THE BATTLE OF WINNIPEG.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 187, 8 August 1919, Page 10

THE BATTLE OF WINNIPEG.

BLOODTHIRSTY BOUT WITH MOB. MILITARY AND LABOUR. (Special to "Star.") VANCOUVER, July 6. ■With a military airplane hovering over the metropolis of Manitoba signalling the presence of fleeing rioters, and a big armoured car with stub-noecd machine guns extending from its eidee on north Main Street, with eighteen rapidfire gun squadrons strung out in the city hall area, supported by hundreds of cavalry, infantrymen, and 1500 special police, the labour disorders in Winnipeg took on a more serious phase when Mayor Gray'issued an order forbidding etreet proceesions which the strikers ol Winnipeg had refused to obey. This energetic display of force was the aftermath.'of the rioting that swept around the city hall district for forty minutes, involving some 15,000 people massed in the square. That but one immediate fatality followed the clash in •which some 500 pistol and gun shots were mingled with bricks, bottles, and eticks can 1)0 accounted for only on the theory that the Royal North West Mounted Police —the historic Scarlet Riders of the West —fired their two full volleys over the heads of the mob. But even then numerous riotera were firing down from adjacent buildings at the Struggling •officers, afoot and mounted, and desultory firing continued for half an hour, sweeping down Main Street and in and around the Labour Temple, into which scores of j rioters fled, pursued by police and i cavalry. PITTED WITH BULLETS. The buildings around the scene of the fighting were pitted with bullets and glass smashed by missiles hurled by the mob in their frenzy. Out of the mass drifted wounded down the side streets in every direction, some assisted by friends to escape in autos commandeered by force, and others limping into alleys and out of eight. Thirty-one battered men were hurried to the hospitals, and some 200 captives dragged to the police station, many of them fighting to the very doors. Of the prisoners seven were women, and they were the most difficult to handle, tearing at the police, grabbing the cavalry horses, hurling their bonnets at the animals, and even fiolding on to them by their tails. In fact, hundreds of. women were scattered through the crowd in the streets, gathered to participate in the silont parade as requested by the strike loaders. In the windows of adjacent buildings were massed thenisands of sightseers, many of whom threw missiles at the officers, while others chered the soldiers, and it was no one-eided light, for the leading spirits of the mob were not only armed with pistols and some with sawed-off shotguns concealed under their coats, but they were organised, several hundred of them advancing ana retreating at the sound of a whistle blown by their leader, and they were effective in their repeated assaults, and very successful, until the military appeared, the infantry with bayonets and the cavalry with swords. Then they fled. ALIENS IX EVIDENCE. ; That aliens were the leading forces behind the disorderly display is no question. Big Austrians were everywhere, throwing acd shooting, seemingly indifferent to danger, and resolved only upon dragging down some officer to death. Chief of Police Newton subsequently stated that the aliens were the principal disturbers, and "the evidence of it is' that nearly every rioter in/the hospital and under arrest has a name ending in 'kyz, , or something similar." The chief j added that from those arrested lie had sifted out 85 men and seven women, releasing the others on investigation. Those held were charged with being members of a tumultuous assembly, but some were charged with shooting" v,ith intent to kill, and in the event of death of some of the injured officers they would have to stand trial for murder. The killing of Mike Sokolwoki, a huge Austrian, in front of the city hall just after the Riot Act had been read, illustrated what furious fighting the alien element put up. The Red Coate had just swept into Main Street from William Avenue, where they had gone after riding twice through the Main Street end of the mob, to break up the central gathering of the parade back of the city hall in Market Square. As they galloped forward with pistols drawn they were literally surrounded by yelling, shooting, throwing aliens. Half a dozen RedCoate were on the ground at once, and their companions were themselves fighting for their lives with baseball bats, One officer had just dragged himself into Thompson's undertaking establishment, chased by a hundred armed rioters shouting 'Kill him." ALIEN IS KILLED. A Redcoat arose from the ground where he had apparently been beaten to death. He held his .45 well up, and as he was again struck at he placed a bullet into Mike's heart. The rioter crumpled up and dropped the stone he had poised. He fell almost at the door of the morgue, into which his body was dragged. Corporal Henrick, R.N., W.M.P., was dragged from the bloody shr.mbles where he had been unhorsed and beaten, and was the most seriously wounded of the officers in the hospital. It was evident as early as noon that day that trouble was impending. 10,000 strikers had gathered at Victoria Park, and their speakers were more inflammatory than ever. The "Labour News" had just appeared advocating the silent ttarade, in spite of the Mayor's reiterated proclamation. General Ketchen had 2000 troops ready lined up and machine gun squadrons manned and run out for action . Captain Baker had a Lewis gun on his flying machine and the huge, ugly-looking armoured car was hauled out. 1500 special police assembled at the police station. As the hour of 2.30 approached Market Square was a seething mass, and the buildings up and down Main Street from the Union Depot to the Royal Alexandra Hotel alive with sightseers, while people were jammed all along the pavement. Rain was threatening, but the stage was set for the first real drama of the six weeks' strike. The barracks were notified that the parade was forming, and at the same time Chief Newton sent a score of police toward the city hall. They were assailed upon every side, and each man was seen fighting for his life. They could make no headway, and retreated, meeting reinforcements hurried from the station. As they re-formed a street car was etopped. in front of the city hall, torn to pieces,-and the wreckage fired amid frenzied ciheering from the mob. At this stage Inspector Meade, at the head of a squadron of mounted men, 55 of whom were in red coats, galloped furously on to tie scene, being greeted by cheers as they rode down the main street. Probably 5,000 sightseers had

gathered at the junction of Main and Portage Avenues.' Through the crowd in front of the hall the cavalry rode swinging their clubs. The mob opened and closed (behind them at the sound of the leader's whistle. They- booed the police and threw stones, ehooed the horses, and rushing out, grabbed some of them. Some riders were pulled off and riderless horses galloped south, further exciting the crowd. TAKES MOB IN" REAR. Inspector Meade gathered -what wae left of his command, hurried them aro.ind the Ashdown store, and took the crowd in the rear at Market Square just as the Mayor from the steps began to read the Riot Act, and officers with copies rushed up and down the avenues stopping at each corner to proclaim, the Act. Back into Main Street from William Avenue rode the cavalry, and they had discarded their baseball bats. There were occasional shots from the crowd, from the side streets and tops of buildings. Several officers fell as their mounts stumbled. Then two volleys followed from the police as the sharp command rang out to fire, most of the pistols being fired in the air. The fighting for ten minutes after took the form of individual melees. The mob fled, pursued into the side streets by the police, while the mounties kept their formation partially. At Trades Hall and in the adjacent alleys sporadic firing and individual gun battles were numerous, and 6cores of the prisoners were dragged from there, a block, to the police station, but the rioters were by no means quelled until the infantry with fixed bayonets swept into the square, accompanied by the machine-guns, and General Ketchen took personal chargo, but not under ■ martial law. The general explicitly stated that lie was merely in charge aiding the civil authorities. Mobsters crowded into adjacent stores and up the stairways around Market Square, where they were dislodged by fierce fighting. Then the hose was turned on sightseers nt Main and Portajre, the soldiers establishing a cordon from Industrial Bureau on Main Street to the Royal Alexandra Hotel, barring all side streets, and up Portage to the post office. Pedestrians and teams wore forced to turn elsewhere. When the rain poured down helping to maintain order, the troops returned to barracks at midnight with the machine-guns. NESTS OF SHARPSHOOTERS. Winnipeg for the next few days succeeding the battle resembled an army camp at the war front. Nests of sharpshooters kept their positions on all tall buildings in the district surrounding the City Hall, Police Station and the Labour Temple, and the cavalry, infantry and machine-gun sections were kept in readiness at the barracks with a mounted police detachment part of the time stationed near the City Hall, but the city remained quiet. Street cars were kept off the street after dark sot in each night. The agitators 'and Bolsheviki element retired from the vicinity of the Labour Temple and contented themselves with meetings in the suburbs of Weston and Elmwood, but these meetings were subsequently stopped by the military authorities, all open-air meetings being banned by the Mayor. With the arrest later of James Grant, who advised the rioters to adopt violent tactics which led to the bloodshed, the Soviet lcv.ders became more cautions.