MAORI AND PAKEHA FIGHT ON STREET.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18092, 28 February 1927, Page 6

MAORI AND PAKEHA FIGHT ON STREET.

BOUT STAGED OUTSIDE CASHEL STREET HOTEL. There was a merry mill between a Maori and a pakeha outside a Cashel Street hotel on Saturday, till a constable intervened. This morning the participants were called on to explain their actions to Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M. The men, Hillard Tau, aged twentyeight, and George Clark, aged thirtytwo, pleaded not guilty to charges of fighting in Cashel Street. Mr Thomas appeared for Clark. The evidence of the constable who arrested the men was that at 3.25 p.m. on Saturday, seeing a crowd in front of an hotel in Cashel Street, he went down to see what the trouble was. He found two men fighting. He saw Tau knock Clark down, and after that they went into each other. Tau had his coat off. Mr Thomas said that Clark and a friend went into the hotel to have a drink. They found the Maori and two friends in there drinking. Tau became obnoxious, taking his coat off and sparring up to Clark. Tau was not so bad as one of his companions, who kept urging him to fight. Clark went out, not wanting trouble, and Tau followed him outside, sparring round him. Only at the very last did Clark, to defend himself, fight. Tau was the aggressor all through. James Rose, a slater, who saw the affair, said that he saw Clark standing on the edge of the footpath, with Tau sparring round him. Clark's hands were down. Another Maori was making a great deal of noise. “ This man interfered with us,” said Tau. “ I told him to get away, but he wouldn’t shift. He wanted to fight us. He first hit me—or made the attempt. That’s how he started it. To Mr Thomas: Yes, 1 put my hands up first. When we were out on the footpath we were both looking for fight. I took my coat off after the first hit.” To Sub-Inspector Mathew: In the hotel Clark came interrupting us, and pushed me away. The Magistrate: Clark technically fought on the street. lie is convicted and discharged. The Maori is fined