RIOT AT GISBORNE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 1, 2 January 1915, Page 5

RIOT AT GISBORNE.

GERMAN PREMISES WRECKED* Gisborne, January 1. At about 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve a number of young men made a demonstration outside the shop of F. Wohnsiedler, a naturalised German, who conducts a pork butchery. Well aimed stones smashed a big plate glass window. The crowd gradually increased in numbers, and stones became mere frequent till all the local police were called out to keep the mob in order 'and Wohnsiedler closed his premises and extinguished all lights. By midnight there were fully 200 people surging round the shop, singing patriotic songs, and the police had an unenviable time, there being several ugly rushes. Stones and bottles were now. being thrown in volleys at regular intervals, and as each pane of glass went the crowd cheered lustily, and by one o’clock this morning the premises were completely wrecked, every pane of glass in the building being smashed to splinters, while the interior of the premises was also badlv knocked about.

Tlio police made no arrests, as it was practically impossible in th© dense crowd to see where the missiles came from. At one stage the mayor (Mr W. Sherratt) was sent for by the police, and drove up in a motor and attempted to address the crowd. He was unable to obtain a hearing while a volley of stones smashed the wind shield of the car. The crowd finally dispersed about 2 a.m. The police showed great patience, which undoubtedly averted serious riots.