HAREM SKIRTS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 143550, 15 July 1911, Page 5

HAREM SKIRTS.

HOOLIGANS IN' HYDE PARK. George Hnnton, 18, woodcarver, and Charles Hoffacker, 17, tailor’s apprentice, .wore charged before Air. Mead, at the Alarlborough Street Police Court, London, with being guilty of insult-, ing behaviour, likely to cause a breach of the peape. - , , Police Constable Lightfoot deposed that Shortly before eight o’clock on the evening before, he was on duty near the band-stand in Hyde J ark, when he saw large numbers of .persons rushing over the flower beds; jumping over the hurdles, and shouting. . Then, he noticed a couple of police officers escorting two ladies, who were „ being followed by a mob of young, men, who were calling out, “Here’s some harem skirts." Come bn, boys, and.have a look at them.” The ladies were being taken to the park police station for their own protection- . The two ■ prisoners persisted in their noisy and objectionable behaviour, and were arrestAlr. Alead; Were these women.dressed in harem skirts —No, sir. They were dressed quite rationally, and were not even wearing hobble skirts. The ladies were quite respectable, and were between 20 and 25 years of age. Inspector Braih said that about ten minutes to* eight; when ‘he was near the band-stand, an “alarm” was raised by someone that two ladieswere passing iii harem skirts. A number of young men' took up the shout, and in a few moments the whole of the band enclosure was thrown into confusion and disorder. Several ladies were subjected to great indignities and annoyance -by men rushing at thejn and examining the .make of their skirts. In ono case a ladv was surrounded by 2000 or 3000 persons. It should be remembered that there wore generally 15,000 to 20,000 persons present at these hand pc'rformances, and there was plenty of room for all, ’if proper behaviour was maintained. . ■ ■ Another lady had to bo taken out ot the park under police protection, and put into a cab at Stanhope gate; while, in a further case, two young women who stood on a. chair were pushed over. One of them fainted, and they were only rescued after great, commotion-. Another instance was that of a young woman who was chased across the lawns, and the police had great difficulty in preventing the summer flower-beds from being totally destroyed. In' the case ot the two young ladies who were taken to the police station for safety, one of them fainted. He had mrtd'c careful inquiries, and found that the two prisoners were not the originators of the scare, through which a number of adults and little children were nearly trampled on. Inspector Brain added that disturbances by stupid lads took place in the pari! in'the course of most seasons, but nothing on the scale of what occurred on this night, when it was a miracle women and children were nnf crushed. As far as he knew, there was no-sign of a harem nr any other eccentric skirt to be seen in the park. . Air. Alead said the. prisoners had been -uiltv of outrageous behaviour in subjecting ladies to inconvenience and odium. He could'not imagine anything more distressing to respectable women than to he the victims of such conduct. No one knew what calamity might not have occurred through the disgraceful actions of the prisoners and others. He was aware that similar behaviour had occurred at other places in London where hands played, and women and girls had been so insulted by rowdy fellows like the prisoners, that they were afraid to visit them. Under the present circumstances, he should impose the full penalty on the prisoners, viz., fides of 4Ds. or in default a month’s imprisonment each. ,