AGITATORS SENT TO GAOL

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1930, Page 11

AGITATORS SENT TO GAOL

“CAPITAL CLASS JUSTICE”

WERE INCITING LAWLESSNESS.

SCENES IN WELLINGTON COURT. ■ ) By Talxgraph.—Press Association. ■Wellington, Last Night. Richard Francis Griffin, aged 30, bookseller, and John Joseph Robinson, aged 30, miner, were each charged in the Police Court to-day with inciting people to resist, assault or obstruct the police, with inciting lawlessness and with causing traffic obstruction in a street. Griffin was charged further with using insulting language and Robinson with delivering a speech on Queen’s Wharf and causing a crowd to gather. The first three charges arose from a meeting held in Dixon Street on Sunday week in which both participated. On each of the first’ two charges each man was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, the sentences to the concurrent, and on.the remaining charges they were convicted and discharged. “Capitalist class justice, dish it. out!” cried Robinson in a loud voice when the magistrate , was giving judgment. The Court listened to the magistrate’s .reply. “What did you sajl?” he, asked.. Robinson replied: “Dish fit out.” The magistrate did not repriniand him and offered the prisoner an opportunity to change his plea of guilty to not guilty. A moment or two later, however, the prisoner broke out again: “I understand that the justice I will get now will be the capitalist class justice,” he said. Cries of “Heai‘! Hear!” came from the back.

“The justice you get, I hope, is the law of this land the same as anyone else,” said the magistrate. Both men are members of the Communist Party and they said farewell to the crowded Court after sentence had (been passed, , The crowd subsequently cheered them as they were taken away in a police van. '