MOUNTED CHARGE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1894, 31 October 1913, Page 8

MOUNTED CHARGE.

MELEE IN POST OFFICE SQUARE. FIRST OF THE REVOLVER. At about 6.45 p.m. yesterday about one hundred mounted police, including special constables, rode through Post Office Square. There were fully 2000 people in the vicinity at the time, and tho mounted men were hooted by the strike section. Then, very suddenly, a : party in the crowd began a fusillade of stones on the special men. By this time the mounted force had arrived at a point opposite Messrs. E. W. Mills ,and Co.'s premises, in Jervoi9 Quay.

Command to Charge. A command rang out, and the mounted force turned suddenly, and charged the crowd at a gallop. This move was not contemplated, and, immediately, there was a scatter in all directions. It looked at the time as if a certain section of the inoffensive crowd would he liimmed in, but, fortunately, this did not happen. The crowd was wild with excitement, and explosivo detonators were much in evidence. Report after report rang out. Horses reared, and batons wore freely used. Two Men Fall. Suddenly two men wero seen to fall, and, naturally, they wore at onco surroiinded by a crowd. The Harbour Board officials wero quickly on the Bceno with stretchers, but they were not needed. Tlio injured men wore taken into E shed, on the Queen's Wharf, tyid first aid was rendered by Harbour Board ofßoials. Meanwhile the mounted men kept galloping on, still followed by the agents of tlio strike. Several of the special constables had very narrow escapes from being pulled out of the saddle. One man mado a rather wonderful recovery. Ho was surrounded by the yelling mob, and his horse got, out of hand. It pitched its ridor on to its neck, and the rider seemed to be in danger of being loft to the mercy of the mob. He happened to be a good horseman, however, and, in a second, regained his saddle, .and galloped off. One of the polico party who was thrown out of the saddle by his horso falling before the charge was pursued. As ho fled a stone struck him on the back of tlio head and almost simultaneously a bar of iron hit him in tho back and knocked him over. Tho charge of his party gave him tho nocessary opportunity of oradiAK his pursuers, and no doubt

snved hin from more soriouß injury. Tho trouble, violent as it was, only lasted about live minutes, and as the mounted men rode towards Waterloo Quay a few riderless horses were observed. People Hurt. Many persons who were in the crowd at t-lio time of the riot state that they a re. almost certain revolvers were used. One man in the crowd was seen to hold his revolver in the air and fire. A bullet whizzed over tho head of a taxi driver whoso car was stationed on the wharf inside the main entrance gates. From inquiries made after the melee it appears that one of the men who was hurt was not a striker. His name is AV. Evcritt, and he resides at 23 Lome Street, -110 received some nasty wonnds about the lioad. J. Rickett, residing at Kelburne, received injuries to his right shoulder, and was badly bruised. lie states that he was endeavouring to get out of the crowd, but was pushed towards the mounted men, and was trampled underfoot by the horses; He was taken 1o the Hospital. A strike picket on duty at the Queen's Wharf gates stated that one of the other pickets "had been shot," and had been taken away by some of his comrades. Others received minor injuries. By 6 p.m. the Square had assumed its original aspect of quiet animation.