CARRIED RIFLE FOR FUN

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8810, 13 August 1914, Page 6

CARRIED RIFLE FOR FUN

GERMAN WHO WAS “ GOING TO SHOOT BRITISHERS.” ' Press Association. • INVERCARGILL, August 12. At tho Police Court to-day, Werner Tobin, an apparently young man, with a long beard, was charged that, on August 10th, at Port rose, he carried loaded firearms to the common annoyance of Hie Majesty’s subjects. Accused, who is a German, and who resided on the banks of the' Mataura ' river, was in the habit of carrying a repeating rifle about with him, with which ho said he was going to shoot Britishers. Two constables had been sent out to the district, and had kept watch over defendant’s hut all last night, and this morning, when he came outside, they arrested him. On going into tho hut they found a doublebarrelled breach-loading gun which was loaded, and a rifle. There was also a repeating rifle, which defendant carried with him in the daytime when he went to work in the bush. The inspector of police asked for a remand of seven days to enable the police to secure evidence. Accused, ho said, was not right in his head. At this stage accused adopted an aggressive attitude, and said he would let any man know he was right in the head. If anyone said he wasn’t he would " get a fistful in tho eye,” followed by "another from the other band.” Waving his arms about he declared: “ Yes, I will hit anyone on the nose, too, who says I am not right in the head.” He then gave the top of his head a violent slap, and said: " This head God Almighty has given to me. lam not a murderer. I only can-led the rifle for sport. ’ In. answer to a questio'n from the bench, accused said he was a German ail'd, not ma-tnraliaod. Ho did not 'think ho had/proved a nuisance to anybody.. The case was . adjourned for seven days.