Coronation Riot

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 August 1911, Page 4

Coronation Riot

WTLD SCENES AT A BALL

E T esham is very much ashamed of itself for on Coronation inigTit it was thoroughly disgraced. An extraordinary demo istratio-" which at midnight had a v look, marked the progress ->f a fancy dress ball in the Public Ha'.i i'i 'oiinoi>tion_ with, the local Coi M!f-.tioi> festivities. So bad was t-li.i bch.v iour of the crowd at one time that tiho safety of the town was ciid.vn? • •n*i

A largo section of the dissatisfied because the Town C viui? did not include in the prog •amine of celebrations a free din ior to :n----hnb lants, and, in addition, rhoy conceived the totally wroi£ idea th.it the hall was paid for -,ut of K-o P' I lie fund.

Assembling in force outs, 'e the ha' l the crowd j.-ored the guests a< they arrived. Tor at' • they content with making .1 be later on they attempt <1 to f <■'■< an entrance, and aim .:t sn*cee:Vd. Appeals for ord'r were useless, and the demenaour of the malcontents grew rapidly woi'se. Repelled from the Hall, they turned th-eir attentions to the decorations in the Market square, to which they set fire. The flames spread rapidly to an archwary in the proximity of the Town Hall and Booth Ha'il. The_ latter—a. most interesting old timber building—was at one time in danger, but the fire brigade soon gained the upper hla.nd. Subsequetnly the Venetian masts were pulled >up and l some of the windows in the hall were broken by stones. The house of the .Mayor was also attacked, the windows bein.'- smashed.

During a souffle Police Sergeant Jones was 'badly-mauled! about, and n fireman who, inadvertently turned the liiose on the crowd was knocked down and kicked, while the hose was cut. There were only seven policemen on duty at first, but their inumber was increased subsecmentlv. A large contingent arrived from Worcester, hut the uproar was then over. The crowd dispersed about thro o'clock in the morning.