LOOKED FOR QUARREL

NZ Truth, Issue 1253, 5 December 1929, Page 9

LOOKED FOR QUARREL

"Pot Valiants "Met Trouble

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Auckland Rep.) ANNOYED by rumors about their ■** characters, allegedly emanating from Henry Howard Josephs and passed on to them by their girl friends, two brothers, James and Samuel Mills, youthful quarrymen, determined to interrogate their alleged slanderer forthwith and hied themselves to his home m Taylor Road, Mt. Albert. What happened at the Josephs' house led to the appearance of the brothers at the Magistrate's Court on a charge of being found unlawfully on enclosed premises. Samuel was also accused of assaulting their involuntary host. Josephs, a well-built man of middleage, said he knew James Mills, the younger of the brothers, having worked m the same quarry. On the evening of the brothers' visit, he went to bed early, having strained his back during the day. About 9 p.m. he heard a knock at the door and answering it, found the two Mills on the verandah. They asked him outside for a discussion, but he refused to go and one of them said to him: "What have you been saying about my brother?" He turned back to the hall passage, intending to ask them into the front room and received a blow which caused him to trip and fall. The blow was given by Samuel, who then jumped on him and hit him twice. James Mills said their visit was due to what their prirl friends told them' Josephs had said about their characters. When they knocked at the door, Josephs was asked what he had been saying about them."He replied: 'Don't come here to talk about your characters'," said James, "and Sam said: 'You're no gentleman'," and turned away. Apparently . Samuel has lost the sight of one eye, and according to both th'e •'brothers, he had his blind side towards Josenhs who promptly struck him, with sufficient force". to knock him on to the floor of the verandah. James said he took no part m the struggle. Both denied firmly they were ever m the house until they were invited into the front room after the struggle. "I shall not convict them of being unlawfully on the premises," said the magistrate, "but on the evidence before me, they are both convicted of assault. They are fined £5 each, £1 from each fine to go to Josephs. They were both pot-valiant arid deliberately went there together to pick a quarrel."