AFTER THE FRAY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1213, 23 August 1911, Page 5

AFTER THE FRAY.

THE RIOTOUS SCENES IN CHRISTCHURCH. COURT PROCEEDINGS. EEMABKS BY MAGISTRATE AND. SUB-INSPECTOE. (By TeleErapli~PreE6 Association.) Christchurch, August 22. Tliat Hi© excitement caused by last night's riotous scenes at the Choral Hall did not readily subside, was demonstrated by the. large- crowd that assembled both inside- and in the precincts of the Magistrate's Court this morning, /when four boys were brought up before Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M., on charges arising out of disturbances. ' The first case was that against Percy Helmling, who was charged with breaking a window valued at £\ 2s. Gd., the property of the Temple Co., Ltd.

Sub-Inspector M'G rath/said that it had been stated that the turnir.g-on of the hose caused the trouble, and would point out that a perfectly legal meeting was being held in the hall. A crowd of some two thousand youths gathered round. It was the fashion to describe such crowds as "good humoured and orderly," but this "good humoured and orderly" crowd commenced by"attempting to gain access to the hair by fraud, and when they could not get in without tickets they hammered in the doors, These young/men were not Socialists, and he describe the assemblage outside as a gathering of young blackguards. ' They paraded town afterwards hooting, singing and cheering,' and disturbing peaceable people. Election time was approaching, and it was well to make it clear that such conduct would not be tolerated. The - crowd came along to tho police station and showered stones there. He might also mention that.'the people in the hall were powerless to protect themselves from the stones fired through the windows. Defendant was fined £1 and was ordered . to pay the damage, ,£1 2s. Gd., in default one month's hard labour. Albert Beaumont was charged with inciting Percy Hehnling to resist Constable H'Cowan. The magistrate, after hearing- the evidence, said:,"l regard yoji as much more . dangerous and deserving of punishment than the man who, under the stress of excitement, throws a .stone, because you stand at a safe distance'and incite others. You are lined .£2,! in default one month's hard labour."'. . William TJhpmas Turner was charged with being gujlty of threatening behaviour in Gloucester'..Street with intent to. provoke a breach of the peace. Ho pleaded guilty. Sub-Inspector liPGrath stated that it was part of the same case. Defendant had yelled, "Get to the cops! Pull tho coat off the cops!" Defendant was fined £2, in default one month's, hard labour. A week was allowed him in which to find the-money. ■ " A boy named George Allen Jf'Bean was charged with inciting Percy Helmling to resist Constable'M'Cowan, and- was fined 40s. THE ANTI-MILITARIST LEAGUE. ABLE TO HOLD THEIR OWN. I Mr. Louis P. Christy.' secretary of the Anti-Militarist league, stated to-day that tho leaguo had roughly 1000 member?, in Christchurch, including about 100 • men employed in the Addington Workshops. It had funds at its disposal, and although nothing had been decided ho knew that it would be able to nay for the damage, done to the Chcral Hall last evening, if it was/necessary that'it should pay for it. Last night they had shown'the city that they! wore not at the mercy of those who wished to break up their .meetings, and he was convinced that'a't 41:1' future tthxki ings they would be able to hold their own equally well. In all, he had had under his .command about 200 men pledged to ho'.d the. meeting, and any other meeting that the league might hold. Last night only about fifty of these men had got into the h«IU the balance being kept out v;ith the rest of the crowd. These 200 would be organised as a permanent Ho daiied that he had any knowledge that those people had forced such fighting as there was in the hall. They had been engaged in defending the doors and in keeping order. The instructions to them had been that they were to keep-order, but were not to use unnecessary _ force. They had been brought to the meeting because • a warning had been received that students and others would attempt to prevent the meeting being' held. They had worn .pieces of white ribbon as their emblem of office.