STEALS POLICE STATION

Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1928, Page 3

STEALS POLICE STATION

SYDNEY POLITICAL STUNTER

AN AUDACIOUS SEIZURE

SYDNEY, July 7

Harry Meatheringham, Domain orator, political stunter, and limelighter, the man who walked into Parliament and made history by demanding A. D. Kay’s North Sydney seat, ami who still claims to he self-appointed “dictator ” of Australia, yesterday, at Manly, was responsible for one of the most audacious actions ever dreamt of by man. Armed with nought hut what he termed the “ dinkum oil ” about the ownership of the place, he broke into tlie old Manly police station, in Sydney Road, off Corzo, opened up the front door, carried , his furniture inside from a motor lorry, which had carted it from Dee Why, admitted his wife, and said, “ This is ray house, and I defy anybody to put me out! ”

The police called on Meatheringham later, and asked him what his idea was.

Meatheringham defied them, and told them to he careful of what they did. Up till late last night lie was still occupier and owner of the police station, and the police were in the extraordinary position of being unable to eject him.

Meathcringliam first came into the rays of the public spotlight when he declared himself a disciple of Chidley, and adopted clothes similar to the bnck-to-nnture devotee’s. The incident created a sensation in .Manly, and immense crowds gathered around while the helpless police stood silently bewildered watching Meatlieringhani pull down the old police lamp above the main door, and later, slam the.door in their faces.

Meatheringham says he next proposes to take possession of Government House.

The unique stunt was the result of weeks of scheming on Meatlieringham’s part, and he staged it as “an answer to the Court’s binding him over to keep the peace, after daring to carry the Australian flag before the Red flag in the Domain.” And there can lie no doubt that the man’s action was cunning and clever.

He learned some months ago flint the Manly police, eight years ago, had vacated the old station, a line stone structure, the first portion of which was erected in 1866, and the second portion in 1889. They moved to a more modern structure around the

corner. OWNER LOST. When the lease expired, however, the police found that the owner of the land on which tlie station stands, could not he found. The deeds, also, were lost although the Police Department went to endless pains to discover them. Later on, the police ascertained that the owner of the land had died years ago. Meatheringham grew curious. He consulted a couple of barristers, the Registrar-General's Department, and other authorities on land ownership. He was given the startling information that the land belonged to nobody, and that anybody had a perfect right to take possession of the premises standing upon the land.

Counsel advised him, so the Domain celebrity says, that there was no power in the. land capable of ordering him off the place or off the land, on which it stands, in all its ancient and historic sombre solemnity.

Meatheringham was not slow to think up his stunt. He decided that he would write his name down once more in Sydney’s history.

He planned well his seizure of the old police premises. He arranged with a. friend who owns a. one-ton truck to shift his furniture and belongings from the house at Deo Why which Meatheringham rented a fortnight ago.

As the truck pulled up outside the station door, Mcathcriiighnni jumped off with a big screwdriver in his hand, arid proceeded to the rear of the station.

“MY HOME.” Presently the floor opened, and Mentlieringhn.m stood upon the threshold, his face all smiles. With an expressive gesture with his anus, lie looked up and down the street, and said. “My home.” Then, taking his wife’s hand, after the fashion of a courtier born to gallantry be led lier inside.

In the .meantime a big crowd of people had gathered, and the police appeared on the scene. Afoatlicriugham defied them to produce authority entitling them to evict him. The police decided to go in search of the counsel of their superior officers. For an hour or more they were engaged at the station in deliberating the most profound mystery of modern police activity. They could come to no other conclusion but that Afeatheringham was inside the law, so the could do nothing but leave him there.

WHEN CRISTS COAIES. After he and his wife had settled down and the crowd dispersed, Aleatheringham said: “Afy next plan is to take .possession of Government House. When the crisis comes I’ll lead the mob there, and it will be my first step towards the dictatorship. It is a funny thing, but people who believe me silly are themselves silly, because whatever Ido is correct. I still claim that I. was entiled to A. D. Kays seat in Parliament.”