FULL INQUIRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 234, 2 October 1937, Page 11

FULL INQUIRY.

CONSTABLES ERROR. MINISTER GIVES ORDER. , i VICTIM NOW RECOVERED. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The Minister in Charge of the Police Department, the Hon. P. Ffaser, has ordered an immediate and full inquiry into the circumstances in which Mr. F. Hickinbottom was seized by a constable on Tuesday night and held for breaking into his own shop, despite the efforts of a number of people to convince the constable that the man he had arrested was the owner of the shop.

Mr. Hickinbottom sent the following telegram to Mr. E. J. Howard, M.P:— "Please demand on my behalf full public inquiry into assault and slander on me in my shop by constable. See Wednesday's 'Star-Sun' for details. F. Hickinbottom." As Mr. Hickinbottom'* home is in Christcliurch East, his telegram was handed on by Mr. Howard to the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, member for that constituency. The result was the arrival of two telegrams. They were:— "Mr. Howard, M.P., has handed me your telegram concerned recent unfortunate incident, and as matter is one for Police Department I am approaching Hon. P. Fraser, Minister in Charge, with request that he arrange for matter to be fully inquired into. Beet wishes. H. T. Armstrong." "You are right. A startling piece of news. Minister has ordered immediate and full investigation. E, J. Howard." Mr. Hickinbottom i;s now much recovered from the effects of his rough and tumble with the constable. The Superintendent of Police in C'hristchurch (Mr. A. Cameron) had no further statement to make beyond the fact that an investigation of the incident had been made. He declined to give the name of the constable concerned.