THE ROTOROA ISLANDERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3971, 30 June 1913, Page 5

THE ROTOROA ISLANDERS.

BOTH ACCUSED CONVICTED. [PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM] AUCKLAND, June 29. The hearing of the charges of insubordination against George Blythe jo sajßunn ‘doping; sapißijQ seuiup pup the Roto Roa Island Reformatory Institute, was continued yesterday, before Mr, E. C. Cuttem S.M. James Charles Dunlop, who conducted his own defence, gave evidence to the effect that at a meeting of men on Wednesday evening, June 11, he urged them to be orderly and to take care not to commit any breach of the law. He also urged the men to stand together in order to get the reforms they were advocating. He, as chairman, did not allow any discussion to take place at that meeting, as the superintendent was present, and had promised to address them oil his return from Wellington, letting them know the decision of the Army Congress on the matters. On June 13 one of the officers asked him to attend a meeting in the smoke room and to tell the men of it, but he said he didn’t care to attend, and the other men could do as they wished. Next morning Adjutant Clark asked Blythe and witness to attend at a meeting in the afternoon, but said that free discussion would be allowed. At lunch time some attended, and asked the Staff Captain Haynes whether he was going to allow discussion of the matters the men desired to bring before him. He said he was there to tn’k about work, and witness took up ins hat and said, “I need not stay then/’ As witness was going out other nui went in front of him. Regarding the statement having reference to religious service, witness wrote a. heading in the smoke room, and the men came forward and ; igned it. His object was to answer one of the by-laws that had just been put up dealing with attendance at Divine service. So far as witness personally was concerned, it was his intention to give one final notice on the subject, so that the question as to whether one l ad to attend would not he constantly i.-ed. .To Mr Tanks: He did not know of his own knowledge as a private boarder that the men had ceased working on the morning of June IJ. He was in no way connected with tho matter, but had heard the men discussing the stoppage of work and talking of it as a strike. He gathered that the men stopped work because of the resentment felt respecting statements purporting to have been made by the Superintendent. There was also a. certain amount of feeling because the fishing boats were not allowed to' go out.

Robert Stephens, an inmate of the Island, said that lie was at the meeting ou June 11, and lie did not hear Dunlop'urge the men to . continue to strike. Dunlop did not accuse the Superintendent of telling lies. On the morning of the strike Blythe was ill in bed ancl was attended by Dr. Cowan. Witness didn’t see Blythe put up a white flag when the Superintendent came back to the island. The men on the Island, were not content. Witness thought that Blythe was in no sense the leader, but just one of the mob. To Air Tunics: Work was stopped ‘because the fishing boats were held up and there was trouble about the food supply. The men were not supposed to work. They co.u.ld not refuse to obey the Superintendent’s orders when the Superintendent wasn’t there. At the conclusion of the evidence counsel addressed the Court, after which accused were convicted. Sentence will be delivered to-morrow.