MELBOURNE FRACAS

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 January 1926, Page 2

MELBOURNE FRACAS

FIERCE FIGHT IN HOTEL. " One man received a fractured skull and nine others were seriously injured when they were set upon in an hotel m Sydney Road, Coburg (Melbourne). by members of a. Collingwood gang, who were armed with iron bars, motor-spanners, bottles 'and batons. The gang rushed to the hotel in two yellow cabs, and the warfare started. immediately. They left after SO minutes’ fierce fighting, leaving the floor ■ covered with blood and broken bottles. They told the takimen to keep their engines running and threatened to deal with them later if they drove away. It is believed that the trouble was caused over a girl, a sister to one of the attackers. The gang were in se’arch of a man, who it is said took the girl to a picnic. The intended victim was informed that the mob were coming and he escaped before they arrived. The licensee of the hotel called an ambulance and rang for the police. Two injured men were treated at the Melbourne Hospital, and the others received medical attention locally. The police went.in pursuit of the taxis. One was found abandoned with a tyre blown out, and the other had made for Collingwood. .When the police arrived <it Collingwood the local police were engaged in a battle «with a street mob, who attacked them after a raid on an alleged' sly-grog house.

.‘ Some of the crowd were believed to have been concerned in the hotel fight. Later, at Fawkner, five men were arrested.