CHARGES OF INCITING

Hokitika Guardian, 18 May 1932, Page 6

CHARGES OF INCITING

EIGHT MEN CONVICTED,

(By Telegraph —ter tress Association)

WELLINGTON, May 18

Eight men were' convicted by Mr Page, S.M., to-day, of inciting lawlessness on either Tuesday or Wednesday of last week, and each was ordered to come up for sentence if called on within twelve months, conditional on entering, within seven days,'in a- bond with a surety of £SO, to be of good behaviour. The men were—Patrick Dolan, alias Michael Dermody, 46, a, labourer; Bernard’Charles Whitlow, 20, a labourer ; Gustavus Harold Kitchener Isaacs, 18, a presser; William Victor Guilford Hargreaves 21, a labourer; 1 rank Parker, 24, labourer; Reginald Patrick Johnston, 30, a steward; Thomas M) U't-i/n Wilkelly, 22, a labourer, Bertram Charles Ross, 54, a cook. In the case of William Reilly, 38, a carpenter, sentenced on Saturday to a month, rehearing ' was granted, and the case brought into line with the others and a similar sentence was iny posed. The Magistrate said the question of penalty had given him much anxious consideration. The cases differed essentially from those in which shop windows were wantonly smashed, and goods looted. Though there could :be no denying the seriousness of the charge of inciting lawlessness, he thought it probable that the defendants were carried away by the prevailing excitement and that they did not realise the danger of another conflagration 'being '.started.. Their eonduct was thoughtless, rather than calcalculated or vicious. He therefore had come to the conclusion that imprisonment should not be imposed. A charge against Marius Petersen, 44, a labourer, of wilfully breaking a window was dismissed, owing to a doubt.

Harry Clarence Berney, 31, a storeman, was sentenced to six months’ for theft of jewellery.

A charge against George Stanley Pegley, 33, a labourer, who had elected trial by jury, was dismissed, owing to the doubt of intent.

William James Baker, 35, a fireman, who was sentenced to two months’ on Saturday for theft of a glass mug, was committed to the Supreme Court for trial on charges of using indecent language, and being a rogue and vagabond; in that ho ua-s found armed with a baton and stone, with felonious intent. This ends the riot cases.