REVOLUTIONARY DRAMA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18089, 16 May 1933, Page 2

REVOLUTIONARY DRAMA

UNUSUAL CASE IN COURT PLAYWRIGHT UNDER SUSPICION The intriguing story of a revolutionary document was unfolded at the Magistrate’s Court in Blenheim, when the supposed revolutionary, a young man. named John Bede Power, pleaded guilty to the rather prosaic charge ot wilfully damaging a can, valued at 2s, the property of the New Zealand Government Sergeant C. Petersen explained that the accused had been arrested for drunkenness, and while in the cells had committed the mischief complained of. He had been brought before justices and fined for drunkenness, but, in view of a very remarkable document found in his possession, he had been remanded upon the present charge. i “I have made inquiries regarding this document,’’ proceeded the sergeant, “and I am satisfied to accept the accused’s explanation that it is part of a play he is writing. It concerns bloodred revolution, and if we had any evidence that he had been distributing copies of it or showing it to people,-ho might have been charged with sedition or fomenting trouble, but there is no such evidence.”

Sergeant Petersen handed the document, which was typewritten, to the magistrate, Mr. T. E. Maunsell, who chuckled as he read it through, hut kept the joke to himself, although one could gather that he was reading of machineguns, spies, bombs, aeroplane raids, and the overthrow of despotic governments. “Hni!” lie commented, when he reached the conclusion. “It- is certainly going to be a liair-raising play. I do not know whether the author should not be remanded for medical observation.”

The accused, who suffers from a very painful impediment to his speech, stamrnened that the document was not the expression of his own views, but a page from a play. It was supposed to be a Leaflet to be dropped over Warsaw by , aeroplanes. ■The magistrate: It certainly preaches Woody revolution, but l do not think your oratory would carry much weight, lip matter what your writings may. "Well, w© will accept your explanation. Now, what about this can you smashed; that isn’t the start of your revolution, I suppose. > The accused: No, Your Worship. Replying to the magistrate, Sergeant Petersen said the accused was an exeditor of the Red Worker. He had a substantial sum of money in his possession, having evidently come into a legacy. A fine of £1 was imposed, and the accused was ordered to make good the damage done to the Government’s tin can.