STUBBORN CONSTABLE

Wairarapa Daily Times, 30 September 1937, Page 8

STUBBORN CONSTABLE

wrongful arrest. CHRISTCHURCH INCIDENT. CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday. Mr Prank Hickinbottom, a respected and well-known resident of Christchurch, for thirty years in the tailoring trade in this city, was cleaning out his shop window' at 9.15 o’clock last night. Five minutes later he was struggling with a large constable, who was determined to arrest him on a charge of burgling his own shop. For more than half an hour, Mr Hickinbottom was in the constable’s grasp. Acquaintances of Hickinbottom, including members of the Christchurch Chess Club, from the upper floor of the building, did their best to impress on the constable that he had made a mistake. They implored him to let an innocent man alcne. The constable was deaf to their appeals until a sergeant intervened. To-day Mr Hickinbottom is. badly shaken by his experience. His arms and one leg are badly bruised as a result of the man-handling he received. He has skin off his hands and a large bump on his head. Among the people who endeavoured to reason with the zealous young policeman was Mr W. 11. Joyce, regis-

trar of the Christchurch Technical College, who said lie saw Mr Hickinbottom nightly in the shop and knew him well by sight. The constable was not at all impressed, and exchanged a few heated words with Mr Joyce, finally grabbing him and threatening to “take him along, too.” —(P.A.)