AUCKLAND RIOT CHARGES

Taranaki Daily News, 12 February 1931, Page 4

AUCKLAND RIOT CHARGES

EIGHT ACCUSED IN COURT

THE ATTITUDE OF LAWLESSNESS /: i is NOISY CROWD OUTSIDE BUILDING " By Telegraph.—Press ASSOciatioh. Auckland, Last Night. While the story of yesterday’s riot was being told to Mr. W. H. .Woodward, S.M., this morning a fair-sized crowd of unemployed surged round the Police Court. A posse of police, four of them mounted, was needed to keep the crowd in order. . . j Seven men and one woman were < charged on various counts, mostly with < inciting lawlessness, and as the evi-./ dence was being heard there was fre- j q-ient booing from the crowd outside > the court, fiarge numbers of people ea.tj on the slopes of Albert Park and many I contributed to the general demonstra-* tion, ■ Two other men have been ar- Y rested in connection with yesterday’s 4 riot, making ten in all. . i The first ease heard, was against Alf: } red Fowler, aged 59, who entered the w dock to answer charges o'f obstructing (3 a constable, behaving in a disorderly manner and inciting and encouraging lawlessness and disorder in a public place. He pleaded not guilty to all counts. Detective-Sergeant Kelly gave a long description of yesterday’s fracas. “It is unfortunate that the unemployed ofc taking up this attitude of lawlessnoas,” continued Mr. Kelly, “because what follows such scenes as were seen yesterday is nothing short of disastrous. In the case of Fowler, his conduct was largely responsible for the excitement and state of the crowd. “Some of them were armed with bricks and. bolts,” said Constable Gahcs. “When Fowler was arrested the mob tried to free him and we had to fight our way out as best as we could. 1 had no baton and as far as I know the old man was not struck with a baton.” >■ “I was commanding officer of the procession,” said Patrick Quill, an oUt-of-work engineer, who was arrested this morning and who gave evidence for the defence? “I took the procession almost to the front of the post office in military formation; then I dismissed them. When the sergeant drew his baton thfe police rushed us. In my opiniefn the intention of the police was to incite the men. The whole police force charged.” Quill said 60 per cent, of the unemployed were ex-servicemen. Mr. Kelly: “And what about the. Lab; our Defence Corps?” j ■ Quill: “That body is to protect the workers from the attacks of thugs.” • Mr. Kelly: “How long have you been in this country'!”—“Two years.” “Are ybu a member of the Comnninist Party’”—No, nor do I attend their meetings.” . For obstructing the police Fowlpr was fined £2. The magistrate considered him irresponsible. He did-Hot incite the mob maliciously, but lost his head. , After evidence had been heard against William John Dalgleish, aged 22, he was convicted, sentence being deferred. Percy Wilshere, aged 36, was also convicted of obstructing the police and inciting. Sentence was deferred. Charges of throwing stones to the danger of persons, of inciting and encouraging lawlessness, and of behaving in a disorderly manner were brought against George Johnston, aged 21. He pleaded guilty to throwing a stone. “You have made e clean breast of this and you have. expressed regret; there is that much in your favour,” said the magistrate. Johnstoq was convicted and sentence was deferred. Ernest Mathew Roiall, aged 22, was also convicted on chargee of inciting lawlessness and behaving in a dieorderly manner. He will be sentenced ; with the others. _ . Harry Powell, aged 21, was convicted and remanded untiFto-day on a charge ; of obstruction of a constable by pulling at his tunic. Powell was also convicted on charges of damaging a police helmet and obstructing .Sergeant Clist. A con, stable described the accused ag a ringleader and the, most troublesome of all. A married woman, Violet Grace Rob- . inson, domestic, who admitted hurling a brick throiigh the Labour Bureau, office window, denied inciting and behaving in a disorderly way. She was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon.