T. E. TAYLOR, M.P.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 75, 24 April 1909, Page 6

T. E. TAYLOR, M.P.

THE RAID ON HIS HOUSE. AND HOW HE MET IT. About half-aa-hour after midnight, oil tlie night of the rowdy "Dreadnought" meeting, when Mr. Taylor "was having his supper, there was a knock at his door.- Mrs. Taylor went to the door, and told Mr. Taylor that eight or nine young men were waiting outside, and wished to to him. .Mr. Taylor went out and closed the door behind him, and askfrd them what they wanted with him. They said they wanted to hear what he had to say in regard to tlie Dreadnoughts. "At this time of the night?" he asked. On their repeating the statement, he asked them if they ■would come in. 'Hui wc smoke in here?" one of them demanded. ''What, in my house!" Mr. Taylor asked, lie turned to Mrs. Taylor, who had come to the door, and asked her to bring him a light, flexible cane or switch he kept in one of his rooms. When he received this he shut the door and, standing on a slight rise above the men, who were now close to him, told them that he must protect his property, and that if they did not leave immediately he would ..use his cane on the nearest man, at any rate, and would try to use it 011 the others. They were now in a state of bravado, and apparently did not' take Mr. Taylor seriously, they refused to leave and came closer. Mr. Taylor raised his cane and slashed the nearest man across the neck and face. Ho gave a howl of pain and rushed away. In the meantime, Mrs. Taylor had gpne for assistance and a neighbor came on the scene. The men went back down the garden path and out of the gate. Mr. | Taylor following with his cane in hand. They began to gather gravel and stones from the roadway. He threw away his cane, and told them that the differences between them and him could be settled. lie asked them what on earth had induced them to go to I him at that hour and in that way. "Are you drunk?'' lie saW. They replied that they were perfectly sober, but that they wished to discuss the Dreadnought question with him. He told them that the best thing they could do was to go home, as they had already made themselves liable to severe punishment, and that, as a matter of fact, the police were already on their way to the scene of the "raid.' They received this as a little bluff, and were beginning to scoff at. a ,statement which they regarded as a subterfuge when the constables came up the hill.! The "raiders" then realised that tliev j had been out-gcneralled; they ndmitte'.| ' their defeat and apologised. ' The eon- I stables asked Mr. Taylor if he would lay an information against them, but I lie declined to do so. and requested that nothing more should be heard of the | affair in ally way, publicly or privately, j Ife shook hands with all the '"'raiders'.-" ' After one of them hud complimented ' hill! on his courage they (leparicd and ! -lime back to (own again, with a fixed idea, apparently, that Mr. Taylor was r, - fellow, and » stouter' adversary ihui they had anticipated. ' j