Throwing stones at a Chinaman

Racial tolerance was always a problem in Australia, and especially on the goldfields where throwing stones at a Chinaman was a boyhood prank.

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In August 1881 five boys were charged, and three Redan boys were found guilty of stone throwing and given large fines. One of the boys actually testified against three others: "Five boys, named respectively David Cooper, John Kelly, Dennis M'Kay, Andrew Connaughton, and Thomas Glasgow were charged by Constable Doyle with pelting a Chinaman named Ah Ley. Mr Finlayson appeared for defendants, and Sub-inspector Kennedy prosecuted. Ah Loy deposed that he was a rag and bone picker, and resided at the Chinese Camp. Remembered 2 o'clock on Friday last. He was picking up rags. He saw all the prisoners before the court throwing stones at him. He tried to get away, but the boys followed, and continued pelting him. He asked a European for protection. The locality was close to the Pleasant street stone quarries. He could identify all the boys, as they had thrown stones at him some time before. On the day in question there were five stones thrown at him, only one of which struck him, and that was on the leg. He was sure that the stone that struck him was thrown by David Cooper. Mary Ann Russell, a little girl, deposed that she lived at Redan. Last Friday she saw all the boys except Kelly throwing stones at the Chinaman Ah Loy. To Mr Finlayson—Was sure they were not throwing stones at a dog. Thomas Griffiths deposed that he was a miner, living at Redan. Remembered seeing the Chinaman on Friday afternoon last. Could not recognise the boys before the court as the ones who threw the stones. Mr Finlayson contended, that there was not a shadow of evidence against Glasgow or Kelly, and that therefore they should, be discharged. The true facts were that the other boys were pelting a dog. Kelly was then discharged and called as a witness. He deposed that on the afternoon in question the, boys were hunting some dogs, when one of them threw a atone at Ah Loy, but could not say which one of them it was. The chairman then said that he discharged Glasgow, but found Cooper, M'Kay, and Connaughton guilty, and fined them each £3, with 2s 6d costs, in default one month's imprisonment."

At a Redan students reunion in April 1926 some of the older men looked back fondly on their crimes, but one did apologise for throwing stones at a Chinaman. "WHEN WE WERE BOYS Old Students Recall Their School Misdeeds BALLARAT, Tuesday. — 'The boy' was discussed at several Eastertide reunions. Col. G. H. Ellngsen said, at the Redan reunion, the bad boy often turned out a success in after life. The good boy was often good merely because he had not energy enough to be anything else. At the same reunion a letter was read from Mr A. A. Paape, managing proprietor of the Grand Hotel, Dunedin, in which he stated that, he was 'a regular little devil at school' himself, but offered an annual prize for the best boy. The Rev. S. J. Hoban, Superintendent of the Central Methodist Mission, wrote apologising for his absence, and recalled some childhood episodes, one of which was throwing things at a Chinaman."