DISGRACING THE UNIFORM.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 February 1916, Page 3

DISGRACING THE UNIFORM.

RIOTOUS AUSTRALIAN RECRUITS. A SHAMEFUL AFFAIR. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Fob. 21. Sydney papers contain reports of a sensational soldiers' mutiny. On Monday last thousands of men at Cusula struck against the extra time for training of H hours a day that is required under the new syllabus. They gathered more men from Liverpool Camp and took charge of the trains for the city. On arriving there they broke through the railway gates and marched in an irregular line through the city, looting private property and doing serious damage to shops on the line of route. They rifled the fruit and apples of barrowmen. Mounted police charged them at the corner of George and Liverpool Streets and scattered the mob, but about 7 p.m. an attack was made on the Evening News office, a window on the ground floor being smashed. The crowd smashed hotel windows and again attacked the German Club.

The trouble culminated shortly before midnight in the shooting of some soldiers at the railway station. A band of thirty roysterers arrived with missiles and assailed the militia guard at the Central Station. They came on, throwing stones and bo'ttles, and charged the platform. Seeing a number of police and pickets in a bunch they seized the fire hose and played water oil them. They were ordered to desist, but jeered and plied the water all the harder. A shot was fired by 9 rioter, armed with an automatic pistol, ami two constables endeavored to wrest the hose from the mob, but failed. The pickets fired twice. The frst. '(Volley did not harm anyone, and after an Interval of a few minutes the pickets fired again, and several soldiers were hit by bullets and fell. The pickets charged with bayonets. When the alley-way at right angles to the station was cleared it was found that one soldier had been killed, and nine soldiers and one constable wounded. The wounded were conveyed to the hospital. 'The man killed was Private E. W. Keefe, of the Sixth Light Horse. He had a bullet wound in the cheek and bayonet wounds in the side of his neck and in his right shoulder. He died within a few minutes of being shot. One man, Private Bodj', was unconsciousnes for 24 hours as the result of a baton stroke. Two others were shot in the knee and one was shot in the .head! The constables were badly but not seriously, injured. ■ At Liverpool a mob rioted and took possession of the Commercial Hotel, smashed the furniture, and started a fire which was stamped out. They rushed the cellar and hauled out hogsheads of beer to the street, where they were tapped. Kegs of rum and whisky were also looted. Rafferty's Hotel was also raided, but the licensee barricaded the premises and escaped, the only damage being a few broken windows. The trouble seemed to have simmered down next day and things were pretty quiet. A compulsory parade V»as ordered for next morning, and about a thousand men failed to attend. A large number of men were arrested and punished.