THE STRIKE TRIALS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1979, 9 February 1914, Page 3

THE STRIKE TRIALS

-—... ■■ ' THIRTEEN SENTENCES. HASSETT IMPRISONED FOR TWO YEARS. i NO PROBATION GRANTED. ANOTHER JURY DISAGREES. Thirteen prisoners who took part in strike disturbances were sentenced in tho Supreme Court by His Honour the Chief Justice {Sir Robert Stout) on Saturday. The heaviest sentence was that of two years' imprisonment' imposed on Patrick Ha.ssett, tins man who was mixed up in a disturbance ia which Police-Commissioittr Cttllen was iircd at. This sentence on Hassett was for having taken part in the riot in /Parana ki Street oil November 3, and it was tho maximum term. The riot, occurred near tho military barracks, and liassett had three charges against him. Qii two arising out of tho allegation that be bad fired • a revolver at Commissioner Cullen, the jury-found hini not guilty, but lis was i'mind guilty of having taken part in the; riot. ■ When he was set forward for sentence,' Hassett's counsel (Mr. P. J. O'Regan)' stated that the prisoner's trouble was drink, and stated that ho was a married man, and had seven children. ' His Honour intimated that he wouM give Hassett. the utmost penalty of the law—two years' imprisonment with hard labour. Prior to.passing sentence, His Honour remarked that the report concerning Hassett was a bad one. "Respecting ' other, eases, His Honour stated at the outset that lie would not allow probation. ' "A Dangerous Man." , Albert Anderson,- an os-strikw, wlio is serving a ) sentonce< of six months 1 .imprisonment 111 default of obtaining sureties of tho peace, was placed in the. dock on charges of having taken part in an unlawful assembly in Manners .Street, and of having taken., part in the riot on Queen's Wharf on October "4. Mr. O'Regan said that the man had been in gaol since November 19, and was a hard worker. His Honour said that Anderson bad followed tho .special/constables, and had behaved as one of the .criminal class. He had been in trouble for Various offences previously, and appeared'to bo a .dangerous man when in liquor. . He was of a bad character. The senfencs of tho Court would be twenty months* I imprisonment on'the . two counts. His Unlucky' Act. ' W alter Burton, a married man of 23 years, for whom Mr. O'Regan made a special plea, partly on account of the stato of his wife's health, appeared for sentence for having participated in the Featherston Street riot- of November 6. Burton had admitted taking part in the riot, but stated bis trouble had arisen through his remonstrating with a. mail ■who had cuffed a Telegraph messenger. Burton saw the iad cuffed, but says that lie did not. know that the lad was punislied because lie bad been stonethrowing. However, trouble arose; and this led to Burton's arrest.. His Honour stated that lio could not admit to probation men who had committed offence..? of this nature, and be sentencod Burton to..cig!it months' imprisonment. Seamen Sentenced. "■ A l ''seaman forty years of age, namrd < John Troy, who'lras'Teprcsemted bv Mr. H. F. O'Loary, was sentenced for ilm J assault causing bodily harni. His Honour took-tho man's previous'good character into' consideration, and made the term of imprisonmei.it four' months. Man With Revolver, ■ Charles I rederick BeaUinont appealed for sontoneo for haying taken part in tho Post Office, stores riot of October 30. Mr. O'Regan said that when arrested Beaumont had had a revolver in his possession, and that that was. an unfortunate circumstance, but that be had not liafl tho weapon at the factual time of tho riot. . His Honour remarked that tho revolver was loaded. Mr. O'Regan thought that Beaumont should be convicted and ordi-red to appoar for sentence if called oft. His Honour roplied that ho Sould not overlook the fact that Beaiimont Ayas one of the? leading men in a riot wiiore four revolvers were seoii. His sentence would bo nine mouths' imprisonment with bard labour. , Eccentric Saboteur. The breakage of a wharf barrier was the offence of William Parker, an elderly man, whom Mr. O'Regan described as eccentric. Counsel said that Parker had not denied his offence, and was a respectable man, who had simply been one of an angry crowd who bad surged over the harrier. Tho fact that Parker had committed sabotage and had not .assaulted people was considered by the Chief Justice, who remarked, however, ,ihat Parker had been concerned in other offences. That fact, he said, could not be overlooked, and Parker would receive a sentence of seven months' 'imprisonment with hard labour. / British Army Man. Thomas Acklaud, Ivho had been found guilty of taking part in aft unlawful assembly in Waterloo. Quay, and of having used ohseone language, was represented by Mr. O'Regan, who haaded in the prisoner's discharge from the British Army, and observed chat his conduct and character while with tho colours were reported to have been very good. In sentencing Ackland- to twelve months' imprisonment with hard labour, His Honour stated hp Amid not overlook the fact that Ackjand had been a leader of the crowd on the night on which the special constables came into the city. Tho Glass Thrower. Max Wolfe, thirty-two years of .age, appeared for sentence for having assaulted a special -constable in a bar of Barrett's Hotel, % throwing a glass at him, and. for having used obscene language on that occasion. Mr. P. J. O'Regan, who appeared for him. said that he could not palliate the offence, but asked. His Honour to consider that AVolfo had pleaded guilty, and had been in gaol sinco November 19. _ Wolfe was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment with hard labour. Rush on Rlmulaka. Robert_ James Christopher Sea), -who asked His Honour to be lenient with him because it was six years silica he had been in prison, and because i-e intended to leave New Zealand after sewing his sentence, was sentenced to seven months' imprisonment for breaking a wharf barrier. Tho offence took place on tho dato wiiiell tho Rimi.itako was rushed. His Honour described Seal's address from the dock as a manly speech, 1 Austrian Gaoled, Antonio Stuparieli, for whom Mr. O'Regan spoke, was sentenced to twelve 'months' imprisonment' for having taken part , in t)io - riot in Waterloo Quay on October 30. , Stuparieli is mi Austrian, and he stated, through Mr. o'Regan,-that it tfas

his habit t<i contribute, to t.li» support of his mother, w!i!) lives in Austria. Another Revolver Man. _ I'iilward a .soamaii wljosih ramily live in Yorlisliirp, presented a number ol ''V.G." discharges when he appeai'cd to b-n sentenced for .having taken part in a- riot near the main wharf gates on October 20. Mis Ilonour remarked that the prisoner had been, seen iisii).£ a revolver in a crowd, and sentenwd him to one year nii-d nino months' imprisonment with hard labour. Two Other Prisoners. Nine months' imprisonment with hard labour was meted out to Carl Johnson, who had takeii part in an unlawful assembly in Fcatherston Street- on November 5. A sailor,-Robert Stephens, newly arrived in. New Zealand at strike time, appeared to bo sentenced for tho breakage of a wharf harrier oil October 25. He received three months' imprisonment. FEtVrHERSTON STREET RIOT, JURY DISAGREES. _ Tho only strike trial in the Supremo Court on. Saturday was that of George Johnston,, a young man, who was ejaas'ped with having taken part- in tho Featlierston Street- riot of November 3. Johnston, who was defended'by Mr. E. J. Fitzfiibbon, pleaded not gniity. Mr. P. S. K, Macas-sey conducted tho caso For the. Crown. Robert Mackenzie Watson, barrister and solicitor, gave evidence that the state of the riot was sucli that there wcro showers, almost cloiuls, or stones flying in the direction of the special constables. lie saw Johnston in the. i portion of tho crowd from which tho stones were coming.. He did not see Johnston throwing stones, but ho saw st-qnes in his possession. . Sylvester Hale, another special constable., who was stationod lit tho ■ grounds at Government Buildings, st-a> j ed that he saw 'stones'm Johnston's pos- ] session, but did not sec him thrmv any-. tiling. ' | Evidence was given also by Francis H, Galviu, , -S. Eickelbaum, and Alan Focke. 1 , Tho jury disagreed, and a. new' trial was ordered.