KEEPING THE JUNG'S PEACE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1901, 8 November 1913, Page 6

KEEPING THE JUNG'S PEACE

IMPRESSIVE SCEttE. MARCH HOME OF MOUNTED MEN. FfLLS TORY STREET.

ISOLATED COMBATS IN CITY.

L nder heavy guard tho Arbitration workers went on their quiet way at the wharves yesterday. Tho Athenig's winches rattled all day at the Glasgow Y\ Mrf, and the Wiilochra was worked at the King's Wharf. A few truokloads of butter for San Francisco were afso shipped on the Moa.na. There was a little trouble on the Willoehra, which is described elsewhere, and work was suspended for a while, in order to drafton board fifty special constables and some members of the police. Operations were resumed at 2 p.m. I ,A\ ellington wag treated. to "another ytify fine display by the guardians of law and order both in the morning, and evening. The country levies, horse and soot) to the number of about 700, proceeded through .tho city at 7,30 a.m., and took up their positions in Waterloo Quay, and the adjacent avenues leading to the waterside, keeping faithful watch and. ward throughout tho day. They saw to it that none other than those having business passed through to the wharves. Squads of Wellington special men, on foot, were also on duty. Save ifor a fow small outbreaks, the march'back to tho Mount Gook Barracks in the evening was uneventful* Theso incidents rather went in the direction of indicating that some of the special men are becoming tired of tho usual _shower of road-metal,, and even inpatient of the- customary language of the notsr. A special man haß to rea-' son—and reason "quickly—whether sorne hand raised in tho crowd contains a stone <jr iron bolt, and he has to act to the bast of bis judgment at once. This Was the cause of two or three minor conflicts on the ride home to tho barracks last evening.

'God Bless tho Farmer B&ys!" One incident that is worth recording as showing that tho special man is bocorning less apathetic to insult occurred ?,*„ j to the Queen's Wharf as the troop was passing barrack-wards : along Jervois V.uay- At that point there was a group or men who were not exactly cheering the specm s . "Ouo pink-faced man, who was visibly excited, was-. shouting to the specials in tones of sai , casni' j -»"God bless the farmer boys—God bleßs the farmer boygr Clobo .beside him was another personage, who shouted "Scabs t Saabs! just- as ho of the pink com-

Plosion repeated his ironical invocation. The insult was too much for one of tho mounted countrymen, who 'dashed from the ranks and gave the pink man a clip on'tho arm with his baton. There was immediately a chorus of mingled cheers and hoots, the pink-faced one protesting _ that ho was only asking for a Messing on tho special constables. Half a do::en police and Inspector Heiidrey were soon on the spot, and. one man, who looked like becoming rasli, was warned in a calm and friendly way by the inspector to keep the King's peace. Stone-thrower Arrested. Another diversion occurred at tho Albion Hotel corner at tho foot of Tory Street. \\ hen about half tho cavaleade bad gone past a man who appeared to be tinder the influence of liquor emerged oil the scene, and, picking tip a stone, throw it , good'and hard at the horsemen. "Halt!" shouted the sergeant of the squad, "After him!" ho called to o-ne of the men, and at once the trooper ttai off his horse and after 'his' man. The stone-thrower dashed into the hotel, and the special man. flew after him. and caught him in tho passage and pushed ,him out into tho street. A police constablo then appeared on the scene, and tho special man pushed the stone-thrower toward the man in blue. Cowardly Onset In Courtonay Place. The law-breaker does not seem to bo loing himself much good by isolated bits jf lawlessness. In actual meleo he usu-

ally comes off second best. There was an instance of this at Cour'.enay Place at- about 5.-15 last evening., A man who looked liko an engineer, aged about fifty, was proceeding quietly home when hft Was accosted by two rioters who evidently knew' him. They wanted to know, in'truculent manner, "where lie Wag going, and what he was doing?]' Seeing that- it was impossible to avoid trouble the old man resolved to face it-, and accepted a challenge to - fight, by stating that he would fight j both of ;them. In the meantime tho I crowd gathered, but no police-

man. The old man was engaged right manfully with one of the two men when the other came behind and deliberately kicked him. This un-British act raised the ire of the crowd, and, without further ado they took to the kicker with results. Having done so they gave sheers for tl» old man. Magnificent sight. The sceno as the mounted and foot men went home up Tory Street was a very impressive one. The cars on the mam street were hold up, the array of constables- taking about twenty minutes to pass. As the last files passed the Albion Hotel the head of the column had turned into Bucklo Street. At that time the street presented a magnificent spectacle of fine horses and fine men. A small section of the foot specials marched here and there on the flank, but most of the city foot specials had previously, been, dismissed home. Occasionally there Was a little demonstration by the law-hreaking fraternity, but it never lasted long. Here and there an isolated trooper on >a spirited horse dashed out—sometimes on to the footpath and even under verandahs—and cleared the rowdy element like a pack of rabbits. In the opinion of many who looked on., the march home last overling of the guardians of the King's peace constituted an historic scene as far as Wellington is eonocrned.