RIOT AT GISBORNE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 175, 2 January 1915, Page 4

RIOT AT GISBORNE.

A GERMAN'S PREMISES ATTACKED. THE POLICE POWERLESS. By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. Gisbome, Last Night. 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 eonducts a pork butchery. Well .aimed stones smashed a big pyite glass window. The crowd gradually increased in numbers, and stones became more frequent till all the local police were called out to keep the mob ii'i order, and Wolinsiedler closed his premises and extinguished all lights. By midnight thera were fully 200 people surging round the shop, singing patriotic Bongs, 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 badly knocked about. The police made no arrests, as it was practically impossible in the dense crowd to sec 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.