SHOT DEAD.

Taihape Daily Times, 13 May 1919, Page 7

SHOT DEAD.

CONFLICT WITH MILITARY

GUARD

FRACAS ON A TRAIN

MELBOURNE, April 27

Private H. M. Jemmett, of the 59th New South Wales Battalion., was shot dead on the Melbourne-Sydney express at Tallaroek, 54 miles north of Melbourne, this afternoon, during a collision between a group of military prisoners and the armed guard. Jemmett was one of the nine soldiers who had been ordered! to Sydney. They were entrained at Melbourne with a guard of 13 at 4 o'clock. An hour later, according to the military story, when the train was near Tallaroek, one of the prisoners rushed a military policeman in the ear corridor, and gripped him by the throat. Three of the other prisoners joined in the struggle, and the policeman was borne to the floor.

A couple of the guards threw themselves on the prisoner, and eventually handcuffed him. The sergeant, bad his rifle on the seat. It was loaded with ten cartridges. One of the prisoners made a rush for it, but a guard got it first. He ordered the prisoner to stand back, and he did so. The guard then looked away for an instant, and the prisoner rushed him and caught the

rifle. A corporal came on the scene •and ordered the prisoner to let go, but he refused to do so. and a shot was fired by the corporal. The man droppod, being shot through the lung. He expired shortly afterwards. The other prisoners with the execution of two, were then handcuffed, one man having to be thrown :ind handcuffed behind his back. On e member of the guard said: "I believe it was an accident. The corporal has been left behind at Seymour. The members of the guard are all armed with rifles and

l,t;li cavvriiljjos. but w ; > military polieemni arc only allowed to cany handon.',;. Hud the private not been shot, Go.l knows what would have happened. There were ten rounds in the rifle."