THE AUSTRALIAN STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1917, Page 3

THE AUSTRALIAN STRIKE.

.VIOLENCE AND SABOTAGE.

ONE MAN SHOT DEAD. Sydnoy, August 31. A number of men alleged to be carters out on strike attacked two volunteer carters in Bridge Road, Carnperdown, near the Children's Hospital, yesterday afternoon, and in the struggle that ensued two of the strikers were shot, one beigg fatally injured. Reginald James Wearne, a stock and station agent, of Bingara, and i Charles Thorpe, both volunteer workers, were returning from Birt's wharf with their wagons, having each discharged a load of jam for the troops at the front.

At 4.45 p.m. as they were going along Bridge Road, just abreast of the Children's Hospital, a number of men who were congregated on the footpath commenced to call out insulting- remarks, one of them saying, "You scabs and ." The volunteer carters, however, took no notice of the epithets, and one of the men then ran alongside of the foremost lorry, driven by Wearne, and said, "You , I'll get you," and then jumped on the lorry from behind whilst it was in motion. Wearne, who was sitting on the box driving the horses, attempted to hand over the rein 3 to a little boy who was with him and to protect himself, but he was not quick enough, and the man hit him on the head, knocking him off his seat. The assailant then jumped on him, almost dazing him, and then left the lorry. Whilst this was going on Thorpe, who was driving in the rear, was attacked from behind by another man and knocked off the lorry. As he fell his foot caught in the reins, and he was dragged along by the trotting horses for some distance, and then seized by the mob of men and taken to a vacant allotment Here he was being violently attacked when Wearne looked round and saw him. Wearne stopped his horses, and, drawing a revolver, rushed to his friend's assistance, calling out to the attackers aB he approached, "Keep back, or I'll fire." Olio, of the men then picked up a stone and rushed at him, at the same time throwing the missle. v Wearne thereupon fired into the ground. At this the man stopped, but almost immediately ran away, picked up another stone, and rushed at Wearne again. Wearne then fired at his legs, the bullet entering the calf of the left leg. Another man meanwhile crept upon Wearne from behind, and hit him on the head with a stone, cutting Wearne's head open, and knocking him to the ground, the assailan» falling on top.

THE FATAL SHOT. Wearne, although dazed and suffering from loss of blood, made a fierce struggle, and threw the man off him, but just as he was trying to get up another man attacked, and then 'Wearne fired his revolver again. The bullet struck the man, who staggered, and then dropped to the roadway, shot through the heart. At the hospital the man with the wound in the chest was found to be dead, and his body was removed to the morqne. His brother then gave deceased's name as Mervyn Ambrose Flanagan, 32, a carter, residing at 4 Marsden Street Camperdown. Deceased was married, and had four children. The man who received a wound in thi< leg was admitted into the hospital. He gave his name as Harry Williams, aged 52, residing in Gowrie Street, Newtown. At the hospital Constable Andrews was present, and Wearne, after having the wound in his head attended to, gave himself up to the custody of the constable, and at the same time also gavo the deceased man's brother, James Everard Flanagan, aged 30, into custody. .Snbseouentlv Reginald James'Wearne was charged at the Newtown Police Station with feloniously slaying Mervyn Ambroso Flanagan. Bail was allowed self in £IOO, and a surety for a similar amount, while James Everard Flanagan was charged with using violence to prevent Wearne from following hia lawful occupation. Bail was allowed, self i" £4O, and one surety for the same amount. Wearne is a brother of Mr. W. E. Wearne, M.L.A. for Namoi, who directly he learned of the occurrence proceeded to tho Newtown Police Station, and arranged for the release on bail of his brother, for whom he acted as bondsman,

WEARNE BEFORE THE COURT. Sydney, August 1. Wearne was charged at Newtown Court, yesterday with having, on August :!(>, feloniously slain Mervyn Ambrose Flanagan. Accused came into Court with his head swathed in bandages. He was very pale. Sergeant Leonard, in applying for a remand for one week, informed the Magistrate of the occurrences which led up to the shooting, and explained that one of the principal witnesses was in the Hospital. The remand for one w f eek was granted, bail being fixed at self in £IOO, and a surety of a like amount.

James Edward Flanagan (30) pleaded not guilty to the same Court to a charge that, at Camperdown, on August 30, he used violence with intent, to prevent Reginald James Wearne from working at his lawful occupation. On the application of Sergeant Leonard. a remand for one week was granted. Bail was fixed at self in £BO, an a surety for a similar amount. A very large crowd assembled in the vicinity of the Courthouse, and all the available space in the Court room was eogerlv rushed as soon as the doors were opened. [Wearne was subsequently acquitted on the grounds that he fired in self-de-fence] SECRET PLANS FOR A GENERAL STRIKE. EVIDENCE OF GIGANTIC CONSPIRACY. Sydney, August 28. "The Government lies in its possession," said Mr Fuller, the Acting-Pre-mier. in a statement last night, "ample evidence showing that long before the cards were introduced a scheme was secretly originated aiming at the holding up of the whole of Australia by means of a general strike. When the whole history o; this struggle is made known the rv li'u. n-iil realise what rcaUv happened. The soliemo for a general hold-up came oil some months before the secret strike committee was ready. This general strike was organised to take place at a later date, hut the men responsible for it could not control-the 'red-rag' element, !•••(' •>!! 'hat has happened is that the strike took place months before it, was ■T."r.i:'llv 'niended. "This why the Government says I that there can bp no compromise in aj dispute :if tl|is kind, Once t]ie strike | is used for other than industrial niir. I

■poses, once it is used to take Government control out of the hands of Parliament, a Government can only face th& position squarely ar.4 sav that, whatever the consequences may be, a strike of this nature must be fought to a finish. I can only again reiterate my assurances that the card system does not interfere with any existing working conditions, that it does not involve the .Taylor or any sweating system, and that it is in reality a feeble pretext for a general industrial nnheav.il inspired by purely political motives,"