A FREE FIGHT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6016, 26 August 1887, Page 3

A FREE FIGHT.

Proceedings at the R.M. Court.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, before J.Anderson andT. Acland, Esqs., two men named William Bell and Thomas Rushin were charged with creating a disturbance in Sfc Asaph street. The last-named appeared in Court with his eyes terribly swollen and blackened. He had evidently been in the thick of a very free fight. It was only yesterday that Rushin was bound over to keep the peace for challenging a man named Taylor to fight, even going so far on that occasion, according to the complainant, as to offer the other man his watch if he would only fight. Not many hours after leaving the Court, he was arrested on the present charge. It appeared that last evening, about five, a large crowd was attracted near the Caverahata Hotel by four or five men, who were indulging in a free fight. A man named Hurcomb was delivering blows right and left m a most professional style. The combatants retired at times to the cattle trough, which was i near at hand, to wash their bloodbesmeared hands an& faces, and then came !

"up to scratch" again. The police arrived just after the prime movers of the row had escaped. The two accused, however, after this first light was over, had a eet-to between themselves, and were duly arrested by Sergeant Lewis. Bushin said there was no animosity between them, and he did not know why Bell had kicked him, except that he was drunk and did not know what he was doing. He had no better friend in the world than Bell. The Bench inflicted a fine of 40s, in each case, or in default fourteen dajs.