MUTILATING A NEWSPAPER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2082, 27 January 1920, Page 3

MUTILATING A NEWSPAPER.

IN A PUBLIC LIBRARY. MR. AYRTON FINED .15 AND COSTS. At Hu; Palmerston S.M. Court yesterday, Indore Mr J. L. Slonl, S.M., Moses Ayrton, the Labour candidate for Palmerston North, was eharged with having mutilated a newspaper in Hie Palmerslon ,N. Public Library on Heeemher Ith. Mr A. M. Ongley appeared for the defendant, and Mr F. H. Cooke for Ihe informant, the librarian, Mr Short). Mr Cooke, in opening Hie ease, said that the paper was not. id:' any great value, nor was the piece exI raided, hnl the papers were filed for one moidh for reference by Ihe public, and any damage done lo (hem reduced their value in I hat reaped. The case was similar to one heard recently when a man had been convict i-d of pulling tloWcrs in Hie Sipiarc. The value ol Hie flowers was inlinilc-imal, hui il was a practice that had lo he stopped. Maurice Kale, retired farmer, Palmerston North, said that on De-cember-Ith, at ahoul 0.20 in the afternoon, he was in the library, and -aw Mr Ayrton in (here reading the Drey River Argus. There was another man wilh Mr Ayrlon whom witness did iml know hy .name, hut who had lost an arm. lie saw Mr A vrloii clip a piece old 01. Ihe paper produced. Ahoul lour days .laler witness, in eouvewsa I ion will) the librarian, informed him 01. the malI e r.

Mr Ongley said that the defence was an absolute denial of the offence, and raised an alibi. Air Ayr-, Inn was speaking at Lonybura on Thursday eveniny, December -Ith, and was cerlainly not in the library at o.JI) pan. on that dale. Moses Ayrton, lecturer on economics, said that, on December 4th ho was mu in the library. He -ii <>lf at about four in the afternoon lor Lonyburn, where he addressed a public, meeting at eight o’clock. He said that on December bib lie wits in the library with a man named Hodgson. He remembered reading' the paper, and was in the practice of writing' note* and references from (hem. Albert liody.-on said that he spoke to Air Ayrton in the library mi December bib. Mr Ayrton was reading a paper at the lime, bat it was not mutilated. Reviewing the evidence, his h | H’ship said that there could he very little doubt' as lo Mr Ayrton having mutilated (lie paper. On the question of .ihe dale he \wis inclined to take Mr Hate's view that the paper was cut on December 4tli. It was similar to the offence committed by a well-known resident of the town in cutting tlowers in the Square. They were both offences that were serious of their kind, and both offenders were semi-public men who should know better and set a better example lo the public. The defendant would he convicted and fined the .full amount permissible under the by-law —£5. Costs amounting' lo £2 Ifs were also entered against defendant.