CHARGE AGAINST FASCISTS

Waipa Post, Volume 48, Issue 3471, 26 May 1934, Page 4

CHARGE AGAINST FASCISTS

ALLEGED USE OF CASTOR OIL. BRITISH EX-MEMBER TAKEN TO HOSPITAL. Three men, stated to be officers of the British Union of Fascists, appeared on remand at Westminster Police Court, England, charged with “ being concerned in unlawfully and maliciously inflicting certain grievous bodily harm on George Stanley Richardson, on 13th February, at King’s Road, Chelsea.”

The defendants, who pleaded not guilty, were William Henry Synres, aged 35 years, transport officer of the 81-itish Union of Fascists; Arthur Ernest Mills, aged 28 years, officer of the British Union of Fascists; and Albert Sharman, aged 28 years, an officer of the. British Union of Fascists.

Mr E. O’Connor (prosecuting), said to the magistrate: “You will have to inquii'e into a serious and disgraceful assault upon a little man who has neither the strength nor the stamina nor the size to resist an assault by any one man, let alone a gang of men.” Mr O’Connor said that Richardson, who was also known under the name of Malcolm Scott, joined the Padington branch of the British Union of Fascists in January, and was later transferred to the headquarters in King’s Road, where he assisted in the recruiting department. “ After some time,” said Mr O’Connor, “he formed certain views with regard to the policy of the party, as a result of which he appears to have written a letter to a journalist. On 13th February, when he was in the recruiting office department, he was told that a Mr DUndass, understood to be the chief of staff of this association, wished to see him. R'chardson was taken to Mr Dundass’ office, where there were a number of people. ALLEGED BLOW. “Mr Dundass said to Richardson: ‘ Oh, so you are the crawling rat we have been looking for. What do you think of yourself ? ’ Mr Dundass added, “You know you have been writing for the newspapers.’ Richardson did not admit that, and was then asked, ‘ Don’t you know Mr Cummings, of the Daily Chronicle ? I know your kind, and you are not going to get away with it.’ “Dundass then said, ‘Take his membership badge away from him. We have got proof that you wrote a letter to the Daily Chronicle. We have a photographic plate of the letter. You are expelled from the movement. Get out of the office.’

“Richardson got as far as the entrance, when Mills said, talcing hold of his arm, ‘Take him downstairs.’ Richardson,, said Mr o’Connor, was taken to the Defence Corps room. “ Mills said to him, ‘ Take your hat and coat off,’ and Richardson re-

plied, that he did not want to do so. Mills replied, * Come on. Get it off.’ Richardson then took off his overcoat and hat. Mfdls said, ‘Take off your jacket, too.’ Richardson refused, and Mills said, ‘ Get it off ! ’ and struck Richardson on the mouth with his fist, knocking out his denture and breaking it. “ Five men, including the three defendants, then seized him. He was thrown on to his back on the-flubr, and his arms and legs were extended. STOMACH PUMP USED. ’* Four separate men sat on his arms and legs. Symes, who was on his chest, took from his (Symes’) pocket a bottle which looked as if it contained half a pint of liquid. Symes held Richardson’s nose and inserted the neck of the bottle into Richai*dson’s mouth. Richardson was unwilling to drink the contents, but his nose was held and he was compelled to swallow. The bottle contained castor oil.

“He was compelled to drink the whole of that half pint, and then, having done so, Mills said to him, ‘ This is our method of dealing with rats like you who give information ! ’ ”

Richardson, Mr O’Connor continued, afterwards went to Cannon Row police station, and later he was sent to Westminster Hospital. His injuries were fairly serious, and he was detained in the hospital until the next day. The stomach pump was put on him.

The resident medical officer at the hospital said he examined Richardson at the hospital. He had a bruise about the left eye and a small lacerated wound on his nose. Counsel for Symes: Suppose a person wanted to make up a good story, and he had taken a small quantity of a dose of castor oil, is that consistent with what you found ? WCtness: A small amount of oily material was found in the man’s stomach, but I am not prepared to say whether he had taken one ounce or more of castor oil. Wihat you found was equally consistent with his having had only a small dose ? —Yes.

Counsel for Symes suggested that the whole thing was grossly exaggerated.