OTAHUHU.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 424, 8 November 1918, Page 2

OTAHUHU.

ALLEGED SEDITIOUS UTTERANCE At the Otahuhu Magistrate's Court before lir F. K. Hunt, B.M. on Monday last Charles P. W. Longdill, a Government Life Insurance canvasser was charged that at Otahuhu on September 20th, 1918, he did publish a statement indicating disloyalty in respect of the present war, to wit, " German Royalties are just as good as our Royalties, we are the same breed as the Germans. The Germans are just as good as the British." Defendant, who pleaded not guilty, and was represented by Mr V. R. Meredith, of Auckland, while Sergeant Harvey, of Otahuhu, prosecute! on behalf of the Police Department. Sergeant Harvey, in outlining the facts, said information was laid under the War Regulations, gazetted on September 4th. 1916. The disloyal Bsatement was alleged to have been uttered in the Commercial room of the Criterion Hotel, Otahuhu. Isiah Fallowes, manager of the Criterion Hotel deposed that defendant was a frequent boarder at the hotel. Witness had had various conversations with him in respect of the present war. On the evening of September 20th about 7 p.m. he was in the commercial room of the hotel. Defendant came in. Witness was reading the evening paper and remarked to accused on the favourable position the Allied armies.had gained on the Western front. Defendant replied " the war is a long wajr from being done yet. This war is not over yet. The Germans are not beaten yet." Discussion followed and defendant did not appear to be at all British. Witness said to defendant " I don't know but our boys will smack them up." Defendant replied " Germany's not half beaten yet. Witness then remarked that it would not be long before the Germans were beaten, whereupon defendant said " Anyhow the Germans are as good as us." Witness spoke of the Royal family and defendant remarked " The Kaiser is as good as . our King. Our Kingis German and so are we." Witness accused Longdill of being disloyal and said if he had witnesses he would have him interned. Cross-examined: He (witness) never stated that the English would go slowly into Germany and would torture the Germans. Witness did not take much notice of the general conversation but remembered the disloyal utterances and challenged defendant on that point. Defendant did not say he was more loyal than witness because he (witness) was not carrying out the Efficiency Board's recommendation relative to the sale of liquor. The liquor question was not mentioned. When the question of defendant's disloyalty cropped up defendant submitted a letter from the Hon A. M. Myers but witness would not read it. He did not ask Longdill to sign a petition on the liquor question. Defendant did not lay down his theories as to how " Peace of the World" could be attained. Percy Sealey, dealer, a boarder at the hotel stated that he remembered the conversation at the commercial room and heard defendant say " The German Royalties are better bred than the English." Witness reminded defendant that the words uttered were somewhat out of place The defendant also said " the Germans had us beat." On account of the accused's disloyalty the rest of the boarders at the hotel refused _ to dine at the same table with him. When LongdilTs loyalty was challenged Longdill got up and said he was not disloyal. Cross-examined—He had never read Longdill's articles on economic questions. When accused's loyalty was challenged in the dining room he denied being disloyal but did not deny it when challenged in the commercial room. He (witness) reported the matter to the police but had never rehearsed the case with anyone. William John Williams, licensee of the Hotel, stated that he heard defendant say " The Kaiser is as good a man as the King of England "to which the witness, Fal- , lowes, replied that accused was not a fit man to be at large and that he ought to be interned. This dosed the case for the prosecution. Mr Meredith said the defence was a complete denial of the charge. The defendant, he stated, was quite loyal and was well up in economic questions. Ho held strong views on what should eventuate and how all troubles should be settled after the war. A man with such broad views as defendant was foolish to argue on such questions with men not fully qualified and conversant with huge problems. These men would naturally be inclined to think a man was a pro-German. Giving evidence on his own behalf, the defendant said what occurred was that Fallowes first said, " We've got the Germans beaten alright now," to which the defendant replied " I suppose we have." Fallows then said '' We could beat them to-mor-row if we wanted to, but we just want to go to Germany and torture them for what they have done." He (defendant) said " We want to run no chances, but must get them out of Belgium and France. To talk about torture, you are making yourself as bad as the Germans." Fallowes remarked that he would like to see the whole German nation wiped out, whereupon he (defendant) interposed that "It is not the German people that are bad, but the Kaiser. -There are good and bad Germans." The argument seemed to get fairly warm, when he (defendant) stated that all nations should organise a better system of government. Fallowes did not take the view, because he did not think they would ever unite with Germany. When Fallowes said he should be

interned, he (defendant! remarked he was more loyal than he because he had not car tied out the Board's recommendations on the liquor question. He never said that the Kaiser was a better retail than K»'n(r George. His Worship remarked that he did not believe defendant was inten tionally disloyal, but he could nut question the bona fides of the (3. witnesaee who had no object in getting into the witness box and swearing that defendant frun disloyal. Replying to Sergeant Harvey, defendant said he had never previously been accused of being disloyal Erior to this occasion, and no out. ad ever accused him of (*■ rw >n sympathies. In answer to His Worship,-the

defendant explained that h° was born in Auckland, and his father and mother were born in England. In further reply to Sergeant Harrey, dfem'ant claim* d that he was telling the truth, and that the (3) previous witnesses were telling lies. The idea of uniting with the Germans after the w»r gut the o;Ler men's blood up. He was quite loyal He had been (8) years in the Government service. Mr Meredith said there was no doubt about defendant's loyalty. The witnesses had evidently misunderstood defendants and had misconstrued his statements. Counsel went on to say that it would be a fearful thing to defendant for him to be convicted on such a charge, as it would mean ruin for life. Referring to the regulations, Mr Meredith said that it stated that " anything in respect of the present war." He (counse.l) questioned whether an argument on Royalties was in respect of the present war, and he asked His Worship to consider that point. The Magistrate said he would look into the matter, and would reserve judgment. At the Otahuhu Magistrate's Court, last Monday, seven boys were charged that at Otahuhu on October 20th they did place an obstruction (to wit, a quan'ity of scoria rocks} upon a public road— viz., tho Great South Road, Otahuhu—whereby life and limb were endangered. Defendants pleaded guilty, and His Worship (Mr F. K. Hunt, 8.M.) adjourned tie case for three months, on condition that the boys were chastised by their parents. He severely cautioned them, and added that for three months they were not

to go out at csght, and ere not to attend a picture show of any sort in the meantime. The Magistrate pointed out to the (Senders the danger that existed when such an obstruction was placed across a main highway.