The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MAY 6, 1905. ASSAULTS ON POLICE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1447, 6 May 1905, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MAY 6, 1905. ASSAULTS ON POLICE.

If the dignity of the law is ‘to he Upheld, it .will be necessary, for magistrates to ;act much more severely than lias recently been the case in regard to attacks on the police, In Napier a fine of £5 was all that was imposed in the case o£ a man who not only savagely fought the police when an endeavor was being made to arrest faim, but kicked and (bit at a ‘gentleman who had been, called on to assist the gifardian of the peace. The culprit perhaps should not be blamed for the ‘‘■.disgraceful scene that : ensued through the larrikin conduct I of some of the onlookers ; but for his own misbehavior he ought to ha,ve been sharply, brought to account. Policemen can hardly bo cx- l pectcd to rid the streets of such I characters if, in .doing their duty, I they are jeered, at and jostled by I the Spectators, and then, having f siecured an offcju'der, find that the I magistrate regards the man’s sav.ag- I

ery in qiuita a tolerant mood. But tod as was tfep Napier case, that at v\aihi was a disgrace to the colony. Men who threw stones anil other missies with the object of maiming [ polices "deserve a good deal more than to ho fined, a few pounds. From itho statements made there seems to have been a deliberate intention to seize the first opportunity to injure the Sergeant of Police and other members of the force, and to ‘a certain extent the design was successful. It was a class of offence that shiouidj hajve been very, severely dealt .Withy