A STREET DRAMA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 278, 17 August 1908, Page 8

A STREET DRAMA.

THE TWO FLAGS. r HOW A RIOT WAS ; AVERTED. (FROM oua SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) Auckland, Auaust.l6. . Qne of tho matters most .generally commented upon was the absolute freedom from anything approaching disorder in tho streets during Fleet"Week: On one or two occasions, however,, there were incidents which went 'perilously near the borderland of a riot. One such'instance, illustrative of the easy manner in which a crowd may change x from a. happy to a truculent mood, is thus told by the "Star":—The crowd was at its thickest at the tramcar terminus at the foot of Queen Street:. The bars had emptied out their hundreds,, and tho brilliantly-lighted streets ;were paeke.d with a swaying, seething crowd'. ' Here and there were to be seen groups !of .bluejackets who had been imbibing perhaps a little too freely, and it was evident that ono such; group was on the lookout for, any amusement which might present itself. They sang, ; they laughed, and, whilo rather more boisterous than others, were nevertheless not-guilty of anything which would cause offence,.to passers-by. . . Pulled' the Flas Down. A3 they noared"tho bottom of the street, howevery one of' tho party was suddenly in-spired-to a little'more exciting dovilment, and'without'hesitation'he shinned up a post to whicli'two flags, a Union Jack and a Stars and Stripes, vwero attached. Seizing the Yankee emblem, ho pulled it from its position and affixed it .a couple of feet higher up than that of the British Ensign. At this rather critical moment a small party of British tars chanced along. Noticing tho American flag flying' above tho British, a sailorman climbed up the pole with all tho agility of a true British tar, and from his position above the heads of the seething crowd ho tore, the Stairs and. Stripes to fragments. Bluejackets, at Fisticuffs. . ■ An angry roar went up from several hundred American throats, and as tho Britisher dropped to the ground, tho American who had boon orginally responsible for tho trouble rushed at him. Tho Jack tar knew how.to use his fists, however, and tho American went down like a log. Several members of tho Fleet patrol picked their man up,_ and hustled .hinTaway, while a crowd of citizens surrounded tho Britishor. For a whilo it looked as though a riot was imminent, and there was an uneasy feeling in the air. About. 700 • Americans and a large crowd of British tars were surging about the scene of the fracas.- A truo chord of tho good feeling which prevailed, however, turned tho situation from one of gravity to that of enthusiasm. A bluejacket, pushing his way along tho street all alone, singing happily to himself, and waving tho Stars and Stripes to tho accompaniment of his own music, took in tho situation at a glanco. Neither Above Either. . Clambering up tho polo with monkey-liko , anility, ho thrust hiar flaa into Um socket

from which the other bannerette had been torn, alongside tho Union Jack, and the two colours mmgled together again. From his vantage ground_ at the top of tho polo ho drawled out with a happy Yankee twang; "Boys, I guess this is just how it ought to! bo. Not, one abovo the other, but side hyj side." Instantly tho sceno was changed. The' tension gavo way to light-hoartedness, andl cheer upon cheer rang through the air. A MURDER. A NEGRO KILLED ON A BATTLESHIP; (BIT TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) ' Auckland, August 16. I It has transpired that a murder was com; mitted aboard one of the American battleships during tho stay in Auckland. Two negro firemen quarrelled, and one slashed the other across tho stomach with a razor sol severely that death ensued. It was rumoured that the murderer was to be hanged when the vessels had got outside the tnree-milo limit, but it is believed now, as tho result of inquiries, that he will be taken back to America in irons, and there tried. ; ADMIRAL SPERRY'S FINAL WORD. ; "MORE BINDING THAN TREATIES."i (BY TELEGRAPH—rUESS ASSOCIATION.) | Auckland, August 15. \ Admiral Spe'rry's final messago to the 1 Dominion, through tho Governor, is as follows:—"On the eve of the departure of tho Atlantic Fleet from Auckland, tho Common-der-in-Chief desires, on behalf of tho Government, officers, and men, to express through you to the people of New Zealand our hearty thanks for tho cordial reception and generous hospitality accorded the Fleet by the Government and people of tho Dominion. This friendship and esteem existing between the British Empire and' tho. United; States cannot fail to be strengthened by a, visit of this nature, which brings on both nations a realisation of their close relationship and common interests, and fosters a sympathy of mutual understanding moro binding than treaties." THE EXODUS. ROUNDING UP DESERTERS. EXODUS, OF VISITORS. (BT TELEGEAPH—PItESS ASSOCIATION./ Auckland, August 15. ! Tho exodus of Fleet visitors set in two': days ago. This morning the outgoing' stea- ! mors and trains wero crowded. An immensely- 1 increased train and tram service has been carried on during the week, without a hitch, or anj-thing but a minor accident. Tho American Hospital ship Relief, and the auxiliary vessels Panther and Glacier, left Auckland to-day with tho battleships for Sydney. The Relief followed the fourth division out of the harbour, the others following later. The collier Ajax remains in port to take the remainder of tho coal from tho s.s. Falls of Orchy, and will leave for Sydney on Monday morning about eight o'clock. The Yankton (auxiliary) also remains in port, and will proceed-with the Falls of Orchy to Sydney.

Already the inspector of police has. in his charge two deserters from tho battleships, and has been requested by tho Consul-Gen-oral (Mr. W. A. Prickitt) to hold them until a guard from the auxiliary. Yankton, (which is still in Auckland) can como ashoro to take them on board. The men will then bo. taken to'Sydney,--where thoy will again bo placed on-their respective vessels. During the week about ! twelve idosertions have been- reported to the Consul-Genera], but many of theso may have returned to their ships, as tho cases were reported daily.