SEDITIOUS LANGUAGE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14978, 21 May 1914, Page 10

SEDITIOUS LANGUAGE.

HUNTER ADMITTED TO PROBATION. (PBESS ASSOCIATION' TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, May 20.

Edward Hunter, who had been founii gui.ty pi uttering seciiuous words on 14th December, came up for sentence before Mi Justice Hoik ng to-day.

His Honour told piisoner that he was liable to imprisonment. for two years, but in the circumstances he thought the proper punishment would be to admit him to probation. His decision was reached on the' following special considerations: —Accused had been bound" over to keen the peace for sis months, which had not yet expired. Ho had been under committal for trial since December, and he had had two trials'. He had not been one of the leaders of the strike; so that his words did not carry the same weight as theirs. His words were uttered at the close of strike, and when bis match was thrown the powder was well-

nigh perished. His words were \ ed more to the incitement of tfc© strikers on the West Coast than those of Wellington ; and. finally,, the- jifc. had strongly recommended him $> mercy. Counsel had stated that prisoner was a young man, convinced that th&e were wrongs to be remedied, but tin's event mieht teach him a lesson that if ho n-ished to redress wroncs he must^ o so by lawful means, and notlby iuciti ne to violence aud illegal methods. jjp would be admitted to " probation &p twelve months, the special condij;io na beinc; fh-'the must neither' write riijr epenk <ied ; tious words'during tho.peri(v} of probation. • ■