MOB ASSAILS CHAIRMAN.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 November 1916, Page 3

MOB ASSAILS CHAIRMAN.

• THREATS OF HANGING. BUGGY-TRACE ROUND NECK. An account of the violent behaviour at a conscription meeting in Victoria, of which some particulars were received by cable, was published in the Melbourne Argus on October 28. It received its information in the form of the following telegram from Mr. George Gordon, of Albert Street. Port Fairy:— ''Mr. A. S. Rodgers, M.H.R., asltcd mc, as chairman of his meeting at Crossley, to send you a report of what occurred. Mr. Rodgers attempted to address a large number of men at the Crossley Roman Catholic Schoolroom on Wednesday night, in favor of the referendum. No local man being willing, Mr. Gordon, of Port Fairy, took the chair. For over an hour, amidst a tremendous uproar. Mr. Rodgers tried to make liiinself audible, but failed. The two police present were powerless to do anything to keep order, and, with Mr. Rodgers, Re-cruiting-Sergeant Stevens, and the chairman, were bespattered with eggs in all stages of decay. Finally, Crossley broke its neutrality, when somebody called for three cheers for the Kaiser, followed by a roar of cheers for Germany. "The mob by this time had worked itself into a frenzy, and, at the earnest request of the, ehairmaii and Sergeant Stevens, Mr. Rodgers abandoned the meeting, and left the room with Constable Nelson, and was fortunate enough to get away in the darkness without injury. The- crowd not being able to find Mr. Rodgers, turned their attention to the chairman, and, amidst yells of "Hang the he was seized and brutally kicked. An attempt was made, to fasten a buggy-trace round his neck, whilst o search was made for a rope. Amidst great excitement, the chairman was pushed to the place selected for his execution, but a man holding a white flag over his head intervened on his behalf. In the confusion the light went out. and Mr. Gordon quietly walked through the crowd to where Sergeant Stevens had the jinkcr ready. A young man seized the horse by the head, and rapidly led him out of the yard to the road. As the wheels moved a wild yc!l rose from the crowd when they rtalisnd that their victim was escaping, and as the jinker reached the road hands attempted to tear Mr. Gordon out of the vehicle. The horse galloped oif. and the attempt failed, a volley of mc-tal pu> ,suing the jinker." r