WELLINGTON STREET RIOT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 607, 1 November 1913, Page 5

WELLINGTON STREET RIOT.

BULLETS AND STONES. SEVERAL INJURED.

Wellington, Monday. A serious affray took place this evening in Buckle atreet by the Drill Hall, and though at present it is difficult to get reliable details, it ia pretty certain that four casualties at least were the result. It seema that a crowd gathered round watching the Permanent Artillery and special constables quartered at the Garrison Hall. As they came tuo close, and refusod to go away, a hose was turned on b them. They fell back a little, and the 3 hose was turne'l off. Then a shot was fired from amongst the crowd. At the same moment Sergent-Majnr Thompson of the Per- >; manent Artillery, fell. » The crowd was next charged by t mounted special constables, who were t subjected to a heavy fusillade of 3 stones lumps of iron, and other c missies, as well is a frequent pepperinp: of

head, and has sustained aj sion, apparently caused, from a piece of iron or a \ A young m»n name:* D is wounded in the phouider 5? __ ver bullet, and a boy, about 10 of age, believed to be a U-leuraph sengre, wounded in the foot wit] revolver bullet, are also in hoapiW All are reported to be doing well.

WHO FIRED THE SHOTS? Wellington, Tuesday. It is stated by Mr Robertson, Labour member for Otaki, that in the trouble when Sergt. Thompson was cut over an eye with a stone, that some mounted police fired their revolvers. He saw a civilian being attended (o in a neighbouring shop. This man had been Bhot in the shoulder. As further evidence of the shooting, he is in possession of a heavy pistol bullet which hit a brick wall, and then struck a lad of fourteen on the thigh, doing no injury. A Civil Servant supports this version of the affair. He informed a reporter that he was in Webb street w'uen the mounted men dispersed thß orowd After some stone throwing one mounted man fired in the air, and the reporter's informant remarked, "It's a blank cartridge." Ibis particular constable r6de on, but others turned their horse 3 back down the street. Only a dozen people were left, and several shot 3 rang out. The man next to the Civil Servant shouted, "I'm shot," and the lictle gru.up fell back against the doer of a second-hand shop. It gave way, and they rushed inside for safety. A bullet then whizzed through the window. The man who complained of having been shot was examined, and it was found that a bullet had traverped his brenst without entering the body. It left a severe wound which bled freely. The reporter's informant was told that a child had been shot in the foot.

WATERSIDERS' STATEMENT. CAN WIN BY REASON. Wellington, Tuesday. In the course of an official statement by the Strike Committee, the assurance is given that the waterside workers were absolutely not responsible for any interference with the mountetl specials iast night. _ _ Tha secretary (Mr Farland) visited the scene, went into the crowd, found out that those throwing missleß were not members of the union, and, with the assistance of pickets, ran them outof the crowd. He also asked tha crowd to fro quietly home, aa the unions' battle could be fought by reason, and did not require brick-bats and broken bottles. Members of the committee state confidently that the shots were fired by special constables, and that £4O worth of liquor I wa3 sold in two hours that niurning Union pickets were stationed outside the hotels in the vicinity to restrain the watersiders entering.* One man who assisted an injured lad states that the shot entered the boy's coat from abrsvp. The men are determined and solid, believing that their claims are just, and that the fight waß one between the p-iblic and the shipowners. The union has instructed its members to keep away from the vicinity of the barracks, and urged that the mounted specials be removed without delay or the public may take action such aa afterwards will be regretted by the citizens.