LIVELY SCENE AT BELFAST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18012, 24 November 1926, Page 5

LIVELY SCENE AT BELFAST.

GUN POINTED AND STONES THROWN WHEN NEIGHBOURS QUARREL. “ IF YOU’RE ANYTHING A JVIAN COME AND SEE FATHER.”

On a laic: spring evening a Belfast feud came to a head and a story was told in the Magistrate’s Court to-day of stone-throwing* presenting a shotgun, assault and the use of bad language on the part ..of Ricihard Munday. The Munday family, and the Mumford family, of Blake’s Road, were at war and in the course of the evidence there were some choice pieces of language repeated. Both sides had a number of witnesses, but at the end the Magistrate said, that'he did not think the whole truth had been told. The charges against Munday were that on October 30 he unlawfully assaulted Lucy Mumford; that he unlawfully presented a gun at Kenneth J. Mumford; that he . used obsqene language in a public place, Road; and-that he threw’ stones to the danger of persons. Mr H. P. La wry, S.M., was on the Bench, Senior-Sergeant Martin prosecuted and Mr S. E- M’Carthy appeared for defendant, a plea of not guilty being entered in respect of each charge. .. -Senior-Sergeant Martin stated that on the evening of the alleged offences a girl Mumford was riding a bicycle past Munday’s house, with a sister being carried on the bar of the machine. Munday, the accused, came out of his\ place and stopped the girls oh the bicycle. One was caught by the accused and she fell off. The younger girl ran off to her parents’ place some chains away and after she had told what had happened a brother came along on a bicycle followed by the father of the Mumford family. The son, Kenneth Mumford, saw Munday and wanted to know the reason of the interference with his sister. Munday went inside and then came out with a double-barrelled gun and it was alleged that he presented it to the young man on the road, and also that he used bad language. It appeared that there had been a difference between the neighbours.

Kenneth Mumford, of said that on October 30, his sister came home and told him something which caused him to go to Munday’s gate. Witness was belted with stones. Defendant ran inside his own gate but continued stone-throwing. Then he went round the back and came out with a shot gun. “I’ll make a scatter,” he said and put the gun to his shoulder. A report was heard, but witness thought it sounded like a blank. Defendant used more bad language. He fired about twenty stones and witness was hit. To Mr M’Carthy, witness denied having used obscene language when he went to Munday’s. He put up his torch to defend himself. Witness said, “If you are anything like a man you’ll come out and have it out with my father.” Witness did not hear his father challenge defendant. Witness did not see any stones thrown on Munday’s roof after they had gone in. Two daughters of Mumford and Muinford senior gave evidence. Constable Moore, of Belfast, told of his inquiries. The defendant, in evidence, said that the girls had been throwing stones, and his wife had seep them. lie charged the girls with this when they passed him on tfce road and he told them that there would be a job for Constable • Moore. He did not touch the girl or knock her off the bicycle. Soon after this an angry mob of Mum*fords came down the road, and although he . told them to disperse they would not. Witness turned to his wife and said: “ This is no" good to me. I’ll get the gun.” He then came out again and told the Mumfords to go away or he would shoot them. The gun was not loaded and when the electric light shone on Jus face he smashed it. He had been invited before this to come out on the road to fight Mumford senior. The explosion described by the complaints must have been the sound of the btilb in the electric torch exploding. He heard the A’oice of Mumford senior saying: “ Sool him, boys.” Senior-Sergeant Martin: All this trouble arose over a few stones? No, there’s been a feeling for some time.. The Magistrate: You know that your wife had already stopped the stonethrowing. Munday’s wife Also gave evidence, She denied that her husband was hasty, and said actually that he was one in a thousand. Her husband had said, “ I can’t stand this any longer. I’m getting desperate. I’ll frighten them all away.” Mumford senior said “ Smash them up, boys; smash them up, boys.” Cross-examined, witness said that her husband said; “ I’ll shoot the d lot if you don’t get out.” A Munday boy of ten years gave support to the parents-’ side of the quarrel. On the assault charge Munday was convicted and discharged; for presenting a gun he was fined £2 and costs and ordered to pay witnesses’ expenses £2 14s; for using obscene language he was fined £3 and costs; and for stone throwing he was fined £1 and costs.