GERMANS QUARREL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14572, 6 April 1918, Page 7

GERMANS QUARREL.

■ » . THE MOTUTHI AFFA'ltf. (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND, last night. A German- civilian named Fritz Schmallkuche, interned on Motuihi Island, was charged at the Police Court before Mr Fraser. S.M., with assaulting another German, Franz Albin Volkmer, as to cause actual bodily harm. The ■evidence showed that the trouble : arose through an alleged -statement of I complainant to one of the guard, that j the men in C barracks ;\vere no good, I nnd that the cadets were .specially marked out. Volkmer was then accused of having more sympathy with the British than with the Germans. He denied this, and as an outcome of further quarrelling, accused struck him. fracturing j his jaw. '. A ' ' Accused' admitted the blow, but said tbe^ fracture was accidental. The Magistrate (to complainant) : Have tliey been calling you a Socialist jiind that sort of thing ? "Witness (smiling) : I knuw I am a Socialist. And have they : been pitching into you'/ — Tliere has been some discussion, but they never told me an Ytliing about it. . • . ' Schmallkuche in answer to a question on this, said "T don't remember calling him it, but he is a Socialist and an I. W.W. man." „,.. The.. Chief-Detective remarked that some of the men had apparently been making general statements at , the meal tabje intended to apply to Volkmer, Schmallkuche added that he and others had been annoyed because Volkmer used to talk about German soldiers "having tho courage to desert," and used to rejoice over ne\Vs iu the paper about strikes in Germany. Volkmer replied that had not shown any jov, but had argued with some of the other men that the strikes (were political, and that they could not ex- ' pect everything to go smoothly in Germany. Accused, who claimed to ibe a military prijsonor, pleaded not guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial, bail being allowed in the. nominal sum of £10, tlie. bondsman, to be a military officer. This course was adopted in order to permit accused being returned to Motuihi.- The military, however, declined, and accused was com- 1 niitted to Mount Eden gapl.