SHOTGUN USED

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 10, 13 January 1933, Page 8

SHOTGUN USED

FRACAS AT LONGBURN

FREE LABOURERS ASSAILED

FIGHT IN AN ALLEY

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") PALMEBSTON N., This Day. . Another ugly incident occurred at the Longburn freezing works - last evening when a shotgun was discharged at the sleeping quarters of the free labourers at the works. Fortunately, the pellets crashed through the window of a tempor-arily-unoccupied bedroom, but one which xicochetted struck a free labourer in the neck, without doing any serious injury. This incident, .occurring two days after the assault on free labourers in Teilding, is likely to cause considerable ■uneasiness. The principal victim of the Feilding assault is still in a fairly serious condition from the blow he received from a pick-handle, while in last night's affair only the temporary absence of the occupant of the -room averted serious consequences. A PRELIMINARY SKIRMISH. . An' earlier incident which probably had some effect in leading up to the.more serious occurrence later in the evening, occurred about dusk. Two free labourers, who had only recently arrived from the Auckland district, and were notfully acquainted with the. lay-out of the roads near the works, entered a right-of-way adjacent t& the main entrance, not knowing it was "out of bounds" to non-union men. They did not realise their mistake until they met two union men, who questioned their light there. ■ When they announced that they had been shopping in Longburn and were free labourers returning to _ their quarters at the works, the unionists raised strong . objections to their passing. •■•■■■ An argument ensued, and one of the unionists struck one of the free labourers. The blow was returned at once, and then the unionist .is said to have brought his boot 'into play, and the free labourer replied with, a bottle. As a result, the unionist was unable to take further part in the battle. Two other free labourers who had jgone by. the main road had meanwhile rushed to the nearby fence to secure tattens for. 'weapons, but fortunately .these were too securely fastened and jthe : combatants ceased operations. Arriving at the works, the two free labourers informed their colleagues— 64 of whom reside at the barracks— and a party of about 20 at once proceeded to the scene of the disturbance to argue -with' several who had been jirawn to tho lane. PELLETS THROUGH A WINDOW. Events proceeded quietly until about 10 o'clock, when the shotgun episode paused: general consternation. There are a number of "barracks" 'at the works, - and it was at one of these, facing toward Palmerston North and adjoining private property belonging to Mr.-Prouse, of Longburn, that jthe incident happened. ' .In. one of the apartments situated Bear the centre of this building three men were talking -when they heard yoices.:/ The electric light iv tho •room ;was burning and the door was wide open on to the verandah, which runs the length of the structure. In view of. the previous disturbance they decided to investigate, and on going to the 'door were greeted with a shot fired from. 30. or 40 yards away. Some men in the paddock nearby called out simultaneously, "We'll shoot the lot of you, you ." - Fortunately, the shot missed the xnen and "went head high through the window of the next room. One man, however, received a deflected pellet- in the neck, but it 'inflicted only a minor ."wound. His companion was showered ynth. plaster. ' At least 24 pellets went through the glass in the room. The greater portion of the discharge .went into the head of the bed in the, room, the occupant of which was happily absent at the time. THREE MEN SEEN. When the shot was fired one of the three free labourers had the presence of mind to rush, for the light switch and put the room in darkness. Two of them then ran desperately for safety, but ,the third glanced out of the window and in the moonlight saw three men ■walking casually away across the padlock. • ■ ' On the other side of the room affected a free labourer was writing a letter, the door being wide open, but luckily he was not in the line of fire. POLICE AJRRIVE.' The police were almost immediately informed of the occurrence, and Constables Evans and Collinge. proceeded to the Longburn works, while Inspector ,Simpson, "Senior-Sergeant Whitehouse, and Detective Barling followed. By the. time they arrived a posse of-the non-union workers had started a search for the. attackers, as it had been reported that the man. with the gun had returned to a building, in the vicinity. 'A search, however, proved unavailing.