THE WAIHI RIOT

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 13 November 1912, Page 5

THE WAIHI RIOT

AN EXCITING TIME

FED ERATiONISTS 15 ADL Y HANDLED. THE PRESIDENT LEAVES THE TOWN. DECLARES THE STRIKE "OFF." .by leimrvaoil —P T -'«fi AwtuciatKHUl WAIHI, Last Night. The federationists woro chased by the workers whenever they appeared to-day. On ono occasion a federationist was suddenly espied, and in a moment the crowd rushed him. The police, seeing tho move, rushed to intercept them. Two or threo constables seized a man and ran him down the street to get him away from tho crowd. After taking him a short way they let him go, but ho wa3 no sooner by himself than the crowd gov© chase. Tho police also ran, with the object of protecting him. At Wynward's corner he was caught, roughly handled, and sent sprawling to the ground The police again surrounded him, pushed the crowd back, and ultimately got him into a butcher's shop The crowd yelled, and attempted to push their way into the shop, where the unfortunate man lay huddled on the floor. There were about twenty police on tho scene. They prevented any of the crowd entering, and partially succeeded in clearing them. The man was then escorted into Rosemont Road. The crowd attempted to follow, but were prevented by the police. Tho man was eventually set free and started off at a run. The crowd again attempted to get past the police, but were stopped. It then looked as if tho man would have got clear: but suddenly a worker, fleet of foot, slipped past the police and then a great race ensued. The federationist fled for his life, while the worker followed closely by the police, closely pursued him. One cf the constables outstripped his fellowmen, and gradually lessened the distance between himself and the worker. The latter had got within a few yards of the Federationist, who then got clear away. ANOTHER INCIDENT.

Just after this incident, a local I bootmaker, who is a prominent "red I flagger," received the attention of tho same worker. The latter rushed at him, telling him to clear out. Before the police could prevent it. the man wis hit and knocked down. The police got round him. and while he was on the ground searched him. but found no weapons oilier than a heavy file. He was then escorted to safety by the police. A SHOT-FIBER MISSING Tt is reported that the federation ist who fired a revolver this morning, luckily without injury, took to lis heels as soon as ho.hid fired the shot and has since eluded discovery. PROTECTION AT THE POLICE STATION. •In the early part of the riots a prominent federation ist, and the husband of a leading "scarlet runner." j appealed to the police for protection, I .<■: he felt himself in danger from the J arbitrationists. The police hardly knew , what to do with him ; but be solved the difficulty by suggesting that they take him to the lock-up as being tho •safest place, in town. Tn the exciting state of affairs, the police fell in with the suggestion, and he was ■•icrordingly taken to tho station. REVOLVERS.

Revolvers were taken from several feder.rtioni.sts' pockets dnringthe forenoon. HOVIXG THE TOWN. Bands of workers, ranging from TOO co 200. have been roving the outskirts of the town. ..Hearing that some women were being insulted, a band workers made for the locality They caught one federation!-.t, and I before the police arrived on the scene, they gave him a rough handling.* (The. mounted constable who was keep I ; n2 watch on the workers hunted I them off, and placed a temporary : snmrd over tho home of the fedorationist. A HURRIED DEPARTURE. Mr Kennedy, a-ctingtpresident of Waihi Miners' Union, took a hurried departure from Waihi. He was rather badly handled by a hostile crowd at the station, and bears the marks of hands that were laid upon him. He told a constable that tho strike was "off." Kennedy, before leaving his house on Martha Hill, asked the police for protection while en route to the railway station. Two constables escorted him down Moreby Avenue, where a number of workers rushed towards him, and Kennedy told his escorts he would go no further till more police arrived. , Kennedy then went into a friend's house and waited there till the arrival of mounted and foot police reinforcements, the escort numbering about a dozen. When they got to Devon Street, the crowd broke through the police guard, and severely knocked Kennedy about. At this moment a passing vehicle was brought into requisition, and Ken-

nedy was put into it and driven to the railway station. WAIKINO CLEAR. Waikino is said to be clear of federationists. Many departures took place to-day. .NOTICE TO QUIT. Several of the homes of federationists who hive been conspicuous by calling out "scab" and riving other epithets to the workers and their wo-inen folk, have been visited. The inmates were told that they would have forty-eight hours to leave the town, or they nnist take the consequences. In one instance a federationist replied that he would be carried to the cemetery before he would clear out.

MASS MEETING.

OF THE NEW UNION. •PEDKRATfONISTS Gt$ES NOTICE TO QUIT. MANY LEAVING THE TOWN. ' WAIBJ, Last Night. The members of tho now Union held j a mass meeting in the Union Hall j building, which was packed. Mr Rudd, president pro tern, addressed '' the meeting. He explained that in view of the fact that they had among < them a number of financiil members ' of the Federation Union, they bad a perfect right to the use. of the hall He wont on to say that they had put rup with the insults to themselves and their wives and families long ; enough at the hands of the "red rag- j gers," nnd that certain of these in- j dividuals should be driven out of the j town. Tt was unanimously decided i that these men. of which a list had been prepared and was read to the ! meeting, bo given 48 hours' notice to j clear out of the town, or take the j consequence. 1 Several prominent members of the new Union gave short addresses, appliuse and cheers greeting each. At the conclusion of their remarks one sneaker emphasised the fact that the hall had been built for the workers and miners, and that be hoped in a very short time the now Union would be in legal possession of the building. Votes of thanks were accorded the Government for sending the police to Waihi, and to the police for their conduct. The proceedings terminated by the singing of "God Save the King." FEDERATION! STS QUITTING. This afternoon there was not a sign of a single federationist. A number of them, including a dozen women, left Waihi by the afternoon train. A few more left by a later train to-night. A bus load containing two federation families left for Paeroa at 8 o'clock. Another i'ederationist, iii eagerness to leave the town, hurriedly gold his furniture, the whole lot being purchased by a sec-ond-band dealer for £2. THE WOUNDED CONSTABLE. By the aid of the X-rays, the bullet has been located in Constable Wade's body. It entered slightly to one side of the middle of the ■abdomen, and passed round to the right side- for about eight inches, where it lodged. It has not yet been extracted, but serious results are not anticipated. Evans, who iired the bullet, is suffering from concussion of the brain. He is unconscious, and his condition is very critical.

protection, sought. ] A number of applications from I "red raggers" for protection have been received by tho police. ORDER RESTORED. THE LAST OF THE STRIKE. WELLINGTON, Ljsi Night. The Hon A. L. Herdman, Minister of .Justice, received telegraphic advice to-night that the town of Waihi had been quietened, and that order had been restored. Several prominent strikers had already quitted the town, and others woue preparing to leave. The condition of C'onstible Wade, who was lying in the hospital, was not quite so satisfactory. "Genera! opinion," said the Ministor to a Times reporter, "was that this affray would be the last of the trouble at Waihi. Proceedings would of course follow agiinst t'ho person who shot Constable. Wado, the man who is supposed to have fired tho revolver shot being himself in the hospital '' WP j r^.-v»-r T 7 -- -—• ~,'~~ --: • -•iTf.-rrii-tsTr,™