DISTURBANCE IN CAIRO

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2464, 18 May 1915, Page 6

DISTURBANCE IN CAIRO

SOLDIERS CLEAN DP THE "BULLRING." (By Telegraph.—Presß Association.)

Auckland, May 17. Th& "Star" has received from two correspondents with tho New Zealand troops details of « serious disturbance in Cairo on Good Friday night. Some Australians were "beaten" for a few piastres by the inhabitants of a shop in a disreputable quarter of the town, and having been joined by other soldiers tho party commenced to wreck the building. Within an hour the "Bullring," as this quarter is known, was a soothing mass of humanity—rol'liors all —numbering about twenty iWmsnnd troops —Australians, New * Z-ulanders, English "terriers," and men from Ceylon. The next four hours was u scene indescribable. Troopers entered hundreds of i!ats occupied by doubtful characters, and out of tho windows all sorts of articles were thrown—chelfoniers, mirrors, tables, chairs, beds, and all sorts of furniture. A piano was dropped from a third floor window to the street below, where tho furnitliro was gathered and made into a huge bonfire. Pickets, mounted and foot, quickly appeared, but against so many they were powerless. The city fire brigade arrived, but their hose was cut and they beat a. quick retreat. The permanent polioe used their revolvers on marauding troops, which only made thing 6 rrirsfl. Tho pickets discliargod blank cartridges, but the soldiers quickly recognised the difforenco from ball cartridges and took no notice. Several troopers were shot in the affray. Tho extent of the casualties was not known.