STRIKE RIOT TRIALS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1980, 10 February 1914, Page 9

STRIKE RIOT TRIALS.

SUCCESSFUL AIM. ACQUITTAL BY A SECOND JURY, His Honour tho Chief Justice. Sir Robert Skrat, presided in the Supreme Court, yesterday, when John Edward Harrington was set forward for re-trial on charges* of having taken part iii tho Waterloo Quay riot of November 30, and of having assaulted certain special constables wnilo in the execution of their duty. Ho pleaded not guilty, and Mr. V. 3. O'-ttegau defended. Mr. P. S. K. Macassoy represented the Crown. The Waterloo _Qnay riot was the strike disturbance which took pla-cd at the Pos"t and Telegraph Stores about 10.30 on tho morning of October 80. A small body of special constables had arrwed from Palmerston North on the previous ovening, and while between twenty and thirty of these meft vrero attending to their horses in tho yard on tile- morning in question, a crowd numbering about 1000 rushed from Post Office Square to tho enclosure, and tho special constables were compelled to ride arvay. Tho polico charge indicated Harrington as having been very noticeable oh that occasion. Sergeant M'tJlono, of Dunedin,- who spent some time hero <m stiiko duty, posed that Harrington had taken a prominent part in the riot, Hβ had rushed about in an excited manner with what appeared to bo a small -"black revolver in his hand.. , s Constable Eado swore- positively that lie saw Harrington taking part in tho riot, and that accused had -a revolver in his hand. Ho heard Harrington say;"Come'on! We will shoot the - —► 1 Wo will shoot tho scabs f" ' In tho course of ttoir widens©, the uniformed constables stated that when they noticed Harrington nt tho riot ho had a dark moustache. Pctective-Sergt. Cassells and Detective Maso'i stated that he had a very slight top-lip growth when they arrested- him on Novetaber U.Harrington, in evidence, swore that jvlst before the date of i:3ie riot lie had no moustache whatever. As a girl friend objected, to Ms being,, clean shaven, however, bo allowed his moustache io- .grow again. The detectives would, be about right when they said that ho had a slight growth on November.l 4, two weeks after tho riot. Harrington called .Tainea Braithwaite, a friend, who corroborated the- statement that ho hsd no nioueiacho .en the dato of the strike. John Woods, a- Harbour Board clerk, and Florenco R-asson, of Newtown, deposed that Harrington had no moustache on October 27. Harrington's defence ww an alibi. He stated that at the timo df tl» riot he was at Mrs. O'OanneU's, In Sago's Lane. This was the place whfrro lie was lodging. .' " / Mrs. O'Connell- corroborated tho fore-, going statement. During the course of tho hearing Ha> rincton mentioned tliat he was not a striker, altho-isii "his sympathies were with the men who -were , out. Ho addprl, however, that he dicl not agree with some of tho tactisa n{ tlio strikers. Mr, O'Reean 'addressed tJio jury. He contended that the Crown-had Hotdischarged the omis of proving -tlio' charge, and that tli'p innocence of the accused had been* vindicated. He added that -he- wished to.snotially compliment Detective-Sergeant ChsseHs and Pete©tivo Mason, for- ttie cr.septional fairness of their evidence: * The jury was in retirement less than half an liour,. and theft returned with a verdict of not guilty. Harrington wa3 then discharged. * ,