BENCH & BAR

Grey River Argus, 14 October 1941, Page 5

BENCH & BAR

Warm Tributes PAID TO DEAD POLICE AND CIVILIANS

Prior to the commencement of yesterday’s sitting of the Magistrate s Court at Greymouth, the Magistrate (Mr G. G. Chisholm, S.M.), members of the Westland Law Society and the Police Force, stood as tributes were paid to the late Sergeant W. Cooper, Constables P. C. Tulloch, F.W. Jordan and E. M. Best, and Messrs R. J M. Coulson and G. G. T. Hutchison, all of whom have lost their lives at Koiterangi. Members of the Law Society present were Messrs F. A. Kitchingham, C. R. McGinley W. D. Taylor, A. M. Jamieson and E. B. e. Taylor, whilst Senior Sergeant G. r • Bo'nisch, Constables A. Honey (Ahaura) and W. Roughan represented the police. Also present were Traffic Inspectors H. Lane and A. E. Sl °As this is the first sitting of the Court in the district since the Koiterangi tragedy, and I will not be in Hokitika until the end of the month, I think it is proper to express our sympathy to-day,” said Mr Chisholm. “The tragic events which have taken place, involving the deaths of Ser geant Cooper, Constables Tulloch, Jordan and Best, and Messrs Coulson and Hutchison came as a great shock to all of us. The police officer I had been personally .associated with. Sergeant Cooper during the time fie was in Greymouth and again in Hokitika. Constables. Jordan Tulloch and Best I knew intimately in the course of their duties, andthey. were officers whom I held in the highes. regard. These tragic events bring home to us the risks attending ,h--service of the police to the community, and help us to fully appreciate the risks they undertake in their duties. . , .. “To their relatives, and those or Messrs Hutchison and Coulson, who lost their lives in assisting the police, I extend the Court’s deepest sympathy. I include also sympathy to Mr Ridley, who was wounded, and express the* hope that his recovery will be speedy and complete, and that those engaged in a difficult a trying task will bring it to a speedy and successful conclusion.”

Mr Kitchingham’s Tribute

Mr Kitchingham said that the Bar wished to pay tribute to the men of the Police Force who had lost their lives in the execution of their duty, and to the Home Guardsmen who. had answered the call and had fallen in their self-imposed duty. Not all of the policemen who had died were known to the Greymouth legal practitioners, but some they knew- well. “We know that they possessed that wide sympathy and Kindness so otten characterised by the men of the Police Force who deal all the time with the flotsam and jetsam of humanity,” said Mr Kitchingham. With the Magistrate, he said, they desired to extend their sympathy to the relatives of the deceased, and their wishes for Mr Ridley’s recovery. “It is a true saying,” concluded Mr Kitchingham, “that-the path &l duty leads to the grave.” Later, the Magistrate, with Mr F. Bird (Clerk of the Court), and members of the Police Force left for Hokitika to attend Constable Best’s funeral. ASHBURTON FUNERAL ASHBURTON, October 13. Tributes to Constable F. W. Jordan were paid when 34 members of

the Police Force from Christchurch, Timaru and Ashburton paraded at the funeral on Saturday. Forty members of the Ashburton Auxiliary Police, under Mr N. Robilliard, also paraded. „ x , The pall-bearers were Constables Haack, Gadsby, Lilly, Mather (Christchurch), Gregory and Devlin (Timaru). The partv from Christchurch was lead bv Sub-Inspector E. T. G. -Turner, who also represented the Commissioner of Police. Sergeants E. Jones, R. Henry, and J. B Kerton were also present from Christchurch. The members of the force from Timaru were under the charge of Inspector M. Flanagan. At the grave, the service was taken by the Rev. C. L. Mountfort. The I members of the Police Force hied > past saluting, and representatives oi the Masonic Lodges also took part I in the service. , .. I Floral tributes included a wreath from the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser).