A. B. Worthington Again.

Hastings Standard, Issue 436, 27 September 1897, Page 3

A. B. Worthington Again.

ANOTHER SCENE AT CHRISTCHURCH. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE BLOCK THE THOROUGHFARE. THE LECTURER GROANED AND HOOTED. THE RIOT ACT READ BY MR BEETHAM. MOUNTED TROOPERS CLEAR THE WAY. 1 THEE ARRESTS MADE. [By Telegraph.] (Per Press Association.) Christciu:rch, This day. Last evening between 6.30 and 7 the people congregated in Lichfield street in the neighborhood of the Oddfellows* Hall,„ where the man Worthington was lecturing. Inspector Brohain, with a force of 40 police, was present. Worthington, at the conclusion of the lecture, got into a cab, when a rush was made for it by the crowd and groaning and hooting indulged in, and the scene was one of great excitement. The crowd forced the police back till they got within a few yards of the cab, while the dense crowding of the streets blocked all possible chance of the cab making headway. The yelling and groaning continued, and there appeared a strong probability of the police being over-powered by the excited mob and the cab overturned and the occupants seriously injured. A consultation took place between the magistrates, after -which Mr Beetham, S.M., mounted the box of the vehicle from which elevation he proceeded to read the Riot Act. Some hooting took place while the proclamation was being read, and Mr Beet ham then gave instructions to the police to disperse the crowd, and the people giving way before the advance of the mounted troopers moved on to the footpaths, leaving the streets perfectly clear as far as the intervention of High and Manchester street, where the traffic was again blocked. Eventually the cab twisted round and with two constables on the box drove to Worthington's house, Colombo street where a large crowd assembled but no demonstration took place and the police remained in the vicinity till the crowd dispersed. Great praise is due to the police, who exercised tie greatest forbearance and coolness throughout. Three arrests wsre made. Later. The three young men charged with hooting and groaning in connection with the disturbance in L.chfield street last night were before the Police Court this morning. After hearing evidence the bench thought that the action taken by the public in advertising meetings only aggravated the matter- They did not think, with the Inspector of Police, that the affair was of the importance which the presence of all the police fone in the city and suburbs seemed to show. One was fined 5s and the others were discharged.