TROUBLE AT ADDINGTON.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 511, 29 September 1915, Page 5

TROUBLE AT ADDINGTON.

CITY COUNCILLOR'S ADVENTURE. AN ASSAULT CASE. A case was heard at the Magistrate's Court this morning, before Mr T. A. Bailey, S.M., in which a city councillor figured when a young fellow named John Morrisey (Mr Cassidy) was charged that on September 3, at Addington, he assaulted Jas. McCullough by striking him with his clenched fist.

James McCullough, a painter, living in Harman Street, Addington, and a city councillor, said that on the night of the 3rd inst., at about 11.30 p.m., he was in bed reading a book when he heard someone at his gate calling "Jim, Jim!" He then heard someone running round the house, and falling over the steps. He went to the front door and opened it, and saw three men cross from his gate to the other side of the road. He would not swear to the accused being one of the men. He went in and dressed, and after going right round the house he went to the gate and saw the three men on the opposite side of the road. He asked them who, had chased a man through his place. The biggest man of the three! asked him who he was insulting. He j noticed the smell of drink on them, and as they were inclined to be "rusty," he left them and went to his 'own side of the road. A short distance away he noticed a number of small boys, and he went up to them, and they told him that the men on the other side of the road had chased a man through his place. The three men then crossed over to him, and one said to him: "Put that stick down." He asked what for, and the man lunged at him, and knocked him over the gutter. Then he got up and the man struck him on the face, and he fell again and injured his elbow.

To Mr Gassidy: He came out of the house with a stick in his hand with the intention of using it if he was assaulted. He could not say that accused was the man who struck him. Constable Dunlop said he had made enquiries into the case and accused had come to him and admitted to him that he had assaulted McCullough, but said the latter had struck "him first with a-stick.

Mr Cassidy said the defence was as set forth by Constable Dunlop —that McCullough had struck" first. Morrisey, a builder's machinist, said that on the night in question he and two friends had been coming back from town. A man had been chased from a dance hall in Addington and he followed .him up. When Mr McCullough was talking to the boys witness crossed over to the other side and McCullough, who was swinging his stick, caught him a severe blow on the arm. Witness retaliated and then McCullough hit him five or six times and he was lucky not to get laid out. McCullough was very excited! To the Senior Sergeant: He had not started the row at the dance hall although he had been struck there. He had previously been before tlie court for obstructing the police.

Joseph Sloaji, of the Addington workshops; 'Joseph Wolseley, bike mechanic; Wm. Barkwith, confectioner's assistant; and Alfred Mehrtens, Jeadlighter, gave evidence. His Worship said that the view took of the case was that Morrisey went over to see what was going on, and he got hit with the stick, but purely accidentally. He did not think Mr McCullough knew he hit him at all. Then th.e conversation took place about putting down the stick. Morrisey would be convicted of the assault. He had been given a certain amount of provocation, but not sufficient. He would be fined 20/- and costs.