WELLINGTON RIOTS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 228, 19 May 1932, Page 5

WELLINGTON RIOTS

Press Assp.

EIGHT MEN REQUIRED TO FIND BOND FOR GOOD BEHAVIOUR SIX MONTHS FOR JEWEL THEFT

— By TelesrvDb — Hopyright).

WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Eight men were convicted hy Mr. Page, S.M., to-day of inciting to lawiessness on either Tuesday or Wednesday of last week and -each was orlered to come up for sentence ff :alled upon within twelve months, conditional on entering within seven days into a bond with a surety of £50 to be of good behaviour. In the case of William Reilly (38), ".arpenter, who was sentenced on Satarday to a month's imprisonment, a rehearing was granted, and the case was brought into line with the others and a similar sentence hnposed. Thoughtless, Not Vicious Tbe Magistrate said the question of penalty had given him much anxious eonsideration. The cases differed essentially from those in which shop windows were wantonly smashed and goods looted. Though there could he no denying the seriousness of the charge of inciting to lawless he thought it probable that defendants were carried away by the prevailing exeitement and that they did not realise the danger of another conflagration being started. Their conduct was thoughtless rather than calculated or vicious; he therefore had come to the conclusion that imprisonment should not he imposed. Theft Severely Punished Harry Clarence Berney (31), storeman, was sentenced to six months for theft of jewellery. William James Baker (35), fireman who was sentenced to two months on Saturday for the theft of a glass mug, was committed to the Supreme Court for trial on charges of using indecent language, and being a rogue and a vagabond, in that he was found armed with a baton and stone with felonious intent. Two other cases were dismissed, accused being given the benefit of the doubt.