AGED MAN IN COURT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 November 1940, Page 6

AGED MAN IN COURT

ACCUSED OF SUBVERSIVE . ACTIVITIES. MAGISTRATE’S WARNING. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. Seventy-eight years old, a pensioner and claiming that he was only trying to do the Lord’s will, John Joseph Murray, a native of Ireland, was before Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., today charged with participating in the activities of a subversive organisation known as Jehovah’s Witnesses. It was slated that when approached by the police as a result of complaints, ho admitted knowing that the literature he was selling was of a subversive nature. Murray produced a statement he wished to make. He had claimed only to be doing what the Prophet Daniel had done in his day. and that the Disciples in (heir day had also been charged with breaking the law. but the magistrate told him the Court had nothing to do with his beliefs. The Society had been declared subversive, and if Murray admitted that he was participating in it. then he was guilty.

Mr Stout convicted the defendant and ordered him to come up for sentence within twelve months, but in view of defendant's attitude added a warning if the latter persisted in his actions the Court would have to take some other steps. An adjournment till Wednesday was granted in the case of Edward Harrison. charged with having in his possession six copies of a paper with a view to facilitating the publication of

a subversive statement and three copies of another paper to the same end. Counsel said Harrison would elect to be tried by jury and would plead not guilty.