OLD MAN'S ARREST.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XL, Issue 9198, 8 January 1920, Page 6

OLD MAN'S ARREST.

ANGRY DEMONSTRATION

il'i-r Press AhSui-mtion.)

CHRrVTCIIURCH, January 7. Things looked very dangerous for a time last evening, when Constable ltos.*, of tlio Sydenham Force, was effecting tbo arrest oi an eldei'ly man on j. chart," of indecently assaulting chreo little, children, two i^irl.s and :i boy. The constable received a complaint shortly after 3 o'clock, and Jaimmediately went alone to the house, which was nt the corner of Kingsley and TJarliidoes stvocts, Sydueham, where tho «!d man lived, tty the time lie arrived, a fairly large crowd had collected of.tMdo the hoii'-e, composed mainly of women and children.

Up to this time the crowd had !>;>en qui:it and orderly. ConsLalue Hoss", wheu he went inside, found the old m;in it: a state of fear find trembling, but t/Uionvise calm enough, lie was proce-t^xing to question him a.bont the matte*; when an exciting diversion occurred.

Tho fai>t« t -r of one of the children had arrived homo from his work, and 1 on learning what had happened he do,glared tiiit, ho would "do for" tho old man. .^ rmed with a. heavy piece •of- timber, lie rushed off to the house jukl trii j.J 'a> enter. Meanwhile Constable Ro-..* had locked up the fx'Oiifc portion or :!io house, and was at the xear with Uic old man. The .father, folding hit. fiifcranco blocked, smashed in the- front door and practically ail ol the windows. Jlo was not .successInl in reaching the room occupied by (.lie cou&fcals-le and the prisoner, and satisfied himself with, issuing threnLs tha.t he 'vnyld kill the old man-

The 6rov/d outside had by tliis- time j;ro«n to nearly a hundred. It:'included ;>. disorderly element, and .several i>—- fights occurrod. Sides wcrp take;:, m.iho on behalf of the infuriated i'ii.hi/r and some in favour [of Lhe old Euuj, bill no one went to the assistance) '~i the constable, who was engaged iiu retaining his prisoner while :\i the &ar," timo keeping the crowd''at bay. ' ; " : .j. Things-, for Iced vory ugly for rt time. After a while a section of the crowd held tho t.ither back,' while others telephones the Central Police Station ior iWjt-i-taiicc. ;

Two con cables were despatched from Christchi:;i h, and when they arrived they had co force their way through the crov.-if in order to get inside the house*. At u*r much difficulty the prisoner v\*s taken out and brought up to the- vity. Two of the constables had then (••) remain behind in order to quieten the crowd, which was then in a 7nost o-o.^ed f-tate.

Tlie ««ufculjl<» a'ld his prisoner were in the hoi;.-1-' for over an hour and a half. Tli& crowd waa so hostile that it wonld b'wi* been a-difficult matter for th'eiu to not safely away.