ROTO ROA DISTURBANCES

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1787, 27 June 1913, Page 7

ROTO ROA DISTURBANCES

COURT PROCEEDINGS. (Dy Telegraph.—Froa» Association.) Auckland, June 26. Charges of insubordination while they were inmates of Roto lioa Reformatory Home for Inebriates, wero preferred against Charles Dunlop, George Pope, and (Sorgo Blytho at the Polico Court, before Mr. J3. C. Cutten, S.M. Mr. C. J. Tunlm appeared for the superintendent of tho Homo. Mr. Tunks, an opening, said t'hat tho informations had been laid under tho Reformatory Institutions Act, which provided for a term of imprisonment not exceeding thrco months if an inmate wero convicted of Thero' had been discontent amongst the inmates of the Home for somio tame, and this could not bo wondered at when ono considered tho heterogeneous character of tho inmates and tho reason they had been sent to the island. The men beforo the Court claimed that they had in viow the object of obtaining some improvement in tho conditions under which the inmates lived, but, like Suffragettes, although thoir object might be good, tho moans thoy employed to bring it about were not justified. Insubordination had oertainly resulted, and definite mischief had been done, such as cutting of the telephone wires, breaking windows, flooding lavatories, and fouling the_ sanitary conveniences. There was nothing, however, to connect the mon now before tho Court with any of the mischief. William Stephen Haynes, superintendent of tho institution, said ho was given a document, signed by a nuinbor of inmates, stating that thoy would attend no form of religious servioo whatever so long as lie was superintendent "of the gaol. Ho stated that Pope, on being asked why he had stopped work, replied that he was in full sympathy with tho men. Soon after that informations wero laid against the three men. Oross-examincd by Dunlop, conducted his own caso, witness said pat ho had ordered him to move from tho private boardinghouse on Juno 11. He did this because Dunlop had stated that lie was no better lookwl after there than in the other house. Tlicro was no record of bad conduct against Dunlop up to that time. Meetings were held from tunc to time on tho island, and the attoudanco was puroly voluntary. Men woro invited to speak and bring forward tiny subject they wished, . At this stage tho case was adjourned until noxt morning.