HOTEL BESIEGED.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1898, 5 November 1913, Page 7

HOTEL BESIEGED.

BY A THREATENING MOB. A CONSTABLE INJURED. TWO 'ARRESTS. For three lc/ng hours last night tho Royal Tiger liotol in Taranaki Street was''besieged by a mob of sonic thousand peoplo and subjected to an'intermittent bombardment of stones and bricks. Practically every window in tho building'has been hopelessly shattered, tho velocity of some of the missiles resultin" even in tho breaking of the sashes. Tho disturbance was a continuation .of the efforts of peoplo who had collected lato in the afternoon with tho avowed object of preventing customers entering tho liotel. There was one casualty during tho affray, Constable Warner being hit on tho head and knocked off liis horse. Ho was carried to tho barracks, where he lay senseless for some considerable tiirio. Two arrests wero made, ono a middlc-aficd man named Alexander'Campbell, and another a young man named Robert Ilill. Ono is to bo charged with taking pari'in an unlawful assembly and the other with throwing a bottlo at a cons|ablo.. A . lead pine and a birch.'\ve).o'' ; foviiid oii oho man.

Throughout the affray the police acted courageously ami with commendable patience nntl tact, ar.d it was evident that tlie majority of tho crowd observed and appreciated this from tho chc-crs given t-hem. Of course thero was. the minority who were most antagonistic.

The crowd, with excited anticipations of a repetition of the previous night's riot, commenced to gather shortly before seven o'clock. Women of tho quarter wore in tho predominance, and in the*ccntre of groups of men tlicy recounted tho previous ' night's doings, and in more vivid language' denounced tho free labourers.

Tho Royal Tlgor Stoned.

The crowd, now composed to a largo extent of young men, was visibly swelling, and at about 7.30. p.m. there was a nisli to. tho Royal Tiger Hotel. This acted liko a signal, and from all quarters, bricks and stones rained on tho hotel. Led by a sad remnant of womanhood, tho crowd opened up a vigorous lire, and it appeared as though the doors must givo way against flic fusillade. Tho polico, including two mounted men, now arrived on tho scone. The mounted men were subjected to a short fire of stones, but tho majority of {lie mob quickly suppressed this. "Wo don't want to stone our own constables," was the crv. Order was restored for a while, but tho stone-throwing continued intermittently, and each crash of splintered glass was a signal for vociferous cheering from tho crowd. Thero was an interlude when a diminutive labourer appeared on the opposite side of tbo street and mado straight for tho hotel, presumably for his evening "refresher.' He looked with dismay at the closed doors of tho hotel, and then retreated precipitately as a stono crashed through a window a few yards away.

A Man Arrested,

Meanwhile the polico wero keeping a vigilant eye on tho mob for tho stonethrowers. ' A suspect was sighted, and ho was searched, indignantly protesting tho while, but fortunately for him no stones were found. Still _ the hurling of missiles 5 continued. Another suspect was seen, , and- beforo' ho could disappear in the crowd tliu polico had secured him, and, because of what they aro stated to have found in his possesion, his captors endeavoured to force a path through tho rabblo to take tho man into custody.

The crowd objected, and the poiico had a very anxious time, as a threatening mob surged around them. Eventually they managed to clcar their captivo from tho mob, and, with tho menacing throng in the rear, they half dragged him to Buckle Street. Just at tlio corner the prisoner attempted to break away; tho mob rushed to his rescue; tho polico wero too quick, however, and in a final run reached tho safety of Buckle Street.

Matters wore looking very serious now, and tho. crowd was getting worked up. Fortunately, however, a posso of six mounted polico arrived, and tho tension was relieved somewhat. Tlio .mounted men had somo difficulty in clearing tho streets, and it- was hero that Constable Warner was knocked from Ins horse, being hit on tho head with a missile. Another youth deliberately throw a stono from a very closo range at a mounted man, fortunately without serious harm. Another arrest was made, but still tho crowd hung round projecting stones. Tho missiles, however, grow fewer, and more far between as the hour advanced.

Until well after 10 o'clock tlio crowd remained in strong forco round auout tho hotel. When tho polico restored order on tho Taranaki Street side, stones would bo pelted at the windows in Abel Smith Street, and as tho police rotlo round there, n crash of glass would sound on the Taranaki Street side. Tho proceedings kept tho mounted men busy. About 10.30 p.m., tlio crowd wan utill 6ovorftl hundred etronsi, ivhilo higher up At tho Buckle Siroot

corner, thero was only a handful of people. Tho police were now apparently becoming a little impatient and they gradually pushed tho crowd down 'laranaki Street until tho roadway was clear., '

A little later Senior Sergeant Dew eatne from tho Mount Cook Station, and walked round among the police ill tho vicinity. Those who wero in tho crowd out, of. curiosity seemed to gain tho idea that sonio trouble was brewing and immediately a movement homewards started on the pootpaths. By eleven o'clock the gathering had dwindled away to small dimensions.

A Battlo With Palings,

Later a crowd commenced to gather on the Vivian Street corner opposite the 1 ananm Hotel. Tho mounted police wero at this time Bpread out up tho street, but thero was a call with whistles, and in a minuto five of them were cantering down tho comer, where two trams had pulled up. Two men, w'ho had jialinga off the fence on tho corner section, wore belabouring one another, but the appearanco of tho police restored quiet. There was a renewal of hostilities when tho police rodo up tho street again, and a man ran round tho corner into Jessio Street, while another gavo chase with a billet of wood. A mob of about a hundred followed up to wa'tch developments, but nothing came of tho promised fight. The explanation given was that the fugitive, when overtaken, had apologised, and so escaped tho wrath of tlio man with the billet of wood.

By 11.30 p.m. tho crowd melted still more. One of tho last scenes in Taranaki Street was that of a burly pider, slightly intoxicated, accosting another pedestrian and accusing him of being "hio two special constables."