SERIOUS AFFRAY AT WOOL SHED.

Evening Star, Issue 3102, 28 January 1873, Page 3

SERIOUS AFFRAY AT WOOL SHED.

A regular melee between some Chinese and European miners occurred at the Woolshed on the morning of the 25th inst , and reqpjtjjd in one Ah Long having his left leg broken below the knee, and a European named Daniel O’Kane receiving bruises about the arms and shoulders. The facts, so far as the police have been able to ascertain, are these :—About the months of August or September last Mr John Adam, who owns the land about which the dispute, which gave rise to the row, has taken place, a written agreement with a party or Chinese, by which the latter were allowed to mine on a portion of his property, on pay - ment of a rental of 2s fid a week per man ; tVv we ®k they neither mined nor paid rent. Ao particular ground on wh ch they were to mine, nor period when the work was to commence or terminate, was mentioned in the agreement. On finding that thu Chfflesfe were not working the ground available for mining, Mr Adam sold it for that purpose to three miners, severally named Donald O’Kane, John O’Kane and Patrick M'Grath, first intimating W the Chineae hia intention to re-lease.

On the 22nd inst., Mr Adam and O’Kane’s party went on to the ground to give and receive possession, whereupon the Chinese offered resistance by pul ing up the pegs* On the morning of the 2“>th, the Europeans, as they themselves state, anticipating opposition from the Chinese, took with them two men, named Daniel O’Rorke and Michael Rooney respectively, to wi in sa what might happen. When tiny reached the claim they found three Chinese at work, and forthwith the three Europeans sot to work alongside of them, and for a few minutes the six men worked side by side. Then a large party of Chinese came from their camp, carrying shovels and other weapons, one man, it is said, being armed with an axe, and commenced oi dering the Europeans away, at the same time throwing crave! from oil the bank on their heads. The Europeans not appearing inclined to move, the Chinese who were on the hank jumped into the claim, and attacked the Europeans in it with shovels, O'Kane being pressed against a bank and beaten The m n who went on the ground as witnesses were some little distance away, hut when they saw what was going on, they joined O’Kane’s party, and a general light took place, lasting about a quarter of an hour, and re ulting as stated above. Ah Long’s account is that his leg was broken by a blow from a stone The foregoing is the Europeans’ version of the affair; that of the Chinese the police have not been able to get, owing to the want of a go id interpreter. The police have not interfered, because the question of disputed ownership of the claim, the Chinese claiming to hold possession until compensation under a former agreement is paid, is to be settled intheß.M. Court, Tokomairiro, proceedings to that end having been taken before the meUe occurred. The Europeans have, in the meantime, promised not to attempt to work the cla in until the question of ownership is determined.