WOMEN'S WAR—CUP v, PLATE

NZ Truth, Issue 1031, 29 August 1925, Page 6

WOMEN'S WAR—CUP v, PLATE

Is Attack the Best Defence?

Alicq Goldsmith and Olive Violet Lempricre are sisters-in-law, and ■had a quarrel m the kitchen of the latter's moilicr, Mrs Ann ":. Baldwin. It is alleged that' Olive had said or implied that ■-Alice was. a liar.-,/' Whether that is so or not, it seems to be , .cj^Lutc clear that' Alice, by her own admission, took up a cup, 'btitijOlive got In ih-st with a plate, which thrown diseus-liko, fflacleia sad 'mess of Alice's cranium. Magistrate Poyntou :• ..■ Svas appealeil -to. ' "■'....:';'. '.-. . ,

Olive Violet. Xiempriere. was charged with assaulting , Alice . Goldsmith so as to clo .actual ■bodily,, iiarm:;; . .Sergeant ColAvell, for. the police;, had the charge reduced to one of common assault.'

Complainant, Alice Goldsmith, depoSed that she. arid defendant were m the. kitchen of the liouse .of defendant's \ mother, when a.,, dispute arose. .Defendant -..said \ ; i something about witness .being. -joi' liar,' and 'witness at once objected, and ;got hold of a cup. .Thereupon the accused ' grabtyed/'a plate and at once. projected it.

.The bullet found . its i billet, and, as a medical man- deposed.'vVopened up complainant's head from- the; hair' line to. the middle of the .'noise -with, a nasty gash. Sixteen- s"titqhes. had to be put m to repair the rent m. Alice's

fair countenance

Evidence Avas giyen by .Mrs. Baldwin, mother of defendant and mother-iii-laAV of ■complainant, the story of the victim o"f the crockery a"ttack. . v JDpfendaii,t j.ha.dv.at . .on'cb rendered, first.aid toiler |inipotent adversary. The daughter' (witness; thought)

reckoned she was 'to be the target for, the cup Avhen she shied the soup receptacle.

Constable Bishop said he interviewed defendant. She said her sister-in-law had beeiv saying things about her which were not true. .„ .She said to her. "Oh, Alice, '.you are' a. liar." Thereupon Alice grabbed a cup, and, assuming a threatening attitude, said: "I'll smash your brains m." There was a nasty look m Alice's blue optics, and, acting instantly, defendant rendered the contemplated attack harmless by launching her offensive m the shape of the plate which was so well aimed. . . ' .

Defendant from the box said she did not intend to hit her sister-in-law. She threw the plate. with the view of crashing the cup m mid air.

'The S.M. told the fair defendant ■that she must learn to suppress her tamper. There ■ was no doubt that complainant was shielding her sister-in-law, but the S.M. advised defendant that such acts were liable to get her into serious bother. ' He ordered defendant to pay £4 Us costs.