AUSTRALIA’S DECISION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4757, 3 January 1918, Page 5

AUSTRALIA’S DECISION.

' ■ ■-.? -V- : ■■■ , V-- ■ LATEST FIGURE*. ress ved Jan. 2, 9.T0 p.iii) (I SYDNEy.'Jau/s. Mjhh 10,000 overseas soldiers’votes outstanding,- the N.S. VYalSs/figuYes now show, a slight “Yes’- 'nTfidrity T: as fojtows:—" >r • Yes. ....... fi2;6£s*V- . ■ No . The Commonwealth “No ’ majority is 170,636. THE WARWICK INCIDENT. “WHERE’S THE SERGEANT?” EVIDENCE OF AN EYE-WITNESS A Brisbane message states that the Premier (Mr. Ryan) has published the evidence of C." EG McDougall, given to the police Tn connection with the disturbance at Warwick on the occasion of Mr. Hughes’s visit to tbo city. The statement of McDougall reads:— “I am vice-president of/'-fie reinforcemcnts campaign corff|aittee of Queensland, also president or the Queensland Nctional ASybultural Industrial Associatfo?., .tiff V: of the Peace of residing at Lyndifurst; also partner in the firm of McDougall and Co., auctioneers and commission agents, Warwick. ”1 met the Prime Minister at Warwick railway platform on thp arrival of the Brisbane to Sydney mail train on December 19th, and walked with him from tlie.carriage along the platform towards a projecting portion of it, where it was arranged that he was to speak. When nearing that portion I saw a man’s arm raised from amongst people who were partly at the side of and partly behind the Prime Minister, and immediately afterwards saw an egg hit Mr Hughes’ hat anj knock it off. I do not know whose arm I saiv, and I did. not ,see the egg thrown by that arm. When I saw Mr. Hughes’s hat knocked off I looked round and saw Paddy Brosmen apparently making towards Mr. Hughes. 'Simultaneously Alexy Rule rushed towards Brosnan and : a Jew blows were .struck between Brosnan and Rule. Just then “Barty” Brosnan rushed at Rule. The crowd closed in, and two or three others joined in the fight. Paddy 'Brosnan disappeared from the scene, and .1 think one of the police had a hold of him and pushed him out. ' , >*- , “The Prime Minister turned round and rushed back towards the,train. I thought for a moment her. had given up the idea of -speaking, aiid ,was"gonicr back to his carriage!. I soon discovered my mistake, and saw that he was bent onhaving,the disturbers - arrested. Just as the Prime Minister was rushing, - Senior-Sergeant Kenny/ caught him l>v 'both arms from? behind. About- that time Mr. Hughes called out, ‘Arrest those men!” I immediately caught Sergeant Kenny - in the same way as he had' hold of the Prime Minister, who was trying to get away. Sergeant Kenny saying to him, ‘Listen to me. Listen" to me.’ “Sergeant Kenny then said tome, ‘Unhand me.’ " I said, ‘l’ll unhand you when you unhand the Prime Minister.’ Sergeant Kenny . then turned his head, and; said to me, ‘I want to get him a hearing.’ J then let Kenny go, and .he released Mr. Hughes and called on the people to, give Mr. Hughes a hearing, and he accompanied him to the part of the platform from which he was going to speak. “.(iter Mr Hughes had been speaking for a few minutes some person interjected from the crowd in front of the speaker. Mr. Hughes immediately called out, ‘Arrest that man, 5 and then jumped down from the platform and said. ‘lf you don’t arrest him-I will.’ I was anxious for the welfare of Mr. Hughes, and I said to Sergeant Kenny, who was near me, and had a view of what was happen- ' ing: ‘ls he all right?’ He replied, ‘Don’t worry; he’s all right.’ Sergeant Kenny was standing alongside Mr. Hughes when he jumped down off the platform. , In a very short time Mr. Hughes returned to his place and went on -with his address. I did not see him assaulted then, and I did not see any man arrested. The only assault I saw committed on Mm was when, , his hat was hit with an egg- “ When his address finished, and as lie was walking hack to his carriage, he called out. ‘Where’s the sergeant? Where’s -the sergeant?’ Sergeant Kenny .then came up and Mr Hughes said: •''•/Have those men arrested.’ Sergeant Kenny replied. ‘I will if you lay aii information.’ Mr Hughes then said, ‘l’m Federal Atiorney'General, and I tell you to arrest them.’ Sergeant Kenny then said: ‘l’m under the Queensland Government. I take my instructions from it.’ Mr. Hughes then said ‘Very well; I’ll deal with you.-' Mr Hughes then got into his carriage, and Mr. Stephenson (manager of the Bank of New South Wales) said to me, ‘I don’t think Mr. Hughes heard what Sergeant Kenny said.’ So I called Sergeant Kenny to the carriage window, and a similar conversation again took place between him and the Prime Minister. When lie returned from the crowd to the platform, from which he had jumped down,. I noticed a little blood on the Prime Minister’s hand. I don’t know what caused it. but I heard, afterwards that he hit Paddy Brosnan.”