RIOTS IN WANGANUI.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 290, 17 May 1915, Page 4

RIOTS IN WANGANUI.

AX'i'J.(CARMAN" DEMONSTRATION". A Si'ltJl 1 I.OOTKD. lxtkxm\ -v. i:ama(;k dunk. Dy Telegraph.-i'j ess AssociaJion. Waganui, Last Night. I'viotou, scenes were witnessed in the stieets last night, (he storm centre being a porl; butcher's shop occupied hv a iu> tuialised German nan-el C. lleinohl. i-'arly in the evening a crowd gathered outside the premises which in consequence of -persistent rumors were closed and the lights < xtinguhhed. The police were present in force. Shortly after eight oklock stones were 'thrown through ;i window and an excited mob ■urge! round when the police tried to cfi'cct an arrest. 'ISy ten o'clock a crowd 01 several thousands wa . in the vicinity and feeling was running high. A series of ugly rushes were overpowered by tho police, but plate-glass windows \wcro smashed by a fnsilado of stones. The Mayor tried to address the cloud, but was howled down. During the riot -platcwindows of the Melbourne Company's drapery premises adjoining were also smashed.

Hv eleven o'clock TTcinold's windows in both the upstairs portion ami the shop had been completely wrecked. Tha culminating scene was witnessed when a Territorial in uniform climbed on to the verandah above the street and hoisted the I'nion .Tack amid great excitement, the crowd singing the National Anthem and -patriotic songs. At this stage the unruly element in the crowd commenced to shout: "What about {he others." A wiid rush was started for Ualhnstein Jircs.'s three-storyed building at the corner of the Avenue and Bidgway Street, a block away, where all the windows were smashed. During the stone throwing the Mayor, who was bleeding from a stone wound in the face, again addressed the crowd and urged them not to disgrace the town, : bill to he in-itish.

Hinting continued to midnight, when the stone throwing gradually ceased. A ! feature of the disturbance was the number of women -and boys among tha crowd. One youth was seen to deliberately throw a full-sized brick at llallenstein's windows, and all the plate-glass windows in these premises were subsequently smashed, and the crowd proceeded along the & I root to the Pristol Piano Company, where two were broken. AS the height of tho trouble feeling was intense and titers were threats to wreck premises of quite a number of shopkeepers. The police handled the situation with tact, but' were powerless to prevent damage being done, lleinold's shop was looted, not an article remaining. Hams, sausages and other goods were stolen. One man wad arrested for stealing from llnllcnstein's.