“REIGN OF TERROR”

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 June 1937, Page 5

“REIGN OF TERROR”

HA I; WORTH DISPUTE SCENES LONDON, May 5. Incidents of what lie described as ‘probably as bad a riot as has ever Liken place in this country" were related by Mr. G. Russell Vick, K.C., at Worksop Police Court yesterday. Mr. Vick was prosecuting in cases U which 35 men and one woman were barged with having unlawfully and iotously assembled at Harworth, '.here there is a minors’ dispute, lo listurh the public peace. There were also cases of “besoting” the approach to the Harworth Colliery with a view to compelling Arthur Dunstan to abstain from working.

A queue gathered outside the court long before Ihe proceedings were dm' to begin. Sir S. Cripps, defending, said that in 18 or J 9 of tho besotting charges he would cull evidence to prove an alibi. He was prepared to have those ■•uses dealt with summarily- He would isk that the other cases, where the sstie would bo whether, I hough present, (ho men did in fa-t besot, should go for trial. He would also ask to go for trial cases of alleged riotous as•mm bl v.

Seventy to IUU witnesses would he called regarding alibis. The Dench decided to deal at once with 20 cases of alleged besetting, which were io bo dealt with summarily. All the defendants pleaded not i guilty. When the witnesses, numbering about 150. wore asked to leave thccotirt a diflictilty arose regarding their accommodation. Tho town hall was /placed ai their disposal. Mr Russell Vick, proserui ing, said that the charge'; aro/e om of events on the evening of Apiil 22. The diupute'. al Harwell!) mid s.,t into a veiy set ions state, and there was very bad blood het wet-11 what he might call the stiikr-is and the wcuk.'i.s. Since '. joc-mlit-i 1C those going to . work on the night < inn had had to have police ftrct!oct ion. With some lunch of humour. Ihe strikers called i his body of workers, bet ween SO ami •hi. ihe "chain gang." For about four weeks before April 22 things appeared to bo reasonably quiet and some of the police were drafted away. The prosecution alleged that on April 22 there was a carefully planned attack upon the workers as thev were

going to the colliery. Ono of the ae eused was heard to say. "On the Green to-night, hoys, at nine o’clock. Bring your b— — sticks and bottles.” Another defendant was alleged tc have said in an hotel, “Come on, lads let us get on parade." There were more than I,oo<> men and women arm 2d with sticks. The police turned the workers through a gateway as they got to the colliery by a back entrance The police formed a cordon across the gateway; bottles and stones were !brown. H was probably as bad r riot as had ever taken place In (hicountry. Had it not been for the poi ice, some of the workers might have gone to hospital and some might, no’ be alive. A 'bus (lien distracted tin attention of the crowd. One of the defendants made an attack on it, say ing. "Here they come, the b scabs." Stones were hurled through ihe windows. Passengers, including women, were lying on the floor with glass falling over them. People win had nothing to do with mining were in terror of their lives. Another 'bin received similar treatment.

POLICE OFFICER BITTEN The police were assaulted and om officer was badly bitten in the cheek At the colliery entrance the polio more or less got control of the sltna lion. Thon someone shout''"!, ‘(‘omi ■ .ii. lads, round the village.’ Off tho maddened crowd set, con tinned Mr. Vick. Al the colliery in .-■.lituti' one man was seen heaving bricks through the window. The' prised tho coping stones off houses pushed down a wall, took - the brick: and bombarded the institute. Thesmashed not only tho glass but the window frame.

“Then camo probably the most das tardly thing in the whole of this nn fortunate occurrence—an organised attempt to terrorise the women am’ children of the workers,” said Mr Vick.” "Windowf- of rooms In which children were trying to sleep were ■•.mti'Tied. There was a reign of ter rr.r in Harworth. Men,- and particuiatly their women and children, were terrified at this great crowd nmhinp ii.iiml tin' village doing this damage.’ P -c. Cooper, questioned by Sir Stat’ fori! (Tipps as to the time of certain ' u id.-nts replied: "It is hard to define time; it was like a nightman', more or loss." ,

Tom Collinson, a member of tho socalled ‘‘Chain Gang." stated: ‘‘l am certain of one thing—if the police had not been there, the majority of us would have been In hospital I do nyt

identify anybody. I had only one concern —to get out of the way as quickly as possible.” Arthur Green, another member of the “Chain Gang," stated that a man said to him “We will give you the Red Flag to-night.” Sir Stafford: Pleasantries of that kind were passing about in Harworth from time to time? —Yes. On both sides? —Well. I have heard it from one side.

Sir Stafford: Other people have heard it from the other.

Supt. Wilson said that he endeavoured to slop tho surging of the crowd. In the rush he was carried bodily to a hedge., forced over, butted in the stomach, and kicked on the leg. Later he was hit on the head with a missile. Certain gangs broke away and carried out considerable acts of destruction In the village, particularly at the homes of men on night shifts at the colliery. Arthur Dunstan said that on April 23 he was at the back of the Chain Gang. Bricks were thrown, and a policeman said to him "Quit —wo don’t want anyone to get hurt." He turned through the gate to the field.

On the submission of Sir Stafford that no evidence of identity had been called, the Bench discharged one of the men on a charge of besetting. The Bench, after two retirements, announced at a late hour the following decisions: Richard Kirk. 42, sentenced to two months’ hard labour: Leslie Kirk, 19. fined £l.

The following wore hound over for six months: Albert Richardson, George Hodgson, Joseph Deighton, Samuel McComhe, Arthur Spink. Thomas Mould, John Thomas Paynter, Albert Ridsdale, Tom Perkins, Nathan Hughes, Herbert Evans, and Horace Timmins.