ROWDY BOYS AT PETONE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1197, 4 August 1911, Page 4

ROWDY BOYS AT PETONE.

THE MILITARY SCHEME. Another demonstration of youths (18 to 20 years) who were up for examination at Hutt took place at Petono Inst night. There wcro about 300 self-named "roughs" taking part in (ho precession, which, marched along (ho Main, Street, singing, shouting, and boating tin cans, and playing every class of instrument, from a whistle to a bugle. Backyards were raided ea route, anil relieved of superfluous tins, for the band. The "roughs," ns they willed themselves, marched along (ho Ilult Road, and, at the railway station, were joined by another 100, ami they marched through tiie main streets of Lower Hutt to tho post office, and thence kick to tho Drill 11(01. The leaders of the crowd were dressed as clowns and comedians, and carried a pirate's banner, with skull and crossbones.

As one of the medical officers passed on his way to tho Drill Hall he was gro-etad with prolonged hoots and groans. The first sign of their arrival at the Drill Hall was a stone hurled through one of the skylights, and the culprit was promptly arrested by tte police, who were well prepared for the occasion. The mob could not gain admittance at once, so some of them plny«d an impromptu football match with' a tin can that had apparently done yeoman service as a drum. Others attempted to jostle the police who were guarding tho door, and above all (he din could bo hoard the 'hoarse voices of the leadtTS, shouting, "Shall we bo registered?" and tho answer, "No." . The door was finally opened, and the first batch put through, and this was tho end of the disorder, those awaiting their turn being content to sing "Rule Britannia" and every popular chorus they could think of.

Inside the hall, everything was carried out ill a methodical and orderly fashion.