DISLOYAL AND SEDITIOUS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3029, 16 March 1917, Page 4

DISLOYAL AND SEDITIOUS

TWELVE MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT ORDERED. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, March IS. At tlio Pukekoho Police Court to-day Rafo Antunovich, aged 31, a. native of Dalmatia, was charged with having made a disloyal and seditious statement in tho hearing of his family. This is tho first case of its kind heard in the Dominion. Tho words used were: "The Kaiser is a great man, and I take off my hat to him. Tho British aTe tho biggest mugs I ever saw. My brothers are giving you a good licking now. I am a German, not an Austrian. Kitchener was the biggest mug I ever saw. Ho would not hold his candle to tho Kaiser. Tho Kaiser is a second Napoleon. He is tlio cleverest man ever torn. Thejirst thing I will do when Germany wins the war is to kick you . I would sell all my secrets to Germany. Why should I be naturalised and fight for British?"

Tho polico stated that accuscd had only been in the district a few months, and posed as a naturalised Dalmatian, but they had reason to believo that he was not naturalised. The accused's mother-in-law, Amelia TurnbuH in evidence, said that accused mads the statements at the breakfast table in tho presence of his wife and herself.

Counsel for the accußed submitted that tho case was only a family quarrel, and the Regulations woro never intended to pry into the private house. Accused denied making the statement.

Tho Magistrate, in imposing a sontenco of twolvo months' imprisonment, said that ho would place the facts before tho Minister for liim to decide whether internment should, bo substituted for imprisonment.