Crowd Obstructs Police In Fracas With Bodgies

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28833, 2 March 1959, Page 10

Crowd Obstructs Police In Fracas With Bodgies

(New Zealand Prese Axsoctatton)

AUCKLAND, Masch 1. A fracas involving 25 policemen and about 40 bodgies took place in Hobson street Auckland, early this morning. In spite of obstruction by a crowd of nearly 100 Spectators, the police arrested nine youths. Three more youths who went to the central police station to try to force the police to release their friends were also arrested.

The youths will appear in the Magistrate’s Court at Auckland tomorrow. Hie affair began just after mid-., night when the Saturday night rock ’n’ roll dance at. the Trades Hall finished. According to eye-witnesses, two youths began fighting outside a restaurant. A large crowd gathered and shortly tfie police city patrol car arrived and drove into the centre of the crowd. One vnuth was placed in the

police car and as the police went to get the other, the first jumped out of the blind-side door and escaped. The police caught him, but the same thing happened four times. By this time, the brawl 'became general, the two policemen were attacked, and the spectators cheered. One constable managed to snatch at the radio-telephone of his car and shouted into the mouthpiece. > In a short time, there were eight patrol cars and the prisoners' van outside the restaurant. One bodgie who had been arrested broke out of the “black maria” and joined in the fight again. Gradually, the police managed the disperse the crowd. Almost three-quarters of an hour after the’ first fight started, relative peace reigned. At the police station policemen changed ripped shirts, replaced helmets, had a cup of tea, and resumed their normal night duties.