I.W.W. CONSPIRATORS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 10527, 4 December 1916, Page 5

I.W.W. CONSPIRATORS.

I SENTENCED TO LONG TERMS. .(lit Electric Tjo,KflnApn—Copyright.) ' (For Press Association.) Australian-New Zealand Cable Association SYDNEY, Dec. 3. The twelve I.WAV. prisoners, who were ' found guilrv of conspiracy to commit arson. [ have been sentenced. Glynn, Hamilton. Mc- , Pltcrson, Beatty, Fagin, Grant, and loon | received fifteen years each; Larkin. Reeve, • Besant, and Moore ten years each; and | King five years. I JUSTICE BRING DENOUNCES THE ORGANISATION. Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. SYDNEY, Dec. 3. Glynn. Hamilton. McPherson, Beatty, Fa gin, Grant, and Toon wore found guilty on all three counts of conspiracy to set liroi to buildings, io procure the release ot Barker, and to exoii' -.edition. Mooie, Larkin, Reeve, and I’avant were found guilty on the first two counts, and King on the third count. I .'.a cl i from tie* dock protested ois innocence. Justice Pring, in passing the .sentences, denounced the I.W.W. as an association of criminals of the worst type, and as a hotbed of crime. Ho hoped that strong and drastic measures would be adopted to uproot the Association. Ho suggested that Domain meetings attended by members of the . Association be peremptorily stopped, _as they were held for the purpose of recruiting j young and ignorant, men to the ranks of the Association. He hoped that the authorities would use j heir best endeavour.- to prevent, the pernicious I.W.W. literature from entering the country. King’s sentence commence.':, at the end of ti sentence he is now serving for foiging bank notes.

PLOT TO BURN SYDNEY DOWN

Tlii' charge against the twclvo accused members of tho- Industrial Workers ol (tie. World was, briefly, ‘Thar they intended to levy war against the King- within the State of New South Wales, in order by force or restraint, to compel him to change his measures or counsels; that they did felonion sly and wickedly conspire to burn down and destroy buildings and shops in Sydney and elsewhere in the State; that they prepared and manufactured a chemical with intent in employ the same in furtherance of the. burning down of buildings and shops; that they placed and deposited a chemical wit hj inthunahle material in certain shops and buildings, with intent to Burn down and destroy them; and that they endeavoured to put force or restraint upon the Parliament of New South Wales, and that they endeavoured to intimidate or overawe Parliament.” They openly stated that they would resort, to sabotage or the- destruction of properly to secure the release of one of their number named Barber, who had been imprisoned, and to prevent the operation of conscription. Tim evidence showed that the practice had been for someone to walk into a shop towards closing hour; make a purchase, and drop cotton waste soaked with phosphorus and carbon bisulphide down in some unnoticed corner. flow soon this material would burst into flame depended on how seen it. dried, and it was quite possible that a lire would break out while a big shop was til 'd with customers. Between June and August there were four tires in Sydney, the circumstances smrounding cat'll being similar, Parly in September attempts were made to start ten tires in Sydney, and in each rase the analysis showed fli.it- phosphorus had been

used. There bad been four big fires in Sydney- —Simpson's, Winn's. Stediiian’s and tho Public Supply (Go-operative) .Stores. Tiu* damage amounted to £250.000, and about. 500 persons wore thrown out. of employment. At Simpson’s store damage to the estc-ib of £IOO.OOO was effected, and it had been admitted by Fagin (oily of the accused), that tills was the work of the I.WAV. The damage at. Winn’s, in Oxford -street, a mounted to £40,000, and this had also been attribut''d by Fagin to the I.WAV. At iSlodntan’s £82,000 worth of damage had been iloin:, and 270 people were thrown out of employm nr, besides which the Grand Central Hotel, adjoining, was damaged. On August 31. jut when Mr Hughes made his great speech, the Co-operative fin* occulted, doing damage to tho extent of £50.000. These tuts. ’lf Kiev had totally destroyed the buildings.in which they had been ill'scovered, would have* clout* damage to tin* extent of £OOO,OOO, and wotdd have thrown over 900 employees out- of work. On September 7 Moore, one ol file accused, was overheard by a detective to say TO or 12 of the should be' lot go together.” lie was standing near .Mark Foy’s at the time, and added, “This one must go.” Two days later (ho attempt was matte on Mark Toy's ot a lime when the shop was filled with customers. At Saxton and Birins’ (whose property was valued tit £70,000, tint! who had 300 employees), Riley Bros , Braun and Co.’-, Board and Co.’s, the Burns, Blnlp wharf, Buckingham's, in Oxford sir el.; Nock and Kirby's, Brennan’s ami one ol Mick Simmons’.- shops, outbreaks were supptessed, and in each remains cl notion wa.-(e, celluloid, and phosphorus were foil tit I. It was prosed that lots wen* drawn in the I.WAV. rooms to decide who should start the fires; waste and phosphorus similar to . that used was found in the rooms ol some of the accused, ami a chemist, gave evidence who, under threats, instructed them in the action of the chemicals, while the public speeches of the men were full of threats as to whaf they intended to do.