CANADIANS RUN RIOT.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 October 1919, Page 94

CANADIANS RUN RIOT.

POLICE STATION ATTACKED. In the past, few days there have been serious riotous outbreaks of men in Canadian camps, or bj' men from them, says a London paper. Thus, at Epsom, to release a comrade who had been arrested, men from a, local camp attacked the police station with such savage fury that tragedy was the result. There was not a constable on duty there (they numbered Hi) who was not injures, „•:;? one was killed. For an hour the police inspector and his 15 men defended the station against 500 Canadians, using their truncheons, in vain, for the station was badly wrecked. Appeal has been made to the War Office by the chairman of the Epsom Urban District Council for the protection of the inhabitants. All public houses and clubs in the district were afterwards closed for the sale of intoxicating drink.

There have also been grave riots at Witley camp, near Godalming (where huts were set on fire), and at Kipon, where there were also flames. Describing the riot at Epsom, a correspondent says:—lt was the maddest of battles, this Epsom police station attack. Coming from Woodcote Camp (there is a convalescent hospital there), in resentment over the arrest of one of their number on a charge of being drunk and disorderly in High Street at 10.30 p.m., the Canadians, reinformed from the camp, and 500 strong, hurled themselves at the police in reckless, unreasoning force.

At the end of a.n hour's fighting, in which a sergeant received fatal injuries. and in which the building was badly wrecked, they broke into the cells and released the arrested man. The dead office was Station-Sergeant Thomas Green, aged fifty-two. He had served for seven years in the army, and for nearly a quarter of a century had b»,w in the police force. He had two daughters, aged sixteen and eighteen, and his widow is at present an inmate of a London hospital. Seven police officers were hurt, and are now on the sick list, and not, a constable escaped without some injury. Among the residents of Epsom there was utter indignation.

MARCH OF THE FIVE HUNDRED.

After the arrest, it seems, some Canadians who were present went back to the camp. There the 500 collected and marched into the town, reaching the police station at 11.30.

Inspector Pawley, the officer in charge went out and urged them to go back to camp. But they took no notice of his appeal, and began to tear up the palings in front of the station. Only the inspector, three sergeants, and' about a dozen constables we?e on duty.

They tried to resist the rioters, but were overwhelmed by sheer force of numbers. Paving stones were' torn up, and armed with cudgels of wood and stones, the soldiers attacked the police and tried to force their way into the station.

Lights were smashed, and in the darkness a terrific battle took place between the two forces. For some time the police were able to prevent the attackers from getting into the station iself, but finally the door was battered down, and the soldiers swarmed inside.

They left untouched the ground floor, which is used for administrative work, and directed all their efi'orts to getting in the cells. In the end they torn down the iron railings at the side of the station, and reached the passage leading to the lock-up. Smashing the lock of one of the compartments with a huge stone, they set at liberty one or two imprisoned men. The police themselves thought it wise to release the other.

Every window in the building was smashed, and Inspector Pawley's wife and children had to leave their beds hurriedly and seek shelter in a back room, for stones fell into their chamber.

It was in. a truncheon charge led by Sergeant Green that lie received his fatal injuries. Seven of the police made a sortie from the rear of the building with drawn truncheons. Although the odds were 50 to 1, they drove the rioters out of the station grounds into the street. •Sergeant Green was lost sight of, and l.e vyas found unconscious on "the ground, having either been hit or kicked on his head. He was taken to the infirmary, but died later from a fractured skull.

One of the pol.ice officers who took part in the truncheon charge gave a detailed account. He himself received nasty blows on his leg with a wooden stake-

MISS'S OFFICERS IGNORED. "The Canadians," he said, "started by breaking down the palings in the front of the station and smashing the windows. We were compelled to retire inside, and they tried to force the door. "But it did not give way, and we succeeded in keeping them out ror a long time. "Then they started to tear away the iron railings at the side of the station, where runs the passages leading to the cells. "They got in and released-one of the faen who had been arrested; we let the other free ourselves. _ "The Canadians would take no notice either of Inspector Pawley or of their own officer, who urged them to go away. They simply jeered at him. It is a wonder that any of the police escaped with their lives. 'lt was after the prisoners were freed that we drove the mob out of the house. We then left two or three constables to guard the front door, and we charged from the back of the building with our truncheons. "Lights had been put out, and the fight took place in the dark. "Seven police officers with their truncheons drove back 500 soldiers. "Major Ross then appealed to them, and they went back to their camp, taking their injured with them. It was like dealing with madmen." Assistance was telephoned for, and policemen from Kingston, Wimbledon, Wandsworth, and other stations began to pour in on cycles. Y But by the time they reached Epsom the Canadians hail gone back to their camp, and everything was quiet. A number of the Canadian soldiers who returned to camp were found to be in need of medical attention. Their wounds were dressed, and some, whose Injuries were more serious, Were sent to the military hospital.

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION. Subsequently the Canadian Headquarters issued a statement, saying:— The incident preceding the disturbance Jit Epsom, which is deeply deplored by the Canadian authorities, appears to haVe been due to the feeling of hostility which has been steadily growing between the Canadians and demobilised Imperial soldiers, which recently came to a head at Guildford. Since civilians were fined as the consequence of that affair, a number of Canadians have complained at different times that when out alone, or in small parties of two or three, they have been attacked by a of fiiviiiana, •

11. lias nol. been possible as yet to ascertain the reason for last night's occurrence, but according to some of the men a Canadian soldier .who was walking with his wife was insulted by a gang of civilians. A disturbance ensued, and several Canadians were placed in the police station.

Canadians returned to the camp with this news, and a large number, of men, resenting this treatment of their comrades went down to Epsom with the idea of securing the release of the prisoners. The oflieer of the day having failed to prevent the men leaving the camp, went down to the town with them in the hope of averting a disturbance. This officer entered the police station to make inquiries, and as he did not appear for some time the Canadian soldiers, being under the impression that this officer had also been arrested, rushed the police station.

Complete order prevails at the camp, but the Canadian authorities have taken the most drastic measures to prevent any recurrence of the disturbance.