INCITING A RIOT

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVI, Issue LVI, 26 October 1908, Page 5

INCITING A RIOT

BRIDLING- A MEMBER OF PARLIA-

MENT.

[PBESS ASSOCIATION.]

LONDON, October 24

Mr Will Thorne, Labor member of the House of Commons, was charged with having, while addressing the unemployed in Trafalgar square, incited a riot. Defendant denied the charge, and claimed that his speech was taken too literally. He still held it was not a crime for a starving man to help himself to bread.

The Magistrate, Mr H. Curtis Bennett, ordered defendant to enter into sureties for his good behaviour for a year, failing which he would be imprisoned for six months. He remarked that if such incitements were allowed to go unchecked the lives and property of peaceful citizens would be placed in jeopardy. A stop must be put to attempts to cause people to assemble lor illegal or wrongful purposes.