DUNEDIN RIOT

Inangahua Times, 21 April 1932, Page 2

DUNEDIN RIOT

' eight men charged. SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT. (Per United Press Ann.) DUNEDIN, Last Night. As an aftermath of the recent unemplojjxl demonstrations and batton charge by the police in St. Andrew Street on April llth., charges of inc ting lawlessness were heard against eight men in the Police Court to-day. wli le two men were charged with en eo’iraging disorder. Mr Bartholomew was on the bench, and Sab. Inspector D. Cameron prosecuted. Eight accused were represented by Counsel. William Bonald Winton (26). Kev 7 Zealander, was charged Yvith inciting lawlessness on April llth. Arthur Waters (23), New Zealand--1 cr, was charged with inciting lawleeir.ess on April Bth and with wilfu’ly . breaking a pane of g'ass, valued at 17s, jin a window of a New Zealand Gov- [ eminent building in St. Andrew Stieet. Robert John Eady (26), New Zco--5 lander, was charged with inciting lawlessness on A‘j»ril llth, V/m. Foote (30), an Australian, was similarly charged. Four charges were preferred against Leonard Dalton Hunter. Three were of inciting lawlessness on April Bth, 11 and 12, and the fourth was of encouraging disorder on April 9th. He was* described as a New Zealander, 26 years of age. • Harry McDonald (30), an Englishman, was charged with inciting lawlessness on April llth. Michael O’Borke (28), a Scotsman, was charged with inciting lawlessness on April llth, and with encouraging disorder on April Bth and 9th. Arthur Eric Proctor (29), an Englishman, was charged with inc ting lawlessness on April llth. Evidence was given by several members of the Police Force of the occurrences leading up to the baton charge and when the Court resumed this afternoon, counsel for the defence intimated that all the accused, with the excepts on of Waters, had decided to alter their pleas to that of guilty, consequently the remaining police evidence led was directed against Waters only. The Magistrate said the charges arose { out of events entirely unprecedented in l the history of the city. There had been manifestations of disorder and lawl lesaness extending over three days, cul r aiHr.'mg te-H-siii, Agm *, - direct outbtreak of violence. which, if not prompt? checked, would i have developed into me thing much more serious. In it resided all the elements of an incipient riot of most alarming proportions. Had it not been for the steadfastness and pomotness of the police ■ in saving the situation, anyth'ng might 1 have happened. 1 There was only one penalty that could ’ be imposed in such cases and that was imprisonment. 5 All the accused on charges of incltt ing lawlessness would be sentenced to three months* imprisonment. 1 Hunter would be sentenced to a month's imprisonment on each of two additional chargee, the sentences to be i concurrent. On a fourth charge, how- % ever, which concerned his speech in the 5 gardens on the day following the cla"* with the police, he would be sentenced to an additional three months* enmu- ( lative to his other sentences and making a total term of six months* lmprtl sonment. r Waters was sentenced to an addition--5 al month'B imprisonment on a charge • of breaking a window, the sentences to be concurrent. O’Rorke also received additional i concurrent penalties of one month on each charge preferred against him. i