ANTI-GERMAN DEMONSTRATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3195, 9 June 1915, Page 3

ANTI-GERMAN DEMONSTRATION.

THE WANGANUI DISTURBANCES (From Qua Own Cohresfondekt.)

WANGANUI, May 31

As a sequel to tho recent anti-Gorman demonstration, wnen the premises of Mr C. Heiuold, pork butcher, were raided and looted, a man named W. P. Barnes was brought before Mr Kerr, S.M., this morning and charged with the fheit of a ham valued at 12s 6d.

In the course of his judgment his Worship said the demonstration was probably duetto some real or supposed anti-British statements made by Heinoid, and without waiting to prove the statements some persons i 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 Korr went on to say that the allegations of statements supposed to have been made by Mr Heinoid were denied by those who had made them, when they were questioned by the inspector of police. These people had no right to take the law into their own hands. Such misbehaviour was not to be tolerated in any self-rospccting community. He could not too strongly denounce and reprobate the occurrence. It seem'd to him that the crowd was not there for the purpose ol making a demonstration against Heinoid, but there for loot. Accused had helped to take away material which had been thrown out of the slfop. In the interests of the community this should not bo lightly dealt with. Such _ punishment should bo imposed as to impress the people of this disposition that it would not bo tolerated, and would bo put down with a strong hand. The sentence of the court was that accused be convicted and imprisoned. Counsel for accused interposed, and made a strong appeal for a fine instead of a term of imprisonment. He said that the sending of the man to gaol would cast a stigma on his children going to school. The public would resent such a mmishraent.

Elis Worship'(angrily); I have nothing to do with that. If the public do not like my decisions they have a remedy. lam hero to do my duty. After further pleading by counsel a fine of £2, or, in default, seven days’ imprisonment, was imposed.