RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXI, Issue 6366, 30 March 1889, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Before Mr. H. W. Korthcroft, R.M, Samuel Quadri was charged with disturbing a meeting of the Salvation " Army at tho barracks, Pollen Street, on Tuesday 12th inst. Sergt. Murphy conducted the prosecution, and Mr Purchas appeared for tho defendant. , James Harlow, Captain in the " Ansy, deposed that on' the night in question a Lieutenant wiw on the platform singing a so o when Quadri began to call out '• dry ur,"" enough of that," Hallelujah glory * etc. He kept ou repeating these things. Plaintiff said •« steady lad that is enough." and by thin time the meeting was all in confusion, but Qaudri repeated the inter riipiions in a verv loud voice. As by this time Ihe meeting whb ulmosl broken up, Harlow descended from the platform and requested him ro go out. Upon his retusal to do so Harlow threatened to send for a policeuuiu. whereupon defendaut said he would not leave no matter win was sent for. Plaintiff then laid b» hand on his arm lo push him out, but he resisted violently. He. was, however, pushed outside. Two days utter dtfendunt sought an interview with 1:1 m, and apologised, but lie refused to accept an apologv. Quadri thoo begged him to make matters as light as possible, and plaintiff promised lo do so on coudition thin he pleaded guilty. He met Quadri again yesterday and asked him if Mr Purchas was to be employed for the defence. Defendant replied in tka negative, and taid that Mr Purchas was engaged to speak lo his character, aud in mitigation of penalty. By Sergeant Murphy : Defendant was or appeared to bo sober at the time. He knew what ho was doing.

By Mr Purolms: Tho meeting was disturbed by defendant. Exclamations such a8"Glory,"" Hallelujah" tiro frequentlymade by members ot the" Army " varyiug in deareßS of loudness as they are uroaipted by feelings. Q'ladri used precisely the simie expressions as are used by the" Army," but the ejaculations of tin "soldiers" could easily be distinguished by tho peculiar hollow tones in which they wero uttered, (laughter), besides "soldiers" mado responses when there was a reason for them, but Quadri made them indiscriminately out of time and tune, Plaintiff did not threaten if defendant took a lawyer to press the case with undno vigour against him. Plaintiff acknowledged saying to the bandmaster, and Mr Reddish that the young man ought to bo made an example of. The song being sung at the lime of the disturbance was a Scotch one, but not

such as would excito ridiculo. The Lieutenant sang with a good strong Scotch accout, but that was no excuso for the interruption, Charles Reddish, a fisherman, aud iiiemberof the Army gave evidence corroborating llie statement of tho Captain. In reply to Mr Purchas ho said ho had no talk with

the Captain about the matter until that morning. Defendant iutorviewed him, ami asked him to intorcedo on \\h behalf. He denied that he advised Quadri to ilnd out tho Justices who wore to hear the case and bespeak their leniency. Nor did he say that if Mr Allom heard the case ho would be all right, because that justice had a down on the "Army." William Ilerival, u miner, and W; G. Rowe, both members of the " Ariny " gave evidouco precisely on the same lines as tho previous witnesses. The laltor witness in reply' to Mr Purchas said, ha thought: the Scdttlivascent rather peculiar, and someto rou6o the risibility of an" iiiidienco not accustomed to it. This closed llio case for tho prosecution.

Dofehdant made a statement to tho effect ihn't Mip'f- raado use of the common ejaculations >iiiipn ted to him such as "Glory, Hallelujah," &c, but not of the others. This, however, wus not intended as a mark of disrespect to tho "Army." Before he knew where he was tl|« Captain look hold

of him and'expelled him from the building. Whoa.:he went to the Captain sometime after he, told defendant he would call no witnesses, and so make matters easy for him, on condition however that ho should plead guilty. Thomas' Smith find Alf. Adlam. gave evidence'to show that Quadii was not i drunk ut'tlie time, and that the dintiirbance was caused.by the over hasty action of the Captain, The same defewlaut was charged with an assault upon Oaptrin llarlon by striking hidi with his clenched fist in the face on ihe night he wat ejeded from the Barracks. Plaintiff, C. Reddish, W. -'remdalh, W, llowe, and; D. Wilson, e;ave evidence in

support of the charge, while Smith and Adlam gave evidence in support of defendant,

The Bench after severely adt:: ;:!»hing the accused, fined him £3 on the first charge aud £1 3s costs, and on the second £3 and £2 lis costs, or io default two months imprisonment With hard labour.