McMAHON EPISODE.

Wairarapa Age, 27 July 1936, Page 5

McMAHON EPISODE.

Another Remand Granted. AFTER HEARING OF EVIDENCE FOR CROWN. ADDITIONAL CHARGES LAID. ALLEGATIONS OF PERSECUTION RUGBY, July 24. The man who caused the disturbance and alarm for the King’s safety on July lb after his Majesty had presented the new colours to the brigade of Guards in Hyde Park appeared again to-day at Bow Street Police Court. New charges under the Treason Act of 1842 were added to the original charge under th© Firearms Act. n After evidence had been taken from a number of civilians and poliee who 0 witnessed the incident, and others, the e prisoner was remanded for another e week, when his solicitor stated that he a will himself go into the witness-box. n To-day’s evidence bore on the throwb ing of a revolver at the King’s horse, and on the arrested man’s repeated * references to some unrighted grievance. 0 A long and involved letter he S addressed on the day before the incir dent to the Horae Secretary alleging 3 undefined persecution by the authori- • ties was read to the Court.—(British F pfficial Wireless.) ;l

One of the witnesses, Anthony Dick, a commercial traveller, said that as the King approached he saw McMahon’s hand go up, and he knocked it. Then he got hold of the prisoner by th© collar and took hold of his right arm. He saw an object, but 'was not sure whether it was in the prisoner’s left or right hand.

Replying-to questions, Dick said he could not say whether he "knocked the arm before an object leff*his hand. He admitted that he noticed an object come from McMahon’s hand, but he did not know what it was. It went close to the King’s horse. Trick estimated that the King’s horse was not less than 20 yards from the prisoner, who was in the second row. Thomas Alsop, a mounted policeman, said that something blinded him in the sunshine. It hit his Majesty’s horse on the near side hind leg below the fetlock. “I immediately dismounted and picked up the missile and found it to be a loaded revolver.” When handed a bright-plated revolver, Constable Alsop said it was not the revolver he had picked up. Chief Inspector Sands stated that Constable Alsop handed him a revolver (which he identified as the exhibit handed to him), remarking, “The only difference is that now it is unloaded. I took out the Cartridges and gave the revolver to an expert named Churchill.”

Constable Daniel Mayne deposed: “When the King was slightly to my right I saw the prisoner rushing in the roadway. He appeared to be making towards his Majesty. I immediately rushed forward and as he came into position in front of me I grabbed his arms and shoulders. Looking over him, I saw a shining object in the air fall under the forelegs of the King’s horse. I distinctly saw that it was a revolver. ’ ’

Thomas Griffiths, one of the constables who assisted in the arrest of McMahon, said that McMahon stated: “I could easily have shot him, but I only threw it. It would have been better if I had shot myself.’’ Mr. Kerstein (counsel for the prisoner): “Did he say that in front of the Kingf” Griffiths: * * No. ’ ’

Griffiths added that the accused icame running through the crowd between Constable Maine and Dick, and he <saw his hand go up and an object go ’into the air a few feet above his head. Cress-examined, Griffiths said that Constable Mayne first grasped the accused and then himself. “Dick did not touch the prisoner,” lie said, “until we were taking him through the ( crowd.’*' Mr. Kerstein: “Did you see Dick or anyone else knock anything from the prisoner'e hand!’' Griffiths: ‘“No.” Mr. E. C. Fulton, senior prosecuting counsel, asked for the committal of McMahon on all three charges. LETTER TO SIB JOHN • SIMON. Mr. Kerstein read a letter by McMahon to Sir John Simon on July 16, as follows:—“I deeply regret the necessity for this note, but I cannot contain myself any longer. For some years I have been a victim of organised persecution. Your hirelings have tortured me for many months with unjust imprisonment for the reason that I unsuccessfully endeavoured to stop systematic blackmail by your subordinates. Whatever employment I obtained was wrested from me by your servants. The persecution continued, despite repeated appeals »to the highest authority, yourself included. It is my bounden duty, as a supposed subject of the King, to demand justice, as previous appeals to his Majesty have been unsuccessful. I demand full satisfaction within fourteen hours for such unBritish conduct by your servants, and the retraction of vile accusations levelled against me. In the event of your failure I will exercise my own prerogative and obtain the necessary satisfaction my own tortured mind considers adequate. This is no idle boast. I demand justice irrespective of the consequences. My greatest desire and ambition has ever been to help my fel-low-subjects, irrespective of class or creed.”

Mr. Kerstein asked Chief-Inspector Sands if the police called at McMahon’s house on the morning of July 16. Inspector Sands: “I do not know.” He agreed that certain communications from McMahon had reached Buckingham Palace. As far as he was aware, none of them was threatening. He admitted that McMahon had been convicted at the Old Bailey of criminal libel against police officers, but the conviction was quashed by tile Court of Appeal. Questioned further, Chief Inspector Sands agreed that McMahon was imprisoned for some months in connection was that case. His grievance related to alleged unjust imprisonment. PROTEST BY COUNSEL. Mr. Kerstein ,addressing the Magistrate, said that never in a case of such gravity had the prosecution brought such a collection of witnesses contradicting each other, No two told the same story. No reasonable jury would convict, at least on the first charge. The evidence as a whole showed that McMahon had an opportunity of firing a weapon but did not do so. The evidence also showed that McMahon had taken the p-recaution of removing a cartridge. He might have meant to make a gesture, but that he did not intend to harm his Majesty was abundantly clear from the evidence for the prosecution. Within an hour of the incident, said Mr. Kerstein, every newspaper placard said that an attempt had been made to assassinate the King. It

must be obvious that every person in Britain believed there was such a desire. It should be made clear at the earliest possible moment that that was not the case for the Crown and that that was not the charge on which McMahon would have to stand trial. “If the Crown insists that the prisoner intended to endanger life/' he said, “any jury would find him guilty, and therefore the jury gystem must fail. This is the first time in the history of criminal law that the jury system would break down, but break down it must. One thing is perfectly plain: No one desired to hurt his majesty.” Dealing with the charge of intent to alarm his Majesty, Mr. Kerstein said It must be clear that prisoner intended to make a protest and draw the attention of the King and the people to his grievance. “I cannot defend the manner of protest,” he declared, “but the prisoner certainly was not normal at the time. He thought, rightly or wrongly, that his Majesty would turn round and a 6k, 'Who is this manf' ” The Magistrate said he thought the charges were proper ones on which to eommit ‘McMahon for trial. Mr. Kerstein had a whispered conversation with McMahon and then said “The prisoner desires to go into the box and call witnesses, and therefore it is desirable to ask for a remand.” A remand was granted, and McMahon was taken to the cells,-and later driven lo Brixton Gaol.