BRAWL OVER ICE CREAM.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 280, 26 November 1928, Page 8

BRAWL OVER ICE CREAM.

KNIVES AND REVOLVERS USED WHARF LABOURERS AND ITALIANS CLASH. RIOT IN MELBOURNE STREET. (From Our Own Correspondent.)' SYDNEY, November 15. Ice-cream precipitated an aH-in battle in Melbourne during the week end, when a mob of 40 Australian wharf labourers set onto a party of Italians. Bottles, knives and revolvers were used and two men were injured. Chastiaemon* JX w wo email boys hy an Italian fanned the flames of hatred, which for a week had been lying dormant between wharf labourers and Italian volunteers. The two small boys, it was said by. the Italian, had stolen an ice

cream from his shop. He caught the two of them and gave them a beating with a strap and piece of deal off a case. They were the sons of two out-of-work wharf labourers, and, on reaching home and telling of their chastisement by the Italian, roused their parents to action. A mob of 40 was collected and it advanced on the shop of the Italians. The Australians rushed in and seizing one of the foreigners was proceeding to drag him out on to the footpath where they threatened to give him a thrashing similar to that which had been given the little boys. Other Italians intervened and tried to effect the release of thencountryman. In a few minutes pandemonhn" rpir"*"- 1 i The Italians ui'ew a revolver and knife and stabbed one of the Australian wharf labourers in the groin. The Italian with the revolver was pointing it towards one of the mob when another hit nim aver the eye with his fist. Blood streamed from the wound and though the Italian fired the revolver the shot went wide. In a frenzy he fired a volley, but fortunately the shots again went wide because of the blood from his wound over the eye streaming into his eyes. Bottles were produced by the Australians, and using these as weapons they soon forced the Italians to retreat into their shop and close the door. Repeated assaults were made on the front of the shop, the window was smashed and most of the contents, which included fruit and confectionery, was strewn over the roadway. Reinforcements were quickly assembling for both sides, and but for the arrival of the police it was evident that there would have been serious trouble. Police scattered the mob by, a charge with batons and revolvers. Two of the Australians were taken to hospital, one for a wound in the groin and another with a fractured skull which he received when struck over the head with a clubbed revolver of one of the Italians. The Italians refused to leave their shop for treatment of their wounds. , Tfeat the battle had been a bloody one while it lasted was evidenced by the welter of blood which was on the footpath outside the shop. A police guard was stationed in the street and though three more attempts were made to attack the shop later on Sunday night, the presence of the police cooled any of the animosity actuating the attacking forces. Later one of the Italians was arrested and charged with having possession of an unregistered revolver. No charge was made against him in connection with the stabbing.