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(From page 1) Mrs. Austin says the call came between 5:20 and 5:30 p.m. "We were told to walk out of the house with up, towards the patrol car," she While SWAT police interrogated Richard Austin in the bushes, Mr. and Mrs. Austin and Linda were still leaning against the van hands up. As the sun began to set, all three, none of whom had sweaters, began to cool off and Police never did find the man they were looking for that day but they did find a .22 pistol under Mrs. Austin's mattress that she kept on hand "'just in case we ever needed it for the dogs. They're fighting dogs and said. "At first, Rick and Linda thought it was Linda began to shiver. sometimes they get out of hand." a joke, because we couldn't even see a patrol "'Sure we were complaining about the cold," She claims the gun was a wedding present 17 car, but I told them it wasn't a joke, so we Mrs. Austin said. "Our teeth were chat- years ago and because she brought it up from went outside." tering." : 'the United States (where she used to live), it Parked in front of the garage was the Austins' van, and when the family approached it, Mrs. Austin said, "A guy with a sub- machine gun stepped out of the bushes and told us to put our hands up." A second SWAT team member appeared from another angle, weapon drawn and poin- "At one point, I actually thought they were a movie," Mrs. Austin recalled. "I didn't know what was going on." She says one of the policemen then told the group to step backwards and put their out- hands against the van. She claims they were also ordered not to look at the policemen. Richard Austin was then singled out, at which time, Mrs. Austin says, two pairs of into the bushes by police. "We kept asking what they wanted but they wouldn't tell us," Francis Austin said. "What they wanted" turned out to be a man in his early 30's named Ronald Aubin, a suspect involved in a murder in- vestigation in Quebec who failed to return to court for testimony. In a strange series of coincidence, Quebec Provincial Police followed a trail of clues that ~ led investigating officers to Durham Region - and the Austin family. According to Detective Reg Webster of Durham Regional Police (who, along with Detective Jim Adams, led the April 13th raid), Aubin had "the same description" as Richard Austin. Both were approximately the same age with moustaches, and small beards. What's more Linda Austin had dated Ronald Aubin a few years ago, after June Austin had sold Aubin a pit bull dog (the couple run a breeding business out of their home called Blackstock Kennels.) There were many reasons to link the Austins with the Quebec fugitive, but as police discovered, Richard Austin was not the man they were looking for. In the same vein, Ronald Aubin was not present at the Austin house on the day of the raid. June Austin says the police knew her son wasn't the man they were looking for one half . hour after the raid began, but the entire in- cident lasted nearly three hours. Eventually, Mrs. Austin and Linda were led to an unmarked police cruiser parked up the highway. Richard was brought to another cruiser, Mrs. Austin says, and placed in it with his feet out. Mr. Austin remained beside the van, wearing short sleeves. "I didn't know what they wanted from us," Mrs. Austin said. "The only thing they asked us was our names. Richard, he never said much." ' "He never says much," her husband added. '"'He's a born-again Christian." Although Mr. Austin admits his son had been in trouble with the law before, he claims his Christian son has been law-abiding for a long time now. Outside, there was much activity as cruisers with other police officers stopped by and carried on. Inside the cruiser that con- tained Mrs. Austin and Linda, Detective Web- ster and the two women talked, and as time wore on, even joked together. But when Linda asked to go inside to use the bathroom and get a sweater, she was refused. The heat was not turned on inside the car, Mrs. Austin says, until the ordeal was nearly over until one of the policemen complained that he, too, was getting cold. During this time Mrs. Austin says she was asked several times if anyone else was in the house. She replied no. And then, sometime between 7:30 and8 p.m. the SWAT team conducted a search throughout the house. As a result, Mrs. Austin says, her home was left ""a disaster." When the family was eventually allowed back inside, they discovered mud tracked all through the house, a hole kicked in a kitchen cupboard wall, broken hinges on the kitchen swinging doors, sheets ripped off the beds, mattresses off the springs and clean laundry strewn on the floor. "I came in and there were spices all over the kitchen floor, mud in every room, everywhere, ground in," Mrs. Austin said, shaking her head. "I'll need to rent a steam cleaner to get the dirt out." : At that point, the Austins got angry. ~ "Of course I said something," Mr. Austin said. "I was mad." "I'asked them if they were born in a barn and if they'd pay the bill to have the house steam cleaned," Mrs. Austin added. "I was almost at the point of hysteria." was never registered in Canada. "Sometimes it is absolutely necessary to kill an animal," Mrs. Austin said. "To tell you the truth, however, we'd forgotten we even had the thing." Detective Webster and his crew confiscated the gun and are still deciding whether or not to press charges against Mrs. Austin for possessing an unregistered gun. If she isn't charged, Detective Webster says, she can always file to have the gun registered and claim it again. Having the gun taken from them angered the Austins but not as much as the attitude of SWAT team members at the scene. "She was polite, very polite," Mr. Austin said, gesturing to his wife, "but I was as mad as hell. What made us so mad was we didn't know what the hell was going on." Mrs. Austin says Detectives Webster and Adams were "nice, very polite", but she was angry about the attitudes of the other men. "It's the SWAT team that I'm really mad at," she said. 'Really, they were nasty." And although Detective Webster explained at the end of the incident exactly what had happened and said he "understood how they felt," he offered no word of apology. When interviewed by the Star on Monday morning, he still refused to apologize "No, I don't think so," he said, when asked if he 1 would consider dropping the Austins a note of apology. "They seemed to be fully aware and understanding at the time." On the other hand, an apology is all the Austins want, they told the Star last Wed- nesday. They don't really expect the police department to pick up -the tab for steam cleaning but they would appreciate their returned and a simple '""I'm sorry." "Even if we got the gun back and they said they're sorry, it would be worth it,"' Mr. Austin said. "It was an embarassment to our business. I mean, if somebody drove by and The incident has changed the attitudes of the Austins towards police completely. Both have clean records with the law, they have friends and relatives who are policemen, and they've sold dogs to members of various for- ces, "How can I respect the law now?" Mr. Austin said. Severe weather season Ontario's 1986 severe weather fetvissusant | Canada's Weal tar sch runs from April to October season has s withit service urges all Ontario res ts each year. thunderstorms, hail set Sarr to be alert for signs of severe "The damage and destruction tornadoes. , weather throughout the season, witnessed in Barrie last year is a tragic reminder that tornadoes can and do occur in Ontario," said En- BABA'S GREYSTONE vironment Minister Tom McMillan. Starting today, through October, FAST FOOD EQUESTRIAN a senior m at the Toron- OUTLET CENTRE to forecast office will be dedicated to observing and forecasting condi- | Port Perry tions that could lead to severe i weather and then issuing the ap- ices Lawn Bowling Club BAYSHORE propriate. 'watches ong the ap- - _ings',"" added Mr. McMillan. He Inner 0 went on to stress, "Watches will be issued whenever there is a general threat over the next few hours. The watches will be upgraded to warn- WINNER Jim Fowler, -- Oshawa -- EMIEL'S PLACE PORT PERRY HIGH SCHOOL, -- proudly presents -- Summer Breeze Our Annual Showease of Bands & Choirs Hear performances by JAZZMERIZE, THE SENIOR WIND ENSEMBLE, and the award. winning CONCERT BAND. Also featured are the CONCERT CHOIR, STAGE BANDS, and the PREMIERE PERFORMANCE of 'JAZZMERIZE 11" and "GENERAL DELIVERY". WED., MAY 7th - 7:30 P.M. At the PORT PERRY HIGH SCHOOL ADMISSION: $3.00; Seniors & Students $2.00; Children under 12 FREE (limit $6./ family) begins ings when severe weather is t. " i Environment Canada's weather service will be using all means at its disposal, from high technology radar to volunteer weather wat- chers, to give Ontario residents as much advance warning as possible of impending storms. These ings PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, April 29, 1986 -- 27 Mother's Day tradition Researchers at Hallmark Cards have found that some form or other of tribute to Mother's Day has been paid since Antiquity. Observance of Mother's Day now 'occurs on the second Sunday in May in many countries around the world. This is largely due to the efforts of an -- Anna Jarvis -- who, though not a mother herself, cam- paigned vigorously in the States dur. ing the early 1900's to have a special day designated in honour of mothers. Anna Jarvis, won a pro- clamation by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in 1914 that touch- Mothers were honoured other. wise, however, for centuries prior to he Wilson proclamation. Ankent tory contains many examples o. mother worship and mother god- desses. In 204 B.C., at the time Han- nibal invaded Italy, for example, the oracles were asked what should be done to stop the approaching calamity. It was declared that a foreign foe could only be driven out of Italy if the Idaean Mother were brought to the scene. This goddess, embodied in a small black meterorite, was installed in the tem- ple of Victory on the Palantine and remained there until Hannibal left for Africa, the crisis over. In ancient Greece, Cybele, Mother of the gods, was honoured with rites which were held in woods and fields in spring. According to Hallmark research, this practice was in- troduced to Rome in about 250 B.C., when, during the festival of Hilaria held in honour Cybele (Rhea), peo- ple would feast and dance for three days. MOTHERING SUNDAY The spread of Christianity chang- ed these tributes dramatically in later centuries, adding a new dimension of dignity and some solemnity. For years a holiday honouring mothers was observed by an ecclesiastical order on St. Anne's + Day (mother of the Virgin Mary). It came on the fourth Sunday in Lent, but later the gentry discontinued its . celebration although the clergy en- couraged its observance. In the 17th century it os {he custom for young people who to live away from home, apprenticed or in domestic service, to 80 home on the fourth Sunday in Lent to visit Sunday." The traditional gift for : g ~ version of Mother's Day was a to the tradition thought the cakes were footstools. On '"'Mothering Sunday" it was necessary for the sons and daughters to attend to the household duties and to prepare the dinner so that the mother could go the morn- ing church service. Thus England 'was really observing a Mother's Day long before the present-day holiday was established. The obser- vance of ** Sunday" still persists in certain parts of western England and simnel cakes are still especially made and sold for the occasion.