GANG WAR

Marlborough Express, Volume LX, Issue 230, 29 September 1926, Page 8

GANG WAR

BOY SHOT DEAD IN STEEET. A DRAMATIC AFFAIR. _ SYDNEY, Sept. 17. A cliniax, it is claimed to a gang war which has beeri progress for months, though an innocent> boy was the victim, was the deliberate shcoting cf Reginald Riddle, aged 15, at Annandale, Sydney, 011 Tuesday night, his death being almost i'nsl antaneous. It was a tragedv irhat removed any lingering doubt about the existence of gangis and gang warfare. ( Between gangs of larrikin® from Annandale and Glebe, li&tred has existed, and been fomented by ooca.s.icnal elashes, sinoe a dance held at Amiandale about four months ago. 0-n Tuesday night the Glebe gang ivad thrown out the suggestion that they were coining to the clance to clean the liall of all the Annandale young men and their supporters. A very tense situation ~ existed in the dance liall when tlie polic© arrived. They cleared the hall, but in the streets the Glebe gang; is reported to have received a severe handling. Last night several of the Annandale gang were talking outside a billiard roorn in Booth Street, when Reginald Riddle-, aged 15, a boy who had not had any connection with their fights, entered a sliop nearby. Pri or to- his arrival on the scene' they had been engaged in a light skirmish with three young men from Glebe. As Riddle left tho shop with two other lads about his own age, and walked aero.:s tho street towards his home, the three youths from Glebe wero walking dow-n the opposite footpath. iVithout warning or any provocation, one of the three opened fir© with a revolver, two shots being fired, and one of the shots entered R.'ddlei's bodv near the heart. With his companions he rusheo. to the billiard rooni, but while on the steps there, Riddle- said: "They gqt me," and collapsed and died. Later the same night tlie police ariested a youth at Glebe, and charged him with murdering Riddle. He is alleged to- liave adniitted that someone had passed remarks abo-ut his "Oxford Bags." and then went home to change them, procuring a revolver then. He did not suggest that Riddle had passed any remarks about liis elothing. He was taken before the Court and remandcd for a week. Riddle was an only son.