BATTLE OF THE BLUES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 152, 27 June 1914, Page 5

BATTLE OF THE BLUES.

• POLICE AND JACK TARS CLASH. A MELEE IN SHORTLAND STREET. A very large and more or less excited crowd of citizens had the experience this morning of witnessing two sections of the King's servants in open conflict in lower Shortland Street, when four men-o'-warsmen from U.M.S. Philomel and several policemen bad a pitched battle, in which one or two excitable civilians became embroiled, and which eventually resulted in the arrest of the four sailors and two civilians. The origin of the trouble was the arrest of one of the jack tars by Constable Clarke, on charges of drunkenness and obscene language. The constable al first, noticed the quartet in the sireer a few minutes before eight o'clock, and cautioned them that they bad better get back to their ship ipiietly. but the warning was not received in a friendly spirit, and the conIstarble proceeded to arrest the most noisy of the lour. Immediately the other three became actively obstructive, and a crowd assembled, while Sergt. Matthews and Constable A. J. Smith came- to Constable Clarke's assistance. and took two others of the sailors in charge. Then the man who was still iree struck the sergeant a violent blow on the nose, and tiie proceedings developed into a melee in which the three constables endeavoured to manage the four jack tars, while the members ot the increasing crowd made matters no better by verbally taking sides, and. alternately cheering and jeering at the police and the sailors. Police helmets strewed the pavement, and uniforms gave way under the unusual pressure, while arms and leas made merry play. Constables summoned to the frnv joined in. and eventually the melee concluded in the arrest, of the four raen-o'-warsmen and two civilians named Phelan and Perk in. who had been indiscreet enough to get into the storm centre of tiie dfsturbance. the charges nmging from drunkenness to assault and damaging uniforms. The spectators were undoubtedly divided in their sympathies, but. a. sect ion of those who arrived at a late stage of the proceedings indicated pronounced hostilitity to the [Kilico. .V tradesman, who was attracted from his shop by the noise, told a "Star" reporter 'that he was i.f opinion that some of tiie constables acted witht unnecessary violence in efl'ecting the arrests, and in the interests of fairplay he intended giving evidence at the Police Court to that effect. The jack-tars, will probably be charged tt I*o with being absent from their ship without leve. a- informal ion is in the hands of tin- police to tiie effect that they had I icon away overnight against orders. Tho men will appear before the magistrate on