WELLINGTON STRIKE RIOTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 201, 23 February 1914, Page 6

WELLINGTON STRIKE RIOTS.

A SEN'SATIONAL ACCOUNT. l''OI! .SOCIALIST CONSUMPTION". The readers of the Xew York Call, a Socialist organ published by the Workingnien's Co-operative Publishing Association, have seen more startling, ultra - sensation -news" of the recent strike in Wellington than the local eve-witnesses. The following is the account given of the disturbances hy the Call's correspandent:

"Wellington, Xew Zealand, November 25.—Whatever hopes there had licen of peacefully settling the strike of the waterside workers here were utterly destroyed by a concerted charge of drunken mounted troopers and 'scab' specials, on a crowd of about two thousand men, women and children last night. Tlio gathering took nlace at the corner of Taranaki and "Tv'ebb streets at (i.:JO o'clock. Uy 8 o'clock the street was covered with wounded, two bovs breathed their last, and all New Zealand vowed vengeance upon the hated cavalrymen, tin; 'specials' and the rdoodthirsry employers. ••'J'lic charge, for sheer brutality, Was one of tile most wanton attempts to intimidate the strikers that have ever been witnessed here. Without a word of warning the soldiers and armed specials swooped down upon the assembled thousands, and struck right and left with their bludgeons, shooting down anyone who dared to withstand their charge.

"Tile specials had been liHim; up with strong drink all the afternoon at the Royal Tiger Hotel, according to subsequent statements by some of the barmaids of the hotel. ' Drunken and carousing men were marshalled together by Commissioner Culleu as soon as it grew dark," and held in readiness for the attack.

"The prelude to the shooting and charge was a hose -display. <'u nvnts of water, strong enough to sweep a strong man oil' his feet, ami cam- him along tin- street, were turned upon the women and children, who predominated at the meeting. "While the hitter were still dazed and bewildered by the powerful stiviims of water, the drunken specials came galloping down the street, slrikitiir 'out right and left.

"The two boys killed were sliot in the head and in the legs. One was about tourteen and tile other eighteen.

■T. I. 0 lirien tells of seeing a bnv of ten pursued by two drunken'soldiers, beating him with a club.

"One of tlio first victims of the charre was mi old man of seventy, who .was I badly hurt by the horses' hoofs. lie was picked up by two young men. who ill turn were run down. Two girls who bad grabbed tbo bridles were dragged into a corridor by , ;v local resident. Later, while lie still held !he girls inside the closed gate, a drunken policeman rushed at them with a smoking revolver and tried to shoot tlieni "