ARREST AND PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF FENINANS AT THE WEST COAST.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 936, 21 April 1868, Page 3

ARREST AND PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF FENINANS AT THE WEST COAST.

(Condensed from the West Coast Times, March 30.) Eably oh Friday morning, it was currently rumoured in town that a warrant was out for the arrest of Father Larkin, but this report was afterwards contradicted by his appearance at large, and also by the fact that lie personally communicated with the heads of the Government in the afternoon. His arrest and the arrest of his coadjutors had, however, been determined upon, but were delayed to be conducted with greater secrecy after the shades of night set in. At seven o'clock Inspector Broham and Sergeant Hickson proceeded to Melody's Hotel, and there found Larkin and Melody, who were at once attached in the Queen's name. Larkin submitted, but Melody seemed inclined to be restive ; he soon quieted down, however, and both men were remaved almost unobserved to the station house. The inspector then proceeded to the Gelt office for Manning, but he was not at home, and a close search having been made for treasonable or seditious papers, Constable Elliott was left in charge of the place, with^ orders to arrest Manning when he came in. He appeared by the back way, and was immediately pounced upon, and taken unresistingly to the camp. They were thus secured with-, out tumult, and the town quartette was completed by the publican Barrett, who, at 11 o'clock, was touched jpn the shoulder by Sergeant Hickson, and transferred from the back of his bar to the company of his companions in the lock-up. A posse of specials guarded him through the streets. Thus encouraged, Inspector Broham resolved to have Clarke, the Waimea storekeeper and member of the County Council. This really dangerous service^as entrusted to Sergeant Wilson, of 'the Mounted Police, who, accompanied by three troopers, left town in the dead of night, and proceeded to that centre of Fenianism, the Waimea township. The little party arrived at Clarke's store at one o'clock on Saturday morning, and found him in bed, another man of truculent appearance being in .the store with him. This individual seemed inclined to make a fight of it, as he .swore that he had but to go outside and whistle, and then " all the men on the West Coast should^ not take Clarke." The latter, however, adopted a moderate tone, and very wisely resigning himself to the force of circumstances, was accommodated with a horse, and at five o'clock on Saturday morning was safely lodged in the Weldstreet camp. While the prisoners were being taken from the Court-house back to the lock-up, after their preliminary examination, a swarthy-looking fellow was noticed as particularly demonstrative in their favour. Several times he was heard to say, " Come on, boys," and at last forced himself into the enclosure to see the .prisoner Larknii He was then recognised as one Heron, a brewer, residing at Staffordtown, and a noted Fenian; so, thinking it a pity to disappoint his desire, the police quietly popped him into the logs with the rest. J The necessary warrant having been transmitted to Sergeant Blanc, at Staffordtown, he proceeded to arrest. Hannon, in whose house was planned the burning of the. mayor of Hokitika in effigy, and also an attempt to burn the West Coast Times office. Deserted by his friends, he fell an easy preyto the police, and was brought into Hokitika at half-past six o'clock in the evening. Heron and himself will make a first appearance before bis Worship this morn-

ing. -.- - The Fenian prisoners, William Larkin, John Manning, James Clark, William Molody, and John Barrett, were brought before the Resident Magistrate at Hokitika> on March 28, charged with riot. The authorities considered it necessary to exercise caution in guarding against any tumult which might arise, as a great many of the partisans of the prisoners were known to be in Hokitika. Strong bodies of special constables guarded their passage from the police camp to the Court House, which' latter building was carefully defended. The men presented a wearied and careworn appearance, and met with little sympathy from the crowd. Mr. Harvey, in conjunction with Mr. Button, appeared for the Crown, while the prisoners were undefended. After one witness (Detective Brown) had been examined, the prisoners were remanded until the Ist of April. A second information was laid against William Joseph Larkin and John Manning, of Hokitika, printers, that on the Ist, loth, 22nd, and 29th days of November, 1867, and on the 3rd, 10th, 24th, and 31st January, 21st and 28th February, 6th, ;l3th, 20th, and 27th March, 1868, at Hokitika, they did unlawfully, wickedly, and' maliciously, and seditiously write, print and publish certain, false, wicked, malicious, scandalous, and seditious libels of, and concerning our Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria, and her Government, against the peace of our Lady the Queen her Crown and dignity, and against the form of the statute in that case made and provided. The prisoners were undefended. Mr. Harvey^ for the prosecution, applied for a remand in this case also. The prisoner Manning, addressing his Worship, said that the crime with which they; were charged was of so grave a nature that he could not be prepared with his defence by Wednesday next, and as his Worship had acceded to the request in a former, case, he thought he was entitled to expect that his request for a longer remand would be complied with. His Worship had no objection at all to granting a longer remand in the present case.

Mr. Harvey said that it was not the wish of the Government to throw any obstacle in the way of the prisoners preparing their defence. He thought, however, that their object would be better achieved by letting the remand stand as it was (until Wednesday) and then asking for a further remand on that day, as they would then know the specific libels with which they were charged. The, prisoner Manning said he wished to draw his Worship's attention to the treatment" they received at the lock-up. They had no lights, no chairs — in fact, they were treated like felons, as if they were the lowest in society. • Inspector^ Broham said it was just the : . reverse of what the prisoner had stated. .. Manning said he had nothing to say against the police, but the accommodation <wste rsuch that they thought that they had .; .-•■; not been prepared for them. : His -iWorship remarked that he could '■■_) ;..nftt;riiake a.drawirig-rbom of the lock-up, ■'7r : ~ buti he;,;would -make enquiries into the 'statements, and would see that they were =?v not subjected to any unusual restraint. i - . ■ 1 Hemanded until Anril Ist.

c ; : : ': :V^; M^IiATEST TELEGRAMS. ;■■• ■■.■■^•■■••.«rU.'!!»"'-'..'' *f! -•-,,'-..,- -- A _—I1 1O

? 4 v; :^ Half;tlio Constabulary start for '^'■i i^^ip^y -:"-. : ':V' "" : - ,'-' bailed for the North. t :i^H|f|d|stmattoa\isVnot known, but it is ||^|U^j^|d^d^e J tR6 fuller. ,' v; beett;r heavy rain to-day. H 4-, -J?^.^|j|^it^f |^(d|ng4tliiei" miserable weather, i|^||^p|i^^^-||^BE(^atiOT i i ! -^aX a."' great

success, the procession being accompanied by a largo crowd. Upwards of 1200 persons were enter-^ tamed at the free banquet in the Duke of Edinburgh Theatre, given by the citizens to the diggers, who sat down in relays of 350 each. There was a profusion of everything. The Mayor presided, and the utmost order and unbounded enthusiasm prevailed.