PUNISHMENT FOR LOOTING

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1932, Page 7

PUNISHMENT FOR LOOTING

OVER FORTY MEN IN COURT PRECAUTIONS AGAINST MOB MANY THEFTS PROM SHOPS MAORI “CONSTABLE” FINED By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Unprecedented scenes were witnessed this morning when over 40 men who had been arrested during the night and early in the morning on various charges made their appearance at the Police Court. The authorities were not taking any chances of the mob endeavouring to create trouble at the court and perhaps making an attempt to rescue the arrested men. A strong naval cordon of Royal Marines and bluejackets, assisted by the police and special constables was formed about the court, and it was impossible to get through the lines unless one had some business at the court.

The arrested men were brought down in several police waggons. Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., presided, and Sub-Inspector Gibson, in charge of the detectives, prosecuted in all cases. The first case' called was tliat of George Joseph Silva, an Englishman, charged with assaulting Constable Cook and Detective Whitehead while in the execution of their duty and inciting lawlessness.

“Both these officers are dangerously ill in hospital and there may be more serious charges preferred against Silva later on,” said Sub-Inspector -Gjbson, who obtained a remand until April 22.

A number of the accused, charged with taking part in an unlawful assembly, were remanded.

“This Indian was one of the looters,” said Mr. Gibson after Morran Horry had admitted stealing cigars and jewellery of a total value of £2 3s 6d. Horry was fined £5 or one month’s imprisonment.

William Ardrell denied that he stole a watch and a bottle of whisky of a total value of £4 ss, and he was remanded until April 22. AMERICAN ADMITS GUILT. An American, Edmond. George Essory, aged 42, pleaded .guilty to a charge of behaving in a disorderly manner in Princess Street. “This man is an American who abused some special constables; nothing is known about him,” said SubInspector Gibson. Essory was also fined £5 or one month in prison. Charged with assaulting a special constable, George Edward Porter pleaded not guilty. He also denied, a further charge of taking part in an unlawful assembly. He was remanded. Then there was Miro Lidovic (a Dalmatian), aged. 24, who admitted the theft of a bottle of rum at the Wavcrley Hotel. He was fined £5 or one month’s imprisonment. A young man named Leonard Roberts was next to enter the dock to admit stealing five cigars and a bottle of whisky. Detective-Sergeant McHugh said, he was with Detective Brady and. saw Roberts break a window and enter a shop. “He was filling his pockets with loot and we had to pull him right out of the window,” said the detective-sergeant. •‘He kicked and punched us and called out to the crowd to come to his assistance. We kept the crowd, back at the point of a gun and when we handcuffed Roberts he cried like a frog to make out that he was being hurt, but still the crowd did not come on. Roberts is the worst of the lot.” Roberts was sent to gaol for three months. , LOOTING OF JEWELLERY. Three men next appeared together — Andrew Henderson Woods, Keith Gor'don Hellier and Douglas William Harp —each pleading guilty to & charge of stealing six gold rings, four cigarette lighters, two watches, two clocks, a 'tobacco pouch, a razor and. a pij>e of the total value of £lO, the property 'of Skeats Bros., jewellers. All were [fined £5 or one month’s imprisonment. A fine of £5 or the usual alternative was imposed on Robert Howarth, aged. '2l, who stole a hat, six pipes and. some 'cigars, all worth £3. Joseph Henry Silver, who admitted, the theft of a string of beads and said they were thrown .out and. he picked them up, was fined £5 or one month’s imprisonment. As there will probably be more serious charges brought against him, John Reid, who admitted stealing two hones, cigars and. shaving soap of a total value of 16s, was remanded, for a week.

Five bottles of scent, some brass trays and an ornament were stolen by Leonard Beasley, who was also fined £5 or one month’s imprisonment. Nicol Nigro, a young man, pleaded guilty to the theft of a mouth-organ worth 2s 6d. “You are only 17 so I will give you a chance,” said Mr. Hunt. “You arc convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon.”

“This one has a very bad list of previous convictions,” said the sub-inspec-tor when Royal Desmond Capner pleaded guilty to the theft of two wristlet watche.s, six rings, cigarette lighters and other articles. He was sentenced to six months’ gaol.

Despite the serious natiiic. of the proceeding’s there was much laughter concerning the case of Edward Huia Toroa, a Maori, charged with stealing clothing and rings worth £4, and further that he was an idle and disorderly person found by night ..rmed with a repeating rifle and a bludgeon. Toroa pleaded guilty to the first charge. {SubInspector Gibson said he would offer no evidence on the other charge. “Toroa was acting as a special constable and had a rifle on his shoulder and a baton in his hand,” said the prosecutor. “After helping himself tu some goods he joined the police again. He’s not a bad sort of fellow.” (Laughter.)

Toroa, for the theft was fined £5 or one month's imprisonment. A large number of other offenders were dealt with in a similar manner by the magistrate.

DUNEDIN REMAINS QUIET DESIRE TO RETURN TO WORK., AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. " Dunedin, Last Night. Nothing occurred iu Dunedin to-day to indicate that any desire remained among a section of the unemployed to continue the disturbances of the past week. The situation was perfectly quiet, and the very small number of unemployed who gathered in front of the Town Hall in the morning dispersed after only a short wait and after relief works had been declared “black.” As a sequel to the disturbance at the hospital board’s office on Monday night a number of men approached the Mayor (Mr. Black) and expressed the opinion that if a ballot were taken a great majority of the men would express willingness to continue working. The Mayor agreed to take a ballot, and to-day voting papers were handed each of the 866 men engaged during the day on works under the No. 5 scheme. No fewer than 703 of the men replied “Yes,” and only 90 answered “No.” A total of 73 elected to express no opinion. The overwhelming majority in favour of the work being continued indicated that whe general feeling coincided with that of one man who wrote on the back of his paper: “Work? Yes, and as much more of it as I can get. A vote for ‘mum.’ ” PROCESSIONS NOT ALLOWED. unemployed leader arrested. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. The Mayor and the police have prohibited all processions and public meetings (not merely those of unemployed) till further notice. F. Lark, Auckland president of the unemployed workers’ movement, was arrested this afternoon; also a man named Sharp.

The city is still full oj rumours, practically all of which haW been, investigated and found to be baseless.