Young Hooligans Routed

Hokitika Guardian, 31 May 1921, Page 3

Young Hooligans Routed

0 1 FIGHT FOR THE FLAG IN SYDNEY e , SUBURBS. s • i-1 SYDNEY, Ma y 17. 1 Ther t , was a very remarkable fight a • couple of days ago in Balmain, an overcrowded harbour-side suburb, between i a gang of very young hoodlums from j the surrounding slums, and another . gang of boys who are being trained to be naval cadets, under the auspices of : the Navy League. j The Navy Headquarters are situated within low stone walls, at the wateiJ side, and som 0 thirty lads were there • receiving instruction, under a captain • With deliberation indicating a careful 1 plan, youiig hoodlums began to gather 1 in the' street outside the naval ground. ■ When there were about forty present, a > number of them climbed up* on the wall while tip, remainder congregated at the 1 gate, and they announced, in language that would have made a bullocky blush, that they were going to remove the Union Jack from the flagpole and bum it. The captain told the hoys to go away, hut they became aggressive and j began to push their way into the j grounds. I'liere was only one tiling to | do. 3’he captain unleashed his naval j boy». The navy boys went at the intruders , in silent fury. The clash was short and ! sharp, and in a moment the hoodlums • wer e outside, in a disordered mass. , They retired to a rocky eminence on j the other side 'of the street, and began j a fusilnde of stones. The captain tried j to hold his hoys in check, hut it was j more than the hoy nature could stand, j Tile naval hoys broke out of the ground, < dashed across the. road, and scaled the j height in spite of n volley of stones. . There was another lively scrimmage and then both sides fell apart while the j two lenders began a merry fight in a ; space between the combatant lines. Tt • was a deadly struggle and both fell. . Only the naval hoy got up. The hood- ■ him, with two black eyes and a battered face, ’"'v and bellowed his defeat. The captain got his “warriors ’ hack inside, where they gathered in front of headquarters and had to submit to a further volley of stones. The naval leader defying authority, dashed out and severely thrashed three more of the would-be flag burners, while the captain was sending for the police. AA bile they were waiting for the police, n fright ened woman rushed in to say that a hoodlum gang had caught a naval hoy in a side street and were killing him. , The naval forces went to tile rescue at the double, but the hoodlums awaited not their coming. With metaphorical tails firmly tucked between their legs, they scattered and fled for home. Several of the naval hoys had to be treated , for injuries inflicted by stones. ,