RIOT AT WAIHI

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 13 November 1912, Page 6

RIOT AT WAIHI

CONFLICT BETWEEN WORKERS

REVOLVER SHOTS FIRED. TOWN SEETHING WITH EXCITEMENT. (Bv Ttiegmph—Preat Auncutifa*s WAIHI, Tuesday, The most exciting sensation which has ever happcn.nl at Waihi occurred this morning, Yesterday's incidents ■ were exciting enough, but they pale , into significance compired with this . morning's events. The town from ■half past seven till after eight was , seething with excitement, and everything was so unsettled that work at the mines was not thought of, and \ permission w.is obtained from the Company to suspend work for the day. The workers, as was the case yesterday, assembled opposite the new Union Hall, and in a body ma relied into Mi in Street, en route to th© mines. The street was conspicuous by the scarcity of the unemployed section of the community. Workers, police, and general public were hardly represented. The body of workers marched to tho Miners' Union Hall, where a halt was called. At this point the first exciting incident occurred. UNION HALL RUSHED. As soon .'".s a. halt was called, the leaders of the workers rushed at the closed doors of the Union building. In a few minutes an entrance to the main building and offices was effected. Meanwhile a section rushed the alleyw.iy of the hall, smashing all the windows on that side of the building. REVOLVER SHOTS! Just as an entrance to the hall was effected, two or three revolver shots were fired by the federationists inIsiclc the hall. Constable Wade, who stood in front of the workers endeavouring to restrain them, received a bullet in the abdomen. Almost simultaneously n worker. Harry 11. Johnson, a resident of Russell street, was shot in the. fleshy part of the leg above the knee. The constable' was at once conveyed to the Jiospit.tl. Johnson, I regardless of tho wound, rushed with j a crowd of others in search of the users of the. revolvers. I IX PURSUIT.

There was a tremendous hue and cry as three strikers were seen escaping from the building. The crow*!, with scores of police, joined in the pursuit. There was a mud rush through an adjoining timber yard. The workers, who were literally beside themselves, howled and yelled at the heels of the fleeing fugitives. The chasers suddenly lost sight of their quarries as they disappeared into the grounds of Dr Craig. While a frantic search of the doctor's garden and outhouses was being made, three fugitives effected an entrance t'J the doctor's house. Mrs Craig saw two men through a window rush p.ist the .side of tln> house. She immediately ran to the front door, and met the breathless men in the act of rushing in the door way. She promptly slammed the door in their faces, but the men were not to be denied. One jumped through a window into the children's room, while it is not clear how the other got into the house. Mrs Craig gave the alarm. In a few minutes police and workers rushed into the house. The rooms were- seirched, two of the men being caught. They were hauled out, and the police, had the greatest difficulty in preventing them from being lynched. A loaded revolver was taken from one, and a box of revolver cartridges from another. Both men were taken to the lock-up, with a howling crowd after tliem.? HIDING UNDER A BED. Ono of the' men found in Dr Craig's house w.is hauled from under the doctor's bed. .Both of the men were badly knocked about; especially Evans, whoso face was cut-in several places. His condition was such that ho had to bo carried by constables to the nolico station 7 . After the doctor's house had been cleared, ..md order restored, Colonel 1 Gudgeon' (Mrs Craig's father); happened into the surgery, and discovered the third fugitive, Lowerly, who at once protested ho had taken no part in the shooting, or any part of tho affair. Ho asked to be permitted to go home. His assertion of innocence didn't satify the colonel, who later handed him over to tho crowd outside. WORKERS IN POSSESSION OF MINERS' BALL. The workers in the meantime took possession of tho Minors' Union Hall. Speeches were made from tho platform, 'followed by loud cheering. Meanwhile, a great concourse of people bad gathered in Main Street. Balconies of buildings were occupied by crowds of women and children, the main pavement was also lined with spectators for the whole length of Main Stroot. Outside the Union Hall, tho Rev Cleary (Anglican vicar) addressed the crowd and urged the men to remembor that they were lawabiding citizens and honest workers.

TTc would ask them to see that their actions would be such as would not J rolloct upon them as men. He hoped . they would not resort to violence. J The vieir was cheered at the close of \ his remarks. KXOITIXG AFFAIR AT WAIKINO. An exciting affair occurred last light at Waikino. It appears aspersions had been cast Tip on an arbitrar ;ionist hy members of the federation. \ body of the former proceeded to :ho Union Hall in the evening with :lie purpose of gaining <m entrance. It is stated that just as the arbitrationists were about to enter, a ping if gelignite, with cap and lighted fuse ittaehed <was thrown- by somebody ,\\ the hall in the direction of the -rowd. Nobody was hurt, but the explosion was terrific and lioird a distance of some miles, away. The arbitrationists had luckily giv- i en the cap a wide berth in time, thus saving their lives. Eventually the arbitrationists gained an ontr.uiec, and searched all the federationists within the building. Two of the latter had revolvers in their possession, c and these were taken. HOISTING THK UNION JACK. ENTHUSIASTIC SCENES. WAITir. Last Night. ■- A remarkable event took place after the arbitrationists had taken possession of the hall. One' of their number, with the aid of a ladder, ascended to the flagpole, surmounting the building, and in a few minutes hoisted aloft the Union Ju-k. The incident was the signal for enthusiastic cheering by the immense crowd of arbitrationists and the general public, who witnessed it. A few min- j ! utos after this the ladder was again ; requisitioned, and an ascent unde to place a large calico placard on the -uppermost part of the building, inscribed with the words, "Parry and his mates must be released." The calico was torn down -amid enthusiastic cheering. Evans, one of the fedorationists, who is alleged to have done the shooting in the hall, and was, afterwards so roughly handled by the crowd, is in the hospital. His injuries are of I a serious nature.

There was mo -sigpi of prominent federaiionists in Waihi to-day from about i) o'clock. As many as were available wore limited up by the arbitrationists, and given a fair warning to clear out of the town. Mr Kennedy, acting-president of the ..Miners' Union, made a hurried departure from Waihi by the morning train. Ho was rather badly handled by a hostile crowd at the station, and bears marks of lnnds laid upon him. He told a constable to state that the strike was off. It is understood that Kennedy is proceeding to Auckland. SERIOUSLY INJURED. The injury to Constable Wade is serious. It is understood that the bullet has so far not been extracted, .incl that his real condition cannot bo ascertained until the- lapse of a few days. Evans is in a very -bad way. He ?s suffering principally from concussion of the brain, as when he shot the constable the latter battoned him. The injury to Johnson is of a slight character. The bullet grazed the upper part of his leg, but' luckily did not penetrate the leg. The leaders of the arhitrationists claim that they had a perfect right to enter the Miners' Union Hall, as mmy of them are financial members of that Union.