SENSATIONAL ARREST.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1902, 10 November 1913, Page 8

SENSATIONAL ARREST.

ATTEMPTED MURDER ALLEGED. COMMISSIONER OF POLICE FIRED ON. A sensational outcome of last Monday's Buckle Street riot arose on Saturday evening, when a waterside worker named Patrick James Hassett was arrested on a charge of his having attempted to murder Police Cammissioner Cullen on tlio night of November 3. It is believed that it will bo alleged against Hassett that ho fired considerably more than one shot at the Commissioner. _ It will be remembered that Commissioner Cullen was in Taranabi Street and Buckle Street at the time the riot occurred, and that .he witnessed the disturbance. Hassett had a Wntersiders' Union ticket in his pocket when he was taken in charge. The arrest was made in Martin Street on Saturday evening by Detective-Ser-goant Cassells and Detective Mason. The detectives took the man along l'aranaki Street and up Buckle Street'to the Mount Cook Police Station. There wore only a few special constables .in Buckle Street when the trio were; going through—the bulk of tlio men were enjoying tho concert arranged for them by the Citizens' Defence Committee —and Hassett made two attempts at assault.

Seeing a special, ho cried out: "Let in© at the ." H© endeavoured to attack the special, but was prevented from doing so.

A little later, as they were about to pass a special constable, who was standing with his hands in his pockets, Hassett rushed at the man, and struck him in the face. The detectives broke the force of the blow, but the defenceless special got an unpleasant smack on the nose.

For this Hassett will be charged, also with having assaulted the special constable.

The accused will appear in tho Magistrate's Court this morning.