PORTOBELLO SHOW CASE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3015, 27 December 1911, Page 22

PORTOBELLO SHOW CASE.

RESIDENT CHARGED WITH DRUNKENNESS. A good deal of time wa<s taken up at tha Port Chalmers Police Court on Friday, morning over the adjourned oases relating to the arrest of William Cowan, for being drunk whilst in charge of a horse at Portobello on Saturday last. Arising out of the same cases were charges against John and William Jury for having assisted Cowan to resist arrest, and another, against William Watson for inciting to resist. Messrs D. A. De Maus and E. Godfred were the presiding justices. Mr Irwin appeared for Cowan and the Jury brothers, and Mr Platte for Watson. Cowan pleaded " Not guidty." In stating the case for the police, Sergeant; Dougan said accused was ejected trom the show ground en December 16 by the police at the request of the officials, in consequence of his having abused one of the judges. Constable Weir stated that on December 16 he arrested Cowan for being drunk. He had been insulting the judges, and was ejected from the grounds. When told to go home he threatened to fight both constables. His wife and two men named Jury promised to take him home, but having" failed to do so, Cowan was arrested. The brothers Jury and Mrs Cowan then tried to prevent Constables Almond and Weir from taking their prisoner to the lock-up. Mr Irwin contended that Cowan's friends were trying to take Cowan home when the police tried to arrest him, and said that Cowan was not drunk at all, and would have gone home if left alone. Constable Weir' said the Jury brothers and Mrs Cowan failed to take him away when first asked to do so. As he failed to go away home and became noisy he arrested him. Constable Almond said Cowan was induced to leave the hotel, and after being put upon Ids horse, a young man led the horse away, with Cowan swaying about in the saddij About 10 minutes later he oame back, and got abusive. The police gave him several chances to go home, but he seemed to get worse. David D. Seaton said he was a class steward at the show. Cowan seemed annoved because one of his horses did not get first prize, and did not bring his entries into the ring. Late.r on Cowan seemed very excited, but he did not know if he was drunk. He knew he had a few drinks. Samuel Millar said he ordered Cowan[s removal from the ground, because of his disorderly conduct, which seemed to bo due to drink. Ho was making insulting remarks to the judge. To Mr Irwin: From Cowan's general manner he concluded he was drunk at 4 p.m. He might have been able to remove his horses from the ground. This closed the case for the police. Mr Irwin said the real cause of the trouble was a dispute with a judge. Cowan said after his arrest that he had taken no dirink after 4 p.m. If the man was drunk when he was being taken away on his horse the first time ho should have been arrested then. Instead of that, the* waited until he returned and offered to fight them. The Jury brothers had only done what was right in trying to take Cowan away. At this stage it transpired that Watson, Who had got mixed up in the disturbance, had urged Mrs Cowan to take her husband away .home whilst he was in the hands of the police. The Bench took a lenient view of his action, and dismissed him with a sharp caution. William Cowan, the accused, said he had been an exhibitor at Portobello shows for 20 years. He was quite sober, and only got excited after he had been ejected from the ground. At 4 p.m. he took his horses away, but had no liquor after that time.— Cross-examined by Sergeant Dougan, he admitted being mixed up in a disturbance about two years ago, also to having a number of drinks during the day. He was ejected at 4 p in., and was not arrested after 6 p.m. Could give no reason for being .ordered home by the constable. When pressed by the sergeant, Cowan admitted having a keg of beer in his cart, from which he had a cupful. The keg had also been refilled without his knowledge. He owned to having seven drinks during the day, but persisted in his assertion that he was not drunk. Thomas Morris said he saw Cowan after 6 p.m. riding with John Jury on horseback. Witness went into the hotel, and Cowan remained outside. He was quit© fit to do business with witness. Robert H. Barnes 6aid Cowan was flurried, but not drunk, when he spoke to him shortly before his arrest. He was quite able to take care of his horses. Joseph Black said Cowan was not drunk when he saw him about 6 p.m. He saw someone trying to take Cowan off his horse.—Thomas Fleming gave corroborative evidence—Gordon Donaldson sav: accused in the evening, when he seemed to be quits able to take care of himself. Samuel Leith, licensee of the Portobello Hotel, said Cowan had no liquor in his house afteir the show. He was very excited, but would have been served had" he asked for it. Witness advised accused not to have any drink, and was surprised to hear later that he had been arrested for being drunk. . . Mr De Maus: The Bench is of opinion that the police do not arrest people for nothing, but owing to the weight of evidence for the defence, the case will be dismissed. The charges against the Jury brothers were not x>rocecded with.