WATERSIDE FRACAS.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 January 1921, Page 5

WATERSIDE FRACAS.

*•' 1 - • ■ $

" POLICE ROUGHLY HANDLED. - - * $ PLUCKY ARRESTS MADE. ’'J 4 By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, .Jan. 11. A serious affray between the police and members of the crews of overseas vessels took place at Lyttelton last evening. Constables Bayne and Hislop arrested a seaman off the Maimoa, which arrived direct from New York on Saturday, for using obscene language. The man resisted and his mates closed round the police and obstructed them. A crowd collected, consisting mostly of seamen and firemen. The constables were mobbed and very roughly handled, but they not only stuck to their man but made another arrest. At the height of the disturbance,. when the two constables were about exhausted, police reinforcements arrived. As the mob still maintained its attack a constable slipped across to the police station and returned with a supply of t batons. Thus armed the police forced, their way to the station, beating off several ugly rushes by the free use of their staves. The station door was rushed and another arrest was made.

Stones were thrown and so was the attitude of the crowd that a threat to read the Riot Act w r as made. This apparently had an effect, for the crowd broke up and gradually dispersed. Constables Hislop and Bayne, who so pluckily stuck to their prisoners, were badly knocked about, the latter especiajjy, he having been brutally picked while on the ground. SEQUEL IN COURT. FIVE FIREMEN CONVICTED. Christchurch, Last Night. A sequel to the disturbance at Lyttelton. last night, took place at the Magistrate’s Court to-day, when five firemen on the steamer Maimoa were charged before Mr. S. E. McCarthy, S.M., with various offences arising therefrom. Richard Jones was convicted and sentenced to one month’s imprisonment on a charge of using obscene language. He was convicted and discharged on a charge of resisting arrest, and was ordered to pay expenses. George Henry Crowe w T as sentenced to one months imprisonment for obstructing a constable, and was convicted on a charge of using obscene language. James Hastley was fined £lO for using obscene language, in default one month’s imprisonment. Albert Beardsley and John Philbin Were each fined £lO for inciting lawlessness, in default one month’s imprisonment.