SOLDIERS MUTINY

Taranaki Daily News, 24 February 1916, Page 6

SOLDIERS MUTINY

RIOTS IN SYDNEY. UNPRECEDENTED SCENES. Sydney, February 15. A riot that occurred among the soldiers in Sydney culminated shortly hefore midnight in the shooting of some 6oldiers at the railway station. When seemingly all quiet, a band of about thirty roystercrs arrived with missiles and assailed the military guard at the Central Railway Station. They came on throwing stones and bottles,' and then charged on to the platform. Seeing a number of police and pickets in a bunch they seized the hose provided in ease of fire and played it on them. They were ordered to desist, but jeered and plied it the harder, and a shot was fired by one with an automatic pistol at the picket. Constables Mackenzie and Andrews, of Newtown, endeavored to wrest the hose from them, and they were soon engaged in a desperate 'struggle. The pickets fired twice. The first volley fired by the pickets did no damage, and the rioters again played the 'hose on the pickets. This time the water was turned on full, and so strong was the stream that several of the pickets were bowled over like ninepins. After an interval of a few minutes from the time of the first volley, the pickets fired on the rioters again and several of the soldiers were hit by the bullets and fell. The pickets charged with the bayonet. When the alleyway, which runs at right angles to the eastern arch of the station, was cleared of the rioters, the wounded men. were carried on to the railway platform and into the refreshment rooms on the station to await their removal to the hospital. Constable Mackenzie received a wound in the cheek, which will have to be X-rayed before the nature of it can be determined. His injury is not serious. The casualties were:— KILLED. Private E. W. Keefe, 6th Light Horse, bullet wound in cheek, bayonet wounds in left side and neck and right shoulder. WOUNDED. Constable Mackenzie, of Newtown, injury to cheek. Howard Williams (20), shot in the leg. Private Body, unconscious from baton stroke. Joseph Shaw (29), 11th Refcts., 17th Battalion, scalp wound. George Sharp (39), 13th Battalion (returned soldier), clubbed on head. Hugh Peoples (29), "Moira," Darley Road, Randwick, shot in the knee. Private Gemble (21), Casula Camp, bullet wound in back of head (not serious). Trooper William Clarke, Casula Camp, right knee cap shattered by bullet. Private pavid Seaton (40), D Company, 19th Battalion, 58 Gerard street,, Alexandria, injured. The wounded, with the exception of Williams, who was taken to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, were removed by the Civil Ambulance to Sydney Hospital, from where they were despatched after attention to the Garrison Hospital. So quiet were things generally when this episode occurred, that only two policemen—Sergeant Bowrey and Constable Bailey, both of Regent street station—were on the platform, in addition to the picket. Keefe died within a few moments of being hit, in the arms of Constable Bailey, who had rushed forward to pick him up, himself risking a bullet in so doing.

VIOLENCE IN THE. CITY. GREAT DAMAGE AT* LIVERPOOL. SOME RIOTERS SHOT. The most disgraceful episode in our military episode occurred yesterday (says tlie Sydney Daily Telegraph of Tuesday last), when thousands of men at Casula Camp struck against the extra time for training (about one hour and a half per day), provided under the new syllabus, walked out of quarters, »aud, gathering more men from . Liverpool camp, took charge of the trains for the city, and entered upon a round of rioting and general misconduct. Apparently a few malcontents were responsible for the whole business, and the decent men in camp were cajoled or threatened into passive or active support. Some establishments in Liverpool —hotels and fruit shops—were entirely denuded of supplies, and. the bill was lawlessly "put down to Kitchener." The trains for the city were packed with khaki-clad men, who refused to pay their fares, and by the time the city was reached the last vestige of discipline or regard for private property had disappeared. Hundreds of the men were obviously intoxicated, and quite irresponsible. Others became inoculated .with their comrades' vain-glorious, devil-may-care spirit. Then commenced a march of undisciplined deserters—for they were that in the true sense of the regulation. They broke through the railway gates like a mob of cattle, mid formed up in irregular line behind the ringleaders, who had the audacity to fly a Union •Tack and a certain battalion color at the head of the ''procession.'' From the ; station they trudged through George street, yelling and shouting .and declaiming defiance at anything ami everything that did not suit their particular taste of the military mood of the moment—always remembering that that was their own peculiar conception of what military discipline should be. As the turbulent procession wended its way through the city peaceful shopkeepers were at a complete loss to understand the meaning of the demonstration, but very shortly it was made

painfully evident. That men wearing the King's uniform would openly and brazenly commandeer poods from peaceful traders in their own country seems inconceivable, but unfortunately it was so. The strikers, after negotiating George street and other thoroughfares of the city, turned back along Castlereagh street, and amused themselves by firing empty beer and lemonade bottle at anything and everything that looked like a reasonable target. Syphons of soda water that had been stolen from hotels and cordial carts were used as squirts, banana peel and ripe fruit were promiscuously volleyed bere and there. Fruiterers' carts were rifled and overturned; lorries were commandeered and the drivers peremptorily ordered to proceed where desired; and even the inoil'ensive commercial traveller was bundled out of his sulky that a half-inebriated soldier might take charge and ride rougli-shod over all and iundry.

In the lower end of Castlereagh street some disgraceful scenes wen- witnessed. A lone Chinese with his barrow of vegetables hail the whole of his supply commandeered. The goods were not wanted. His worldly possessions consisted of a, moderate supply of green vegetables, and his resources of superfluous questioning of "WlialVor?" This latter did not avail him in the slightest. His celery, his cabbages, his onions, ami his potatoes were thrown and kicked about the streets, and his cart was turned into a fairly good imitation of a bundle of matchwood. On down Castlercagh street the unruly hand surged. Friut u>id vegetables •were shied from all quarters and from all angles. The word was given: "To the railway station," and here was enacted the most disgraceful and un-British episode. Peaceful barrowmen earning a modest existence by the sale of fruit had their supplies rifled. Intoxicated and ruthless soldiers mounted the frail carts and boldly announced that they would auction the contents. There was no auction—but the "sale" proceeded. Standing by was a lone policeman—No. .197. He endeavored to preserve order in the midst of the lawless mob, but his effort was hopeless from the outset. He was pelted with banana skins, bunches of grapes, half-eaten apples and oranges; but through it all he preserved a calm demeanor, and quietly urged restraint. If ever there was a public officer who endeavored to do ihis duty with tact it was this man. After many of the mob had been well gorged with unpaid-for delicacies, another move was made towards the heart of the city, and there was further rioting and indiscriminate lawlessness. "To the Quay!" shouted one of the ringleaders of the gang. "Form up, four deep," advised another. "One of our men has been dominoed, and we will domino the rest." (Cheers). And a sea of surging khaki turned back towards the southern end of ths city.

For some unexplained reason the worst elements in the ranks of the rioters stopped short at the corner of George and Liverpool streets, and it was here that the mounted police first came upon the scene. The civil polic were grouped heie and there in small guards, but they were powerless to <:ea! with the army of men who had broken camp, who took what they wanted without as much as "by your leave," and who crowded the trams to suffocation, and ordered the guards to "put it down to Kitchener." At first the mounted police mowd quietly, but certam drastic happenings necessitated drastic measures, and the horse constabulary were forced into the position of charging the mob. Helterskelter they rode through the thoroughfares and under the verandahs, to the imminent danger of women and children. It is only fair to state, however, that the people who had congregated in the vicinity had been previously warned, and if the morbidly curious nreferrcd to take the risk that was their business. One soldier threw a missile at a mounted man, who promptly jumped from his horse and chased the offender Groans and hoots were hurled at nim from all directions, but he pursued hi? assailant and made his capture. Mean while the patrol police were quietly moving the crowd on, and the civil authorities gradually gained the upper hand. Skulking here and there were men in uniform, who threatened all sorts of vengeance in the evening.

While tlio rioting was in progress yesterday afternoon. Constable Gordon, of tlie Regent street police, was felled with a full bottie of beer, whieli was thrown at Mm by someone in the erowd. Tie bottle was hurled with such force th.it it broke, through bis helmet and. inflicted a deep wound on the side of the head, necessitating a couple of stitches. Shortly before 7 o'clock an attach was made on the Evening News office, in Market street. Stones were thrown, and a window on the grain:'; floor of the building was smashed. The soldiers kept swarming into the street, which was soon so closely packed that it was impossible for the police to force their way through the crowd. Just as tlie riot looked like assuming serious dimensions a returned soldier dashed from the crowd, and, tearing down one of the notice-boards with the Liverpool camp strike headlines on, carried it into the office. He soon re-appeared with a hand-printed apology pasted on the notice board, and, displaying it to the crowd, succeeded in getting them to fall in behind him. Then, at their head, proudly displaying the apology—which he himself had written—lie inarched off in the direction of Elizabeth street. At 7.4 ii there was a wild rush up Hunter street. The mob raced round the corner into Phillip street, straight for the German Club, and commence! a bombardment of stones on what remained of the windows from the previous visitation. Two arrests were made there. Inspector Wallace, heedless of

stones and the bustling of the crowd, grabbed one man in khaki in the act of throwing a missile. Stationmaster MeIsiven. of the fire brigade, assisted the inspector. As they were escorting their prisoner through the doorway Mr. .McXiven was hit on the neck by a piece of blue metal. A posse of mounted police arrived shortly after, and the crowd gradually dispersed. Sergeant C. T. Ferguson was struck in the back of the neck with a piece of blue metal while assisting to restore peace in the charge on the. German Club. Just as the trouble was Hearing its and at this part of Cue city, a returned soldier limped up on to the steps of the Police Department. "What's the tumult about?" lie asked. "Oh, the soldiers are smashing up the German Club again," replied a pressman. "Humph!" replied the man who had honorably done his bit for the Empire, "wait till men like that sec the real thing; they'll crawl into their beds ahd never get out again," and lie walked off, shaking bis head in disgust. Headed by a soldier carrying a large flag, a crowd, mostly in dungarees, swarmed into H, Combclkick's Assembly Hotel, at the coiner of Philip and Hun-

tor streets. The bar was filled in a few seconds, and when the place was packed drinks were demanded. For some time the barmen were kept exceptionally busy, but, although they had no objection to receiving the drinks, the soldier? absolutely refused to pay for them, and threatened to wreck the place if their orders were not served. They became so uproarious that the clerks in the Detective Office turned out, and after a few minutes' work succeeded in clearing the bar. As soon as it was seen that the rioting was likely to assume serious proportions, the Inspector-General, Mr. Jas. Mitchell, called up all the available police in the metropolitan area. As the drafts came in they were allocated to different stations in the city, some being held in reserve, while the remainder were sent out on street duty. In addition to the, foot police, a squad of 20 mounted police, under Inspector Milk, were also turned put to patrol the

streets, while all the motor cyclists attached to police headquarters were also pressed itno service and employed on scouting work. In addition, the police patrol waggons and all the motors at the State garage were called out. The motors were stationed at the various police stations in order that, should the necessity arise, squads of police could be moved from one point to another' with the greatest celerity at a moment's notice. AT LIVERPOOL. RUTHLESS DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY. Since an order in connection with extra hours of working was issued a few days previously, murmurs of discontent have been heard among the men at Liverpool. A climax was reached when the whole of the men matched out of Casula Camp at 9 a.m. yesterday and marched to Liverpool Camp, where they induced a number of troops to follow them back to Liverpool, as a protest against the new system of training, which involves 40 hours a week, instead of six hours per day, as under the old syllabus.

Colonel Miller met some of the men and promised to place their grievance before the State Commandant. The men—at least about 70 per cent, of them—marched back to Liverpool, and immediately besieged the hotels in the vicinity of the station. The Commercial Hotel was the. first house to receive the,attention of the mob. This being the 'day before pay day, the majority of the men were "broke," and demands for drinks were acceded to, but as the cnuh became greater the mob took possession, jumped over the counters, and smashed every available bottle of liquor and cordials from the bar, adjoining private diningrooms and parlor were invaded, and hcautiful furniture reduced to matchwood. Even fire-grates were pulled out and broken. . Overmantels and sideboards were overturned and danced on by a mass of men, while curtains were pulled down and a lire started with the broken, furniture. Some of the men, however, stamped the flames out. A rush was then made for the cellar, but the employees managed to clear the premises of men and barricaded up the doors. ' Then the iron, railings on the verandah were torn up and the cellar entered, and gangs of men soon hauled hogsheads df beer into the street, where they were tapped. Fire buckets were borrowed from the railway station, and the men drank from them. Some of the men in the meantime had raided the kitchen and pots, pans and any other utensils were requisitioned and used to drink the liquor. Kegs of rum and whisky were also looted, and 'in all 14 hogsheads oE beer were rolled into the streets, where a fighting, veiling and quarrelling mob struggled" for a drink. The local police were powerless. Inspector Mnsgrave, from Parramatta, arrived with small reinforcements, and tried to protect the hotel property, appealing to the men to "play the game," and his efforts were assisted by a number of officers, without effect. Shortly after 3 p.m. a raid was made on the Golden Fleece Hotel. Windows were smashed, and the stock, valued at over £7OO, was soon in the hands of the raiders. In a melee Sergeant D. Coates, of the Liverpool police, was attacked by a man with a boer bottle, but some of the men's comrades stopped the soldier from using it. At Comino's refreshment rooms the large panes of glass were smashed and the contents removed. Rafferty's Hotel was also raided, but the licensee barricaded up his premises early, and escaped with only a few broken windows. The stalls at the foot of the railway steps were ako wrecked, and the proprietors chased away. . Tradesmen's carta were held up, and their contents pillaged. Later in the evening the police were reinforced by detachments under Inspector Berry, and several arrests wee made and the men lodged in the lockup. The camp commandant yesterday afternoon issued an appeal to the men to "play the game,"' etc. The damage to the Commercial Hotel U estimated at £2OOO.

A TROUBLED NIGHT. MEN SHOT DOWN. Sydney had a troubled night. Taken by surprise in the day time the police and. military authorities were ready for whatever might occur during (he hours of darkness. ' From every suburb the enforcers of the law poured into the city until great reserves were built up. At No. 2 police station no fewer than 200 men wore kept in readiness, while behind the police cordons at Central Lane were 100 of their comrad.'S and a military reserve. The civil population was amazed. Thousands thronged the streets in a spirit of sheer enriositv; some of them were riotoUß spirits only, too willing to lend a hand in a brawl. Cut there were many in whom the seriousness of the position created feelings of disgust. "What Avill they say in England," said one. And another answered, "What will they say in Berlin?"

Tho' Government's proclamation for the closing of all hotels at 7 p.m. had a big effect. Robbed o r the spirit that egged them on the men seemed to lose their cohesion, and out'of their thousands they could not effect anything like organisation. The big fight that was expected did not come off: it degenerated into a series of sharp and fierce »kir•nishes, in which the po! ; ee invariably won. 'I he call for assistance from botelbeeperi was promptly answered. Ihe rioters were evicted, and in t\vo cases the process led to encounters of considerable severity. At, the. Commonwealth and Criterion Hotels the, soldiers offered a stubborn resistance. The baton beat them, and two were sent to the hospital, while another went a ! good deal injured to the police station. George Street, between Rawson Place and Queen Victoria Markets, was the storm centre. Thousands of men in uniform or dungaree and civilians thronged the broad thoroughfares, surging this way and that as a score of soldiers banded together would make a rush to break some inoffensive person's shop window. Two were so smashed between Goulburn and Liverpool Streets, but when the rioters asailed the spacious window frontages of Victoria Mai-kets there was a heavy collision with the police. The windows of the Philadelphia Fruit and Lolly Company and of Savage's were reduced to splinters; a constable was struck on the head with a bottle, and another had his arm gashed with a similar weapon used in dagger fashion. Out of nowhere came a. posoe of troopers, and in a few seconds, by vigorously plying their horses and wheeling, they broke up the hostile section. Two or three times groups of men numbering upwards of 100 menaced the troopers, only to fall back aa the horsemen came into line. Foot policemen, some of whom had been on duty for about 14 hours, sweated and labored in the mass with astonishing patie&c^

For three hours this disgraceful behaviour continued. But the menace of the bayonets in Central Lane lielil most of the deserters within bounds, and finally law and order got the upper hand. By 10 o'clock the police were satisfied that the trouble hi the streets was in hand. At Central Railv/av Station trouble was expected. To this place a big detachment was dispatched. Acting iii concert with the railway authorities, it took charge of the platform and posted cordons of men at each entrance. Persons on the assembly platform without | tickets were quietly told to get off. And no one was permitted to go on unless he could produce a ticket.and then ho was told to get to his platform as quickly as possible. That human hive, the assembly platform, within half an hour was quieter than it has been perhaps since the day it was constructed. The control was admirable. About 8.30 p.m, the decent fellows, who had been menaced into accompanying the rioters, began quietly to drift back to camp. They were directed to their platforms with .dispatch. The conditions were admirable for dealing with any trouble that might occur. Near midnight the clash came, the rioters suffered, one being shot dead and several wounded.

An astonishing feature of the adventurous night was the number of women who jostled in the throng, some of them shamelessly arm in nrm with drunken soldiers, greatly interfering with the efforts of the police. Sober-minded citizens admired the tact, patience, and effectiveness of the guards, particularly of the police, and then went home to reflect on the poor glory the rioters achieved—a few smashed windows, some stolen fruit and overturned barrows, and a reputation for lawlessness that will remain an everlasting disgrace. Thirty-two arrests were made during tho day. THE MORNING AFTER. MILITARY AND POLICE PREPARED. . If there had been any recrudescence of the previous day's trouble the mutineers would have found in the i"paredness of the representatives of civil and military authority an emphatic reminder of the adage, "Once bitten 'twice shy," said the Telegraph of the following (Wednesday) morning. More men than enough failed to turn up at the compulsory parade yesterday morning, and though'in the small hours the highways and byways of the city were scouted there were many unaccounted for. From these, it was anticipated, there might have been trouble; but apparently they learned their lesson. Upwards of 1,000 men remained about town all night, and some hundreds of them were content to "doss" in the parks, but their inclination, as well as their capacity, for making trouble had reached the end of its tether, and the stragglers went back to duty by the early trains. Even at this stage there is some satisfaction in noting that the great majority of the men were on parade, as ordered by headquarters, at 11 a.m. Most of them were sorrier and wiser men than when they cast discipline to the-winds and took the law in their own hands. In due course the military will take suitable action to vindicate the King's regulations, when the. arch-offenders have been dealt with by the judicial authorities for breaches of the civil law. Many of them have already been punished, but others have yet to pay the penalty for their misbehaviour. The last of the stragglers were rounded up by patrols, and lodged in the Darlinghurst military prison.