RIOTOUS SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2681, 29 January 1916, Page 3

RIOTOUS SOLDIERS

ATTEMPT TO WRECK MERRY- " GO-ROUND STRENUOUS TIME FOR THE POLICE Pandemonium broke loose at St. Kilda (Molbourne) on a recent Saturday night, when an attempt was made by soldiers and civilians to damage the merry-go-round known as Woniger's, situated on t'ho lower Esplanade, not far from Luna Park. Fortunately the police were prepared! for the event, and the troublo was over in a. fairly short while, but not before strenuous fighting on both sides had taken place. Bottles and other missiles were thrown, and fists were freely used. The riot began shortly after .9.30 p.m., and, although the worst of it Was over in an hour, there were minor scuffles up to midnight. _ A large body of military and civilian police was on the scene from the 'start, and was being constantly reinforced during the evening. ; > Shortly before 9.30 a small band of soldiers carrying a large flag, and accompanied by some civilian appeared on the upper Esplanade. They took up their stand outside tlho Koyal Hotel, and sang ''Australia Will Be There." Shortly, afterwards they disappeared. At about 9.45 they appeared, considerably reinforced, en tho lower Esplanade, marching towards Wenigers merry-go-round. The Esplanade was crowded with people, for word had gone round during the day tliat the raid was to take place. There was ho walking room on the upper Esplanade, and the sloping grass plot between it and the lower Esplanade was packed with sightseers. 'As the soldiers hove into view a great ..cheer went up from the assembled spectators, and there was muoli clapping. of hands. The soldiers marched to the first entrance to tne roundabout, but wero met by . police, who firmly pushed them hack., lhey then went to the second entrance, on the Luna Park side, and attempted to gain entrance there, but with no better result. Nothing daunted, they marched away witih their flag flying, and _by. a flanking movement got round to the ■back of the show. Here again they were repulsed. The Attach on the Merry-go-round. Meanwhile the merry-go-round: had been doing a fine business. A large crowd was assembled inside the enclosure, and people were riding in great uumters. Everything was gay under the tent, and the horses pranced round merrily to /Khe strains of music and the , occasional tooWoot ot the whistle. The brilliant lights were leflected by the no less brilliant mirrors, and a plume of steam issum from the top of the tent showed that lhe\ engine was doing its£ work well. When the mob arrived at the back entrance the machine had just finished a trip, and was waiting for more senegrs. Somehow or other at that point people seemed to be reluctant to ride. Two; or three got on, among them being a couple of solifliers, flli machine started up with its small load. It completed half wnen Id stopped. There was a scuffle at the rear, where someone had thrown a missile. Then the mob . reappeared in front of the,show, armed with what at first appeared to be rifles, but proved to be long wooden pickets, inej surged in a body "to the entrance nearest Luna Park.. Again the police barred their ful methods w-ere 'going to win tno clay, but "suddenly ono of tho.mob pitched his picket into the crowd inside the enclosure. . Then the became filled with flying :picfiets,' ?tones, and hottles, and onevof the mob .raising his picket, brought it down on the helmet of a policeman. A shriek went up from the feminine' portion of the _ crowd. Inslantly the police charged m a bod> and a free fight ensued. Military police grabbed a soldier who appeared to be the ringleader, and hurried him off n: the direction of Luna Park. police made further arrests, and went off in the same direction, fo lowed bj • a large crowd hooting and yelling. Out- ' side Luna Park the crowd went mad Attempts to rescue the arrested mer i resulted in a riot. The crowt i surged hither and . thither. Bottles ant t stones hurtled through the air, auc l veils and hoots rent the atmosphere I The street which separates Luna Pari ■ from tie Palais do Panse, which hai , recently been named Cavell Street, af . ter the late Miss*Bdith Cavell, was turn cd into a battlefield.

Enter, The Polloa. At this stage; about half _ a doze& mounted police went into action, and it was mainly due to their efforts that the riot was quelled so quickly. They used no kid'glove methods, hut galloped •through the crowd, dispersing it Tight and left, just, as a fast steamer throws tho spray from her bows. Some of the mob directed their efforts to attempting to unhorse the mounted men. _In tio instance were they successful, *mci m : many cases they , received smart blows from the batons of police, who laid about them with a will. The effect was wonderful. The crowd scattered 111 all directions, hotly pursued by military and civil foot police. > Epithets and missiles continued to fly, and arrest follbwed arrest. The apostles of riotj soon tired, and by 10.30 some sort. of i order was restored. . ' Meanwhile missiles had been nourma into Wentger's. Soon after the riot started the - show was closed down on the advice of the police. The canvas curtains were erected, but not before several mirrors.had been smashed. .Reinforcements for the police were being constantly received. Red. Cross motor ambulances hurried .up with loads of military police. With open cit nit Is and roaring exhausts they charged through the crowds, scattering the people richt and left. Prisoners were dumped into' them and hurried away to the lock-up , , , , By 11 o'clock the crowd had bccome fairly quiet. A few t occasional skirmishes took place, but they were of minor .importance. Many people boarded the trams and went home., By midnight quicfc wan restores!, although a crowd still lingered.

Fourteen soldiers and ten civilians were arrested. Twelve of the soldiers were nut in the guard room, and two wore left to the civil police. The St. Kilda watch house had all its available space taxed to the utmost to accommodate its \imvilling visitors.' All the prisoners were yoirrtg men, between the ages of 17 and 23, and came from all parts of Melbourne.