ANTI-GERMAN DEMONSTRATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16399, 2 June 1915, Page 12

ANTI-GERMAN DEMONSTRATION.

THE WANGANUI DISTURBANCES. OFFENDER TRIED FOR THEFT. (Fkom Od» Own CoEßiapoßDCire.) WANGANUI, May 31. As a sequel to the recent auti-German demonstration, wnen tie premises of Mr Heinold, i;ork butcher, were raided and looted, a man uainetl W. P. Barnes was brought before Mr Kerr, S.M., this morning and charged with the theft of a ham valued at '12s 6d. In the coarse of his judgment his Worship said the demonstration was probably duo to some real or supposed anti-LritisL statements mado by Heinold, and without waiting to prove the statements some persons 1 aided his premises; These stupid people destroyed, not the property of an anti-Britisher, but that of innocent, lawabiding people. Nor did it seem to strike them that they had played into the hands of the enemy, for in doing what they had done they had not helped to make the lot of British prisoners in Germany any lighter. Mr Kerr went on to say that tho allegations of statements supi>osed to have been mado by Mr Heinold Wbre denied by those who had made them, when they were questioned by the inspector of 1.0 lice. These people had no right to take the law into their own hands. Such misbehaviour was not to bo tolerated in any self-respecting community. He could not too strongly denounce and reprobate the occurrence. It seemed to him that tho crowd was not there for the purpose of making a demonstration against Heinold, but there for loot Accnsed bad helped to take away material which had been thrown out of the shop. In tho interests of the community this should not bo lightly dealt with. Such punishment should be imposed as to impress the people of this disposition that it would not bo tolerated, nr.d would bo put down with a strong hand. Tho sentence of the court was that accused be convicted and imprisoned. Counsel for accused interposed, and m;wle a strong appeal for a fine instead of a tprm of imprisonment. He said that the sending of the man to g;iol would cast a stigma on his children going to school. The public would resent such a punishment.

His Worship (aneerily): I have nothing- to do with that. If the public do not like inv decisions they have a remedy. lam here to do my duty. After further pleading by counsel a fine of £2, or. in default, seven days' imprisonment, -was imposed.