CROWD RUSH ROYALTY.

Grey River Argus, 23 February 1927, Page 5

CROWD RUSH ROYALTY.

SCENE AT AUCKLAND. Cordons Broken. SEVERAL PEOPLE COLLAPSE. AUCKLAND. Feb. 22. i The breaking to-day nf I lie police cordon round tin Town Hall entrance created an unforseen situation at- the moment Their Royal Highnesses were taking their departure at the close of the civic, reception. For a few minutes, the surging of 400 or 500 people round Hie royal car took on a serious aspect, numbers of women lining (-rushed in Ihe melee, which the thirty constables present, were powerless to pre- ' Vent. Three women and one child were carried out of the stampeding crowd IN A FAINTING CONDITION, and were attended by the St. John Ambulance officers and nurses,, who we’-e on duty in the hall. Beyonu a few bruises received in the crush, none of them was much the worse for the exciting experience, the most serious cast biepg. that of a woman who received slight abdominal ■ a juries, as the result UMBRELLA UREA KING AGAINST HER BODY. Flic first hint of the trouble occurred at 11 o’clock, while the civic reception was in progress. About 200 pec-pl'* were gathered outside the main doors of the Town Hall waiting for the Duke and Duchess to emerge- on. their return to Government House. There was an air of expectancy about the waiting crowds ami at this st ago their behaviour was strictly orderly, the people standing patiently behind the rope barriers. In addition, to the police, two LINES OF ARMED SAILORS from t’ne warships of the New Zealand Sfjuaxlron wore stationed nt this spot. Within a space o-D twenty minnt.es-. however, the crowd round the (.lours was almost trebled in size by an invasion of thousands of people frorp the lower end of Queen Street. Those newcomers, eager to See what was taking place round the doors, pressed heavily on 1 those in front, ami pushed back the row of constables guarding rhe rope barivrs. The worst crush occurred or the footpath outside tin* offices of the Mayor ami Town Jerk. Hero The front rows of spectators had boon pushed ami bullied by those r.t the back, until it had boon necessary to summon police r- v serves to strengthen the cordon. To make mattei s worse, Ihe rope barrier came down, and for Twenty minutes a score of. burly policemen. their arms linked together, strained against ths mighty pressure of the crowd behind. When, a tew minutes later, a St. Johns Ambulance Officer hastened forward and carried a. prostrate w.oman into the Town Hall, .the good humoii’-

and light hcartedr.ess of the crowd and. denly became tempered with concern and- the police took immediate steps tc get some of the women and children to a place of safety. The people at the rear, however, were unaware of the distress that they were causing to those in front, and they continued to press forward. The break through occurred just as Their Royal Highnesses were leaving the Town Hall to enter their car. In spite of frantic, efforts Io keep the crowd steady, The police barrier was pressed back along the lino of the footpath, and simultaneously the crowd from the opposite side of,.the street apd

from Alexander Street, poured over the roadway, pushing aside th.e sailors, who -tried, to stem the (-rush. In what was. described by many women as

A DISGRACEFUL SCENE, people were jostled, and children were knocked over as the crowd surged round the royal car. Numbers of women ha I their, shoes and stockings cut and soiled by the. trampling of heavy .feet, and, only a few escaped from the throng without bruises. Although the behaviour of the crowd was at times far from gentle, its intentions were always .of the best, and the FINAL RUSH UPON THE ROYAL CAR was made to the accompaniment of cheers and cries of welcome. Their Royal Highnesses, who were shown intc a closed car, which had been substituted for an open car. owing to the downpour of rain, bowed, graciously to the people who pressed upon thym. ape. greeted the applause with smiios. V\ itl’ half a dozen constables riding on the lashboaigl the ROYAL CAR WEDGED ITS WAY through the concourse and proceeded tc Government House, between dense lines of cheering people. Owing to tk-e -erow( lc ’ which still pressed round the Tow.n. Hall doors, it was some minutes later before the Prime Minister and his party could follow. What still.. FURTHER COMPLICATED MATTERS numbers of people,who were attending the civic reception?,ignored the Mayor’s appeal to wait until the Duke and Duchess had left the Hfl.ll, these, crowding into the lobby, blocked the departure of some of the official guests