FIREWORKS AT WAIHI.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 260, 7 November 1906, Page 8

FIREWORKS AT WAIHI.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent) WAHU. Tuesday. As a sequel to the assault case heard yesterday, one of the participants was charged this morning, on the information" of the police, with a breach of the by-laws, by setting off explosives in the Rob Roy Hotel. The presiding justices wdre Messrs Slevin and Donaldson. Sergeant McKinnon, who conducted the case for the police, stated that accused had pleaded guilty. Mr Fitzherbert argued that the by-law in question, having never been previously enforced, was a dead letter, and until notice by publication had been given by the local authority to enforce the same, no action could be legally sustained. He quoted a case in support of this contention and asked the bench to dismiss the charge, taking into consideration aiso the fact that the case was a trivial one, and that fireworks had been exploded all over the town without action having been taken. Sergeant McKinnon: '•'How do you know that?" The sergeant then stated that accused had placed an explosive under a strong enamel bucket (produced). The force of the explosion had Blown the bottom out of the bucket and torn the sides asunder. A window t pa.ne was also broken. The offence was not a trivial one, as stated. The bench said- that a redeeming feature of the affair lay in the fact that the accused had placed the bucket over the boomer to prevent the possibility of fire. They would dismiss -the case, but adeused was ordered to pay costs. It is understood that further proceedings may yet be taken in connection with these cases.