LATE WAIHI RIOTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1615, 5 December 1912, Page 4

LATE WAIHI RIOTS.

INQUEST ON EVANS. CONSTABLE WADE'S EVIDENCE. Wai hi, I/M'embor 4. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Tho adjourned inquest cm : Frederick Evans, who met his death is the result of a- blow from » policeman's baton on November, 12, was opened this morning. Mr. Selwyn Mays appeared on behalf of the police, and Mr. J. R; J.unilon. for the relatives of Evans. ' •" •■■' The evidence of Constable Wcde, who was ehot by Evans, was taken -tit the hospital, the constable being in bed. Witness stated that his attention, was first directed to tho Kull b'y bearing revolver shots. He entered. tho pzfeago alone, instructing tho?o ■•i iho door to remain outside. Ho saw i.Vans ■ behind the 6wing-dcors of the. library rinm, with, a revolver in his hand. The la'ter immediately fired; ho thought the shot was intended for him, but to didn't -know whore tho bullet went. Ho at once ran through the swing-doors after ' Evans, who, with three others, rlcoamped at the rear of tho library. Ho fnllowcd close on tho heels of Evans, when tl'O ktter half turned his head, swung Ills irm roufld, and fired direct at him, the intervening distance Being about f'.vo races. . He closed on Evans, struck him en the f:de of the head with his baton, ]->w>s falling , on liis face. Ho had feared F.\ans would use the revolver again. Witness received, the bullet in the region cf the al-demen. Ho did not see the crowd ill-treat Evans; they passed on after another van. Witness was then assisted by or.stablcs and conveyed to tho hospital. Further evidence was taken during the afternoon. ...

Barefoot, who is out on bail on a charge of using firearms and a waddy on one of the occupants of tho hall when the shooting first occurred, was oamined. He declined to answer a number of questions, on the ground that he might incriminate himself in the pending proceedings; . Further hearing was adjourned. . The day shift, on coming off work this afternoon, held an impromptu mass meeting, Mr. Rudd presiding. Ho explained that, withia an hour or two, the trustees of the old union would be serving ! him with a notice requesting that .the keys should all be handed over not later than Saturday next. The building had been broken into, and, when he went to the hall and asked for an explanation, he had been told that "the door was open, arid that they had walked in." Prior to that he never had seen the hall locked, and so concluded that the hall had been broken into. Tho strikers had that day put new locks and bars on all the doors. Referring to a resolution by the federationists that none of their 'members should join the Arbitration- Union, the speaker said that that was tantamount to a strike as far as Waihi was concerned. However, they had had the assurance of the Waihi Company that only members of an Arbitration Union would get employment in the mine, and, in face of that, federationists would not find Waihi an. attractive place to remain in. The strike would die, he thought, a natural death.