AN EXCITING INCIDENT,

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1924, 5 December 1913, Page 8

AN EXCITING INCIDENT,

SYNDICALIST ROUGHLY HANDLED TURNED OFF THE MAHENO. (By TcleEraDh—Press Association.] Auckland, December 4. A prominent Syndicalist agitator, who had booked to Sydney by the 51aheno, which left Auckland to-night, lost his passage because some of tho emergency crew objected to working the 'steamer on which ho was a passenger. Tho Syndicalist, by name Charles Reeve, had secured a berth, and boarded tho steamer as a passenger, but before tho Jlahcno sailed he was roughly pulled from his cabin, forced down tho gangway, hustled along the wharf, and finally cast off in Queen Street, by which timo he presented a very woebegone and dishevelled appearance. Bitter feelings of resentment, which culminated in the. attack upon lleeve, have been rankling in the minds of tho special constables for a long time, and the fact that a number of "specials" had' been engaged to work the Maheno across to Sydney mado tho presence of Rcovo on the Jiaheno objectionable to the_crew. These feelings were principally engendered by the man's public utterances, which have been in keeping' with tho professed creed of the I.YV.W. . What is said to have chiefly angered tho "specials" is a suggestion which Hoove is credited with having made in one. of his street speeches, that the strikers should march into the country, and wreak their vengeance for tho capture from them of tho port by "cockies" upon the farmers', wives.

The Maheno was timed to sail at u p.m.', and a few minutes before that hour Reeve, having parted from a friends at the shed door (which friend had expressed the hope tha,t ho would "Put up a good tight"), went on board. Ho was "escorted" by a body of wharf

"specials," who expressed their opinion of him.-freely, one of them snatching his hat as he gained the steamer's deck. As long as Reevo remained in sight he was subjected to ta.unls, and .was heartily "boohed." Further, his identity was proclaimed to passengers and to tho crew. A section of these proceeded to eject Reeve from the vessel, declaring that they would not make tho trip if ho did. Tho upshot was that the emergency crew, by tho exercise of main force, got. rid of tho would-be passenger. Ho was dragged nono too gently along tho deck on to the whn.rf and out through the' shed into Quay Street. Finally, the excited "specials" and amateur firemen were induced by a squad of mounted polico to loavo him alone, and ho walked quietly away. Reeve's lugga.ge was landed, and taken possession of by the police. Tho Maheno sailed without Reeve at G. 35 p.m. /