OUTRAGE BY THE MILITARY AT WELLINGTON.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 131, 17 July 1863, Page 6 (Supplement)

OUTRAGE BY THE MILITARY AT WELLINGTON.

It is again our painful duty to have to record another disgraceful outrage by men belonging to the 2nd battalion of the stationed in Wellington, but this time, encouraged, no doubt, by the comparative impunity will” which their proceedings have been visited in a military point of view, their outrage has partaken of a more extended and general character than hitherto. We say it is a painful duty, for it is with much concern we have watched the daily increase of crime amongst the Military, and it is with feelings of no comnian regret that we observe so many men wearing her Majesty’s uniform brought before our courts of justice to answer chargcs°of almost every conceivable description. The outrage which is the immediate cause for these remarks—and for the commission of which there cannot be urged the plea of the men having been under the influence of cither liquor, or of hastily-aroused passions, for it had been as deliberately planned as it was systematically carried out —took place yesterday evening about six o’clock. We were sitting quietly in our sanctum, cogitating on the state of things in general, and our forth” coming “ leader” in particular, ®hen, suddenly, our cars were assailed with a senes of unearthly jells, mingled with shouts of applause, and smothered oaths and threats. Our first impression was that some menagerie of wild beasts had been successful in’simultaneously effecting their escape from their respective dens, and that the populace were flying in terror and uproar before them. Much time, however, was not allowed for surmise. The yelling continued to approach, accomjianied by a tramping of feet, and in another moment bang, bang, crash, crash, went our panes of glass, »nd sticks, stones, and other visitors of rather questionable respectability made their appearance through our windows. On proceeding to the door to ascertain the cause of this unexpected

assault upon our sanctity, we observed, not an escaped menagerie of wild beasts, as we had supposed, though they indeed bore;a greater resemblance to them than to civilized men, but about forty or fifty miscreants belonging to her Majesty’s ‘‘gallant” II th Regiment rushing frantically down the street, breaking windows right and left, and shouting and hallooing and blaspheming in the most frightful manner.

From what we have been enabled to glean, it appears that this band of ruffians—accounts differ materially as to the number— mustered somewhere in the vicinity of the ‘[Coach and Horses,” Manners-street, armed with bludgeons, stones, and other missiles, and under the command of a recognized leader. All preparations having been made, they gave a simultaneous war-whoop and started at “ the double,” commencing by breaking some few windows of the aforesaid publichouse, which, by file bye, appears to have been on object for their special regard. They then rushed on, whooping wildly, and breaking windows in the “ Ship Hotel,” Mr. Bannatyne’s stores, the Advertiser office, the Canton Tea Mart, the Independent office, and so on until they came to the Alma Coffee House, almost every pane of glass in the front of which they demolished, A “ halt” appears to have been called here, and the order given to return. Back they came, much in the same manner as they went, although in the meantime they had been joined by a military picket of some twenty men. This picket, from what wc can learn, was under the command of a sergeant, but, instead of being of any utility to protect the property of the inhabitants, many of the men joined in the fracas, while others cncouragcdThe ruffians by shouting their applause a the “ glorious deeds they were achieving. Just at this point, too, Constable Harris was knocked down and rather severely handled, having narrowly escaped being stabbed with a bayonet by one of the picket.

They kept at “ the double” until they again reached Manners-street, when they halted, and paid special attention, first to the' “Coach and Horses,” and then to the New Zealander,” breaking nearly every window within reach in both houses, and hurling missiles of every description through those which they could not reach with their sticks. The barman of the “New Zealander” was struck on the temple with a large stone ■which was thrown through the window, and several others narrowly escaped severe injuries, We may mention that they were not satisfied with smashing the glass in the windows of the “ Coach and Horses” but they literally demolished sashes and everything within reach. There is here necessarily a break in the narrative, for so furious did] tho’amob become that it was impossible for our reporter to approach them and, when tlie street became quiet again, we find that a military picket,, uuder tlie command of Lieutenant Furncanx, occupied the space opposite the “ New Zealander,” and the rioters had cleared out. Other officers with pickets arrived shortly afterwards, and bodies of military? patrolled the streets till a late hour.

-The public have a right to know, and it is the duty of'the Civil authorities to ascertain; First, what measures were adopted by the Major commanding (he garrison to prevent an outrage wnich was as deliberately planned as it was conardly perpetrated. Second, what measures have been adopted by him to bring the ruffians to justice to inflict upon them the punishment they so richh' deserve, and to prevent the perpetration of similar outrages in future ? This last point is a matter ol some importance, as this’morning, even while wo write, some of the soldiers are at largo who bear marks of having been engaged in last night’s outrage. e have said thaFtho outrage was deliberately determined upon, and that it was known to the military authorities. On Saturday night a corporal by the name of Wilson, who wasjintoxicated, was brutally ill-used by some civilians in Mannersstreet, who it is said, beat him about the head with a pailing, by which one of his cars was severely lacerated. It soon became known that it was the intention of his comrades to take summary vengeance, not'upon the parties who committed the assault, nor by bringing them before a magistrate, but in the cowardly and disgraceful way as above described. As this intention was known to Major Dwyer, and as we have jreason to believe that no steps were taken by him’ either to remove the irritation, or to prevent it from developing itself 7 in a manner which must reflect disgrace upon the corps under his charge, his removal from the command will not only be justifiable but a matter of necessity, if the peace of the town is to be preserved, and the good and brave men belonging to the detachment are not to suffer from the uncontrolled conduct of those they are obliged to own as their comrades. Until wo know that every precaution was taken by the officer in command to prevent the injury that was threatened to be inflicted on the inhabitants, and to prevent the disgrace which must necessarily accrue to the detachment if those threats were carried into execution, we must hold him responsible for the mischief which has ensued.

Wo have been informed that the police 'were advised by some of the Military that, as there would bo a riot in the evening, they had better keep out of the way, as they did not want to interfere with them. Information of the fact 'was forwarded by Mr. Inspector Atchison to Lieutenant and Adjutant Wills, the officer in command at the Barracks, who promised to take measures to prevent the threatened outrage, but whether he did so, or what those measures were if he did, we have not been able to learn.

_ A number of the principal sufferers by last night’s affray waited on Mr. StTlill to-day, with a view of ascertaining what steps could be taken against the perpetrators of the outrage. IMrT StHill said that he had written to the officer * commanding the troops, to deliver up a man against whom an information had been laid by a police-consta-ble, and he w r as prepared to pursue the same course with regard to all others who could be identified. He could do nothing more than this,'but as he heard that a public meeting was called at the Athencsum at four o’clock this afternoon, he would be prepared’to give effect to any resolution which might be passed. —New Zealand Advertiser July 7.