The Queensland Strikes.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 18 April 1891, Page 3

The Queensland Strikes.

AN EXCITING SCENE AT BARCALDINE. "" Evening Post's correspondent telegraphs yrider date of 7ih April the following ;— There was gre?.t excitement this afternoon, when r full parade of the available military took place, 450 being present. They were ordered out in readiness to meet a special train from Clermont with Inspector Biujwgi Colonel French, and the confi&cy prisoners, Taylor, Stpart 1 and?|pjthers. The engine/ whistle sounaetl at about a quarter to sii^' and'fully 1000 Unionists at once rushed to the railway station. A strong military guard received the prisoners from the train. The mob hemmed in the military, and the air was rent with groans and howls. The terrible din frightened the horses. The prisoners, six in all, were chained together with a heavy chain and surrounded by 50 of Queensland Rifle Corps with fixed bayonets while a further guard of 50 of the Hay Mounted Infantry endeavoured to keep back the crowd. Amid a fearful din the crowd marched to the lockup, jostling the soldiers and striking the horses in their faces, caffsiog % then\ to rear. The troops found it Impossible to proceed, and an order to charge was momentarily expected. Numbers of Unionists were mounted, and their favourite procedure was to rush on top of the military. Many of the Unionists weird intoxicated. Major Patterson's horse became bogged. That officer dismounted, and was roughly jostled by' the crowd who surged round. Yells and cheers caused the horses to break line several times. One soldier was thrown aud his horse galloped . away. - Another was kicked in the chest by a horse and hud to : be conveyed to the hospital. The pandemonium continued, during which Tay'or iould be heard telling the Unionists that the prisoners were al right. The military eventually formed two long lines back and front of the prisoneis, thus keeping* away .the cro w<L to a great extent. By the time the Barracks w<Mreireacbed:iuUy 1500 men were present. The prisoners were safely placed in the lockup by dusk but the crowd remained long afterwards. Tlitf 'military were fully prepared for &n°MeMed .rescue, and it is generally °WS&ffi "that if the Unionists had had a good leader such would doubtless have been the case

JD,jiring the trial of a Unionist at Cf&JTeville considerable sensation was caused by the production of iinportantidoeuments proving his connection with the other prisoners. The sensation was intensified by the floor of the Courthouse collapsing. No one was injured. The shearers threaten the railway linesmen's wives that if they do not sujßßribe to assist the Unionists th^hpuses will be burned down. £.&tal affray occured at Baroaldine Downs between two free labourers. One named W. Leod seized a bayonet f ora an armed guard and stabbed another man named Ryan dead. A woolshed on the Gumbardo station, containing 500 bales of wool was burned down by Unionists