RIOT AT AUCKLAND

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1010, 28 December 1910, Page 5

RIOT AT AUCKLAND

RACE MEETING BROKEN-UP.^ THE MOB TAKES COMPLETE CHARGE. ; \ ; . DISGRACEFUL SCENE. '; : f (By ' Teleffrapli-Pross'.: Association.) ■:■■ \ -, ... .Auckland,,Deceinber,27.".'» : ' .. Perhaps the most disgraceful: occurrence.:':■ which has ever'taken place on aNew-Zea^ '■': land racecourse marked the'.open-ing-of'■ the Auckland Trotting,.Club's-summei-....! meeting,at-Alexandra -Tark this , , .after-;.,' noori. As a result of the trouble: only ■: three out of eight races on the programme -' were run. ■-, ■.."■' .'.'. . : -..■■'• '^il': , '. ■;■,. The first two races were got off well up]; to time, ami the starters lor the Pony" Cup—an event for gallons—ranged "up '■}, . at the Harrier, within a few nlinutes pi';'. : the timo advertised on the card.' It: was, soon evident that, the starter ■ (Jfr. ' : C.' ■' (O'Connor), who.-also officiates- for . the: ■;■ Auckland Racing Club and several other'.; ■■ important bodies, was going to;have sorae^ '■" trouble, as several-horees proved rather ;; restive. Prophesied was■ especially trouble.-.; some, his rider (Julian) seeming to have ■;.-; no control over him. ' Time after tim V:'-. . O'Connor climbed on to- his stand,;% but always "he had to come down again fo :.' tho course to quieten the' horses.;. Every:: --: now and iigaih:one-of the starters would,'/ ,break awdy-j :onc of them, Kuratau, "pass": 1 :., ing the. staniV.six. times. At.2.4s—tnree-' \i quarters ;of '-in hour . after the advertised,' v time of startijig— the crowd.raised the'cry: of; "They're bffJ" and- the ponies Doundef, ' past-the stand. .■';,; .-■ "" .'■ ":' "i'■:'■' That was the" moment, that'the;, real: v. ■trouble 6tarted. Julian pulled up >Prq.- v ;-- pbesied before his. mount had ..wjji'e- 20 ":.', yards, and Gray immediately lay'back' oil :'-:' ,Ked Lupin. Most of the ponies, howeyerj'-V; kept going, bat two more stopped, several others hesitated long enough, to"/ be quite out of it...Twp,'o£ those .whichvf, remained, in the α-ace' were Peegy Pryde; .-■ and Blue Vale, and they fought out : a.' ■ trreat finieh,-Peggy Pryde .winning-by," ■' inches. ' : . .■"■',•■ ■-.•' ;'>;■; The mob then invaded the track;~..in, '■■■; '■ front; of,, the stewards' staudi .and began; •;,; to shout "No.race! Run.'it again .. A' ; '. white flag was' hoisted callings the stew-. U" ards together, and-was instantly;; foUoweay; by a red flag,' notify.ing:that,'a ; protest; •'. had been entered—a signal' which::.was'./ heralded by much ch'eering. The mob was,-, i: now highly- excited, and a' ~ took place betweeh-.a'"Ma6ri''-and'a';SaKeha;f;Y The police, of whom': only about-' a -dozea:;;-. were on the .scene, forced a.;Xay;"into;.;;: tho crowd, and" .both ...."contestants'.;;• were bodily removed amidst: the'jeer's.of., v< the multitude. Then ' (here fUwas-;:;;ti"> ! dreary wait, broken only by: sional cheering and hooting:/ y ; music :'o£ the' Garrison "• Bandi: I^KiqU"^; plodded; away cheerfully despite'tuav-up-gj .roar. .''-.':,;■•::':■ " ■-.•i.:'.--;,■>'-.'■'•'.''■V^-''■;'."'..•■.'-;.' .-..-.:;..;. Pandemonium.;, .; V.'-V At last'a blue flag appeared,:;signifying-,-;.; "Protest' dismissed,'' and at once;,pan'de-.'A monium:was' loose.': The: police' -j yrere .. . iwwerless, and ' tho mob •' rushed-., the .-; stewards' stand,- and all kinds of :.orator? ; .- niado their. appearance .to harangiie -./the ,'■ ■. ■ crowd. One of those who attempted;'.to, restore order was'-ilr; A. E. Glover; -;M;E.; ■■, for Auckland Central, but either t jthe..dis- v appointctd punters did .not hearjwhat he.;': , said or they'did: not care,;;for^his;'.';elo- v . : . qnenco made no- - difference.." ■■' Several ipeople, more:full• of, good ; cheer-, thfli.--.of ■:■ good sense, mounted the rostrumi': but-.toj;<i no effect. • One of :.them thoughthe^ould;, , : do something, by-way of a; recijaHon. \'.T_ ~ "lain the/only man. with hands'to', hold:-,-;, ■" the rushing Rio..Grande,^ ';c'■>'."!?.I have; dreamed.a 'dream, ..and ,-ne'er;.: ;' -. shall TJdeVagqin— "^■ :^l:''\ '"':','■ ■?■'.}?;■.■: , He is still dreaming so;far; : as.the crowd. .; is , concerned, .-,-' several amateur.' ■-:■, stewards -fand' .others'; fdftnd'.i the :■ unfor-. ■/■ tunate starter .somewhere,':' and., /rushed ';■.'■; him to the stand, where he had to make S , a -tspcech.' ; Mr. O'Connor's [appearance .':.'. was.-the signal for. a.tremendous uptoarj.'V btit,:after;much hand-waving and^shout- ' 'ing, he; was'at lastiable toniake nimstlf heard. , - He 'said:-"That race; was: fairly ..- j.;startedito' the; Very , : -;best of '.'my'.'ability .'j---. (Loud ■ groans, and -iatcalls, and ■'- voicesi ,i: "Give.the man"fair flay.") '"If,jafter":'l:': started the race, the- crowd calle'd *o'ut, ~-: 'Stop! •No race!'. it;' was-not';-niy fault•''•' , at all." Mr.., O'Connor attempted^v'-to :■■•.'• soy more, but not another word , could'be.-'-heard. ■■"■'.' . ■'■;;: ■•• : : .-.'.' ■••;■;,; ; .-.;. v Mr. Lawry, M.P., Hbwled.;bpw%;^S-v: The next' speaker' was. Mr. . F.'\£ajry,'.--S M.P... for. Parnell. •; Barely .''has',', a * piJiti- : .: ■■ cian's speech,boon more rudely recsiTed,!. "f which savs.a good deal. .He saidi'if realise that Mr. O'Connor has been" -aK, starter for all the'imiiortarit ctubs of Dominion, you can't condehin h'iiji.''for'\ one mistake.. I would!;point,:'.out ,tp you •'•■ : that 'even; ' the.' greatest, /generiii',*;.-.is- \- worsted—-": (Tremendous uproar i and 1 ;, : irouicallaughter.) :' ..;■ ■ . ■')'■■ :'. ; vAwf ■;.-; ■• , '."The'greatest, general,' I say-'—"...''';■:'. A y.oice:. "Talk about the:poriy-'-race..'A;';: "I should like to. point out:;.th'ati,the :•. greatest ge'neral can. ■ make." mistakes. ":\: (Cheers.), ■■ I have -represented; this.idis- '■" trict, in Parliament for- many years, '■■■'■ and—" .....; -~.;, ■■■■.;;.•':... ,i>-.'..'.- : y. ■:'•''■';■-;;;•..■:;:.;; .:_ The .rest:, of. Mri; tawry's: remarks' were finaudible .to . everyone.';. But himself,-'the': ■crowd lustily. singing ''Eule.v Britannia! <•' Britons. Never'. Shall.'-.' B6 : Slaves,','- : -and ' ' shouting themselTes/hoarpe; ;• Sub-Inspec- .*. tor Henry and;niore policemen now.ar-'-'/ rived' on -tho scene,' ; but they could V- ■ 'Jiothiii'g. A re<l-haifed ,!indrviduai;-:put;;'-_ several motions to'the crowd-expressing'.:! an■ utter want' of •■ confidence , ;the' ,: ' starter, the stewards, and .several, people, all,of -.which , ,'were carried".to,jiis*:'. complete, satisfaction/ ■' iThen ■ numerous- . members of.. the.-, mob' adiburned to the"-/ bar, only to,find that.it'-had been.:closed.'.'-, by Sergeant Daje.v.who' Amounted , ' -guard , '- '/ over 'it with several constables, .'y;'.-; ..',';. ■'' .. • ■ Opinion of,ttie.Police,-'*:^'- 7 ';'-^: The time continued to slip by without'' any other development, the crowd: arn'us-',-. •ing itself meanwhile by pelting the. stew-. ards' standwith turf' until '5.30. p.mi : .By. - this time the.totalisutorJiad paid out oilthe. declared' \vinners of., the disputed-'. , , race, and had booked many bets on the ■' Trotting Club's Cup, for whictf the'horses : had. taken the course. There. was■:no / hope, however,'of getting a clear track, and so a notice was hoisted: "Races post-.' poned until'tiro p.m. to-morrow; all,beta - on Cvip. stand.". , :'.. .. .-....- ~::.,-: Having prevented, ti. continuation of the. < day's racing, tho crowd sullenly dispersed, every man.askigg.Miis neighbour,"•'What i is the club going' , to do to-morrow without : : a totalisntor permit?'" As Hamlet ,oiice- ; :: was mado tq'say on a famous -occasion; : the'rub." , , ... ■ -. ; t "It Was a regrettable affair," remarked' a police official: to a reporter to-night,:-and he went on .to say that, until yester-' day, the' crowds',in the. city had beeiupar-"- ,; ' ticularly orderly, but this incident '-would- f leave a stain'on that reputation.' Hβ.'' stated that the sixteen policemen present : .i were quite sufficieijt to cope with any'' ; emergency which :might occur, but -the ■? riot was a totally unexpected and extra-" '■ pnlinary occurrence.- "Matters' looKed - ; ugly'.at.jthe. outset of the trouble," "'remarked the officer, "but>presently: extra'•■'■•■■ ■police arrived, and thirty/oonstableswere' :; then distributed,amongst, the crowd,"and ' the disturbance- was checked." ;■ \ - ;',.. ■';: Arrangements have .been ma'dd for; tiro. T : curing an extension of the pevmif,'-:and■■'■ the races twill bo'.coutinued to-mprrowS : ■:,;

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