Looting and Smashing

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 285, 17 November 1923, Page 3

Looting and Smashing

THE MELBOURNE RIOTS. AN ORGY OF LAWLESSNESS. It is Estimated that close upon a million pounds’ worth of damage was done during the recent riots at Melbourne following the police strike by the smashing of the windows of many of the largest establishments in the city and the robbery of great quantities ot goods from display windows and the interiors of the shops. Jewellery, silks, costly clothing, etc., were openly seized and carried off amid the cheers of the desperate elements in the seething crowds, and the slightest remonstrance on the part of anyone was greeted with jeers and blows and a hail of stones, broken glass and bottles. Several hundreds were injured, over a hundred so severely as to necessitate their removal to hospitals. UNRESTRAINED RIOT. On Saturday afternoon and evening, November 3rd, the full consequences of the action of the police were made manifest by the most disgraceful scenes which have ever been witnessed in an Australian city, and which were comparable only with scenes of revolution. By 5 o’clock it was clear that the situation was getting out of hand. Theshouting and disorderly groups had swollen to crowds, which the oncoming night emboldened. What police there were kicked and stoned, and anyone who took their part was brutally assaulted. Soon the crash of glass in Swanston street attracted a great congregation there, and in a few moments the contents of the windows of the Leviathan Clothing Company, at the corner of Bourke and Swanston streets, were being tossed into the crowd. From then onwards the centre of the city was a scene of unrestrained riot. Pitched battles were in progress on all hands, and on no provocation men found themselves assailed by hooligans with sticks and empty bottles. A small party of bluejackets from the ships of the Fleet which are now in Melbourne attempted to restrain a section of the crowd in front of one of the shops in the early stages of the disturbance, but they were set upon by overwhelming numbers, felled to the ground, and kicked and beaten into insensibility. Later, I a patrol was hurried to the scene from I the ships, and had the gefatest difii- ' cuity in lighting their way through the rioters to the succour of their bleedi iag comrades. THE LURE OF SlLjx. i There was an indescribable scene at II he big silk house of Wassaimull, Assomul and Co., where a man deliber- • ately stood before the windows slashing at the large place glass windows with a club-like stick. A sailor tried to intervene and was assailed.with hoots and jeers, and even spat upon. One man dcrisiviely asked him, “Do you own this shop'/” Wxieu ho replied, “No, but I’m going to pTutect publicproperty,” he was felled by a blow from behind, and his prostrate body was kicked till blood ran from cruel wounds. Women, with their hats askew and their hair trailing wildly behind them, rushed with hysterical shrieks at the valuable wares displayed in the windows. Silks and costly gowns were dragged out and greedily passed from hand to hand. A BOLSHEVIST ORGY. The minutes between half-past 7 and 8 o’clock were devoted to a Bolshevist orgy. The plunderers concentrated upon the jewellers’ and drapers’ windows. The crashing of plate glass sounded like a running salvo. Silver plate, clocks, rings, watches, men’s wear, and other loot beyond enumeration were taken away. Raucous shouts and laughter marked the struggle of an urchin to get away with a clock as bulky as his body. Suddenly the throngspilt and scattered all ways from the centre. Yells of warning intimated the return of the police, —almost overwhelmed—as they were, they yet called a halt to tne Bourke street raids. Swinging along the fontpaths, they interrupted the looting only so long as they were within distance to carry out rush tactics, but the half-cleared, gaping windows constantly beckoned the mob. First there would be a surge and savage sweep to complete the clearance of a jewellery and plate display at the Leviathan end; then would be heard roars, hoots, and curses as the handful of police turned in their tracks and hit and thudded their way to the heart of the raid; then, having cleared the shop front momentarily, there would be renewed smashing of glass from farther along. Perhaps some sane citizen would send up a call of warning, or a frenzied shop proprietor would run to a uniformed group with a verbal “ S. O. S. ” A RUSH FOR LOOT. As one man with a common impulse, masses debouched from Bourke street centre and dashed for the Mont de ■ Piete. Racing to outstrip one another, men flung themselves upon the darkened windows. Rings, watches. 1 brooches, jewellery of every description, were greedily seized by the rioters, who were able to continue their depreda-' tions without interruption. It was seven minutes after the dastardly, work had begun when the police, having been urgently apprised of the new de velopment, swept along Bourke street on the run. The “storm” squad com-j prised five constables with drawn : batons, but close on their heels camq , a strong force numbering 55 regular police, including plain-clothes men and! an inspector. The seige was raised' barely soon enough to prevent the de- ’

jmolition of the doorway and the complete wrecking of the premises. | It was halfpast 9 o’clock when the ' turn of the London stores came. with light, the very publicity of the scene had rendered them hitherto immune. Stones, bottles and shod feet were suddenly employed and all manner of men’s wear was stolen in armfuls. Hats were worn or kicked about the street, and hatboxes served ns material for clownish antics. Roughs Drought up some dummy figures and an empty case and hurled them into the brilliantly lit displays. Just before the patrol cars appeared to turn the tide, the worst elements held unfettered sway. Riot raged up and down Eliazeth street. Nearly every window in the group of shops between the Mont de Piete and the Savings Bank headquarters was battered and a wide variety of wares instantly littered the paths. , THE TASK OF THE POLICE* I Remarkable work was accomplished by the police in hastening the clearance of the city. The throngs had become considerably expanded between half-past ten and eleven o’clock, when theatre and picture-house patrons were discharged into the streets. The intersection of Swanston and Bourke streets was the main rallying place for the mob, which at a quarter past 11 o’clock had again assumed dangerous dimensions. Reinforcements of “specials” were arriving continualy, and the mob jeered just as loudly as ever. When the loyalists patrolled the riot on!ce more it became necessary for them to clear the packed thoroughfare. Batons were used to persuade tardy movers. With such congestion there were bound to be casualties. Some men went down before the thuds of batons, some women and girls got underfoot, and were heard shrieking. With a charge or further, and with constant admonition, the unruly folk and the sightseers were hustled, at last, homewards.