From the Dundee Courier, 23 September 1932:
“IRISH BARRISTER IN TROUBLE
CELEBRATED SCOTT CENTENARY IN DUNDEE
DISTURBANCE WITH TAXI DRIVER AND AT HOTEL
An Irish barrister, who was said to have celebrated the centenary of Sir Walter Scott too heartily, appeared at Dundee Police Court yesterday on two charges of breach of the peace.
Accused was wearing a Glengarry bonnet.
He was Michael O’Connor (55), 7 Crichton Street, Dundee, and he was charged with having on 16th of September in Nethergate ,and on the following day at the door of the hotel, 40 Roseangle, occupied by Mrs Hill, committed a breach of the peace.
Dealing with the first charge, Mr A Bell, the fiscal, said that accused hired a taxi from the Nethergate stance and was driven about the centre of the town, shopping. The driver was waiting for him in Nethergate when he returned with a shabbily dressed man. The driver refused to have this man as a passenger.
O’Connor thereupon created a disturbance and cursed and swore. A large crowd gathered.
The police were called, and O’Connor was apprehended.
In the second instance, Mrs Hill, the proprietrix of the hotel, stated that the accused engaged a room. There was some dispute about his bill, and he paid part of it, stating that he would return and pay the balance.
BRANDISHING STICK
He did so, though not on the date fixed. He arrived simultaneously with Mrs Hill. She hurried to get in first and accused followed brandishing his walking stick about his head.
The hotel people were put into a state of great fear and alarm
Mr John Ross, solicitor, on accused’s behalf, said it was unfortunate to see a man of the accused’s professional standing at the bar of the Police Court, pleading guilty to such charges as those.
It appeared from what he said that he was a great admirer of Sir Walter Scott and, hearing that the Centenary celebrations were coming off, he decided to attend them personally.
The unfortunate thing was that accused celebrated just too heartily.
‘The whole cause of the trouble,’ Mr Ross added, ‘is that he is an exuberant Irishman, and whisky, on the top of exuberant Irish spirits, is fatal.’
He came to Dundee over a week ago and put up first in the hotel and later in another in the centre of town.
This shabbily dressed man told him a tale of woe, with the result that accused gave him a drink and promised to take him home. The taxi driver did him a good turn by refusing to have this man in the car.
Accused had paid all his debts in the city. If anything, he had overpaid them. In view of all this Mr Ross suggested to Police Judge Carnegie that accused should be dismissed without a conviction being recorded
Police Judge Carnegie said it was gratifying to hear that an Irishman had such an interest in Scott. He did not know what liberties are allowed in the country to which O’Connor belonged.
As no one was the worse of his escapades, and as he was a stranger to the city, the magistrate said he was to take advantage of the section of the act and allow him to go.
‘I am not so sure that we would get the same consideration in your country,’ said Police Judge Carnegie as accused left the court.”
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