLY ."'." CONDUCT " and substitute a-, charge of drunk-" ehness. The other watch-house keeper who made out the sheet that morning forgot to add the other charge. ' ">' Clerk of the Court Miller pointed out to the Sub. thai, the practice was. to copy the charges from the . charge sheet into the criminal record book, and that, therefore, the sheet ■m this case had be e i> faiths fully copied. '■':'•'." : The S.M. forcibly agreed that thi>. fault- did hot lie, with Mr Miller at, all iii the case. It was purely > a police- matter. The' Clerk of the >Co.urt could not be expected to carry the, ■• contents of the criminal ■record' book m his head.' '. . Sub-Inspector Cruickshanks said that there was ho ■ 'collusion as'fa. 1, ■ as he was concerned, lie had never seen Rossiter or his solicitor. The S.M. reckoned that the mistake had ;bccurred m the" Police Station,, and that he would, accept tho Sub's, explanation as satisfactory. The disorderly charge "would be withdrawn., Rossiter was then fined 5a for simple swank. As far as the police aro concerned, however! "Truth" reckons they have no heed to be unduly proud over the matter at all. In the first place, ■the reduction of the charge of ''disorderly behavior" was an admission that one, if not two, constables did not know their, duty. 11l th c second place, the ! method, adopted was -clumsy m the ... extreme, and. more likely to focus <the light of public opinion, on it than to escape it., Also the attempt to , FASTEN THE FAULT ON MR MILLER was- very. -unfair-, 'and Mi- Bartholomew is -.to "he ''commended for promptly squashing it;./..: The.-..; police;, had no earthly right to- altei- that charge sheet, once the I charges had been laid, without the | consent of the -court, and surely the [powers that be. down m the Station, have been long enough m the service 'to know that fact. "Truth" didn't expect auy thing else from the dailies thai, concealment. Fortunately- this concealment is not going to have, any success this time, and "Truth," m the interests of public opinion, asks that the public be supplied with 'a, good and satisfactory explanation of those peculiar police practices. 1 The action of the police and the Dunedin dailies seems to have too much of -a connection about it to be ■a coincidence, arid seems to" point out,' with a dirty forefinger, the old Tory 'maxim that there is one law for the rich, .and another for the party : - with- irregular meals and one suit of clothes. " Poor Walter Gabriel J.iossiter, whert all is rfaid. and don c m the matter* can say with all sincerity, "Lord save m© from my friends" Clearly; they have made t>. mess o£ things this time , anyway.