SENSATIONAL SCENES

NZ Truth, Issue 834, 12 November 1921, Page 5

SENSATIONAL SCENES

Grant Hervey Tarred and Feathered Waylaid and Carried Off m a Motor Car-

. The little personal sketch of Grant Hervey, published m last week's ''Truthv should serve as an interesting introduction to the detailed account of the tarring and feathering given him a few days ago by .the good people of Mildura. Here is a graphic account of tho affair us published m Sydney "Truth":

Public, indignatioii at Mildura, causod by the words and acts of Grant Hervey, reached a crisis. on October 24, when the Citizens', Vigilance Committee, over 100 strong; ■de'ciQed to end the man's career at Mildura. Hervey had made attacks on the financial position of Mr. C. J. De Gar is m the paper which he (HerveyX is- •conducting at Mildura. As soon as the' huge figure of Hervey was seen- at the Mildura railway station on the Tuesday morning, citizens began to gather m g-roups. As soon ns Hi* committee had made final arrangements, carload after carload of professional and business men and others raced up- and down Deakinavenue, Mildura, along Twelfth-street to Sarnia-avenue, where Hervey's residence was surrounded. He was invited to come out and stand trial by the selfelected court that proposed to try ihim and sentence him. m one act, but Hervey locked all the doors and -windows and yelled defiance, threatening 1 that the first man to enter the house

WOULD DIE INSTANTLY. No one took the risk at this stage. Mrs. Hervey went across to a neighbor's 'house and used the* telephone, and Constable K. Holton soon arrived on his bicycle. After interviewing Grant Hervey m the house, the constable urged the 'crowd to disperse. Subsequently, the whole Mildura police force arrived on the scene, and, obeying the order of the sergeant, the crowd moved away. This was just on 1 o'clock. Nevertheless, the siege had not been raised, for scouts were appointed to watch the house, with instructions that should Hervey appear m the street an alarm should be given, so that he might be captured. At 4 o'clock, the scouts watching Hervoy's house were called into town, where a mass meeting was held. Subsequently, motor-cars left for the intersection of Fifteenth-street and Deakin-avenue. The cars were drawn up behind tne pepper trees at the side of the road, and hidden from sight. The occupants went into the culvert under the bridge, and hid. Four or five cars iwent by, and were all watched,' then, the car known to the vigilance committee to contain Hervey-. approached. A woodcart was then crossing the bridge, and the car had to stop. ' Great was the amazement of the occupants of the car when a large number of men arose from the culvert. .Someone said, "Here they come; out of that: .car." . A burly antagonist grasped

THE WHITE-FACED HERVEY, and jerked him from his seat. Pie was Quickly overpowered, '.tied by the arms, placed m a powerful car, and driven to the aviation ground. Two men held him as he sat m the car. At the aviation ground Hervey was ordered to take off his coat, vest, and shirt, while a man opened a tin of. tar. At that time, one of the men m the car, addressing 1 'Hervey, stated the reasons for the action that was about to be taken. He said to Hervey, "You have been blackmailing persons m Mildura." At that stage, Hervey only had his trousers, boots and socks on. He asked, "Do you -want the pants pulled off?" and received the reply, "No; you can slip them over your knees." He was about to step from the car, when someone said, "Tie the rope about his legs"; it immediately went about them, and m that state he was helped to the ground. "Take your boots off," was the next order- "The ground is rather rough to sit on," was the reply of the victim, and so he was allowed to stand up. "Now, is there .anything else that you want to do?" he asked. "Yes; we are going- to give you the time of your life," someone replied, and with that the tar brush slapped tar all over -his shoulders. Gradually,

HIS FORM WAS COVERED

to the waist on either side, and then the men went further, putting- the tar all over his- legs. Then kapok wxfs stuck all over the tar, and soon the big 1 man resembled a huge gorilla. He was left standing m the open, with his arms stretched up to the skies, calling on God to forgive his opponents, who' had not realised what they had been doing. He was still carrying on m the same strain, with his clothes nearby, when the cars left the ground, bound for Mildura. The cars made for Mildura fire station, and there the bell ropes were tugged violently for several minutes, sending the clang of the bell all over the settlement. Persons to the number of 1000 assembled m about fifteen minutes; bicycles seemed everywhere, and soon the fire station was surrounded by a big crowd. Then one. of the men climbed the tower, and m loud tones announced that "Grant Hervey, blackmailer and vagabond," had been

TARRED AND FEATHERED. The brief speech was greeted with continuous cheers.

Tho police found Hervey at the aviation ground, endeavoring to remove the kapok. Petrol was obtained from the aerodrome, and after scraping some of the obnoxious mixture off, Hervey dressed himself, boarded the police car, and proceeded to the police station, Mildura. Hervey was still m Mildura the following day, and showed himself in> the streets sovoi-al times. Detectives also arrived m town and .ire making inquiries.