RIOT IN AUCKLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 13949, 4 January 1906, Page 9

RIOT IN AUCKLAND.

-A RESTAURANT ATTACKED. ,■ POLICE STATION STONED. - . DISGRACEFUL SCENES. CROWD DISPERSED WITH A .HOSE. The “ Herald ” contains the following report of the recent riot in Auckland:— On Saturday night outbreaks of disorder took place in Queen Street, near to Victoria Street, and also at the police •tatioiL in Princes Street, which was bombarded with stones. The whole •Ifair arose out of a shilling meal at the Zealandia Restaurant and Oyster Sa’con in Queen Street. At about a quarter to eleven a dispute arose between a customer and the proprietor of the oyster saloon as to whether the first-mentioned had paid for a supper he had bad. ■ A souflie ensued, and an attempt was made - to put the man out. Some say that the man's hat was taken, and also that he had paid for his meal. However, whether that be so or not, tbs man „ was thrown out. A stone was then, it is alleged, put through the window by the ejected customer. A large crowd had by this time gathered. The man was arrested, but, with the assistance of the crowd, he broke away from custody. . . . The crowd gradually increased in numbers, and the police received reinforcements. The Greeks employed in the shop were very excited, and were pushed ,back into the shop, and the door was shut behind them. A bombardment of the windows then took place, stones being hurled from all directions. An arrest was made, and two constables started with the prisoner to the police barracks. When the constables and their; prisoner were under Smith and Caughey’s' verandah a bottle of beer ■ was'aimed with force at one of the police. It struck Constab'e Burke on the shoulder, grazed the prisoner, and gave Constable Cummins, who was on the other side of the prisoner, a nasty blow on the side of the head, and smashed on Smith and Caughey’s window, cracking the big pane of plate-glass. The. man was taken to the police station, "followed by an immerse crowd, calling out ‘1 Rush them,” and “Charge them.” ’ POLICE STATION ATTACKED. The man and the policemen reached the station, and it was here that the crowd first showed their determination and recklessness. The polio© authorities,- anticipating/ serious results from such a crowd, a great number of whom were partially under the influence of drink, got a powerful hose belonging!© the station in readiness for action. The crowd, noticing this precaution, gathered some stones, and began bombarding the police station. A big stone shattered trie window of Sub-Inspector Black’s office. The hose was instantly turned on to the people, but another stone passed near the large gas lamp outside the station, and crashed through the fanlight. The intention of the thrower of the missile doubtless was to place the street in darkness. The water divided the crowd into sections, and part of them went up Princes Street, calling out threats to attack the police barracks. A large body of policemen got amongst them, and gradually scattered them. BACK TO THE RESTAURANT. The crowd returned to the restaurant in Queen Street, where they were joined by further largo numbers. The street was packed with people from the door-of the restaurant to the doors on the other side. Hooting and jeering were. again resorted to. There was present by this time a large force of police—detectives and constables in plain clothes and in uniform—all of whom mixed with the crowd, endeavouring'to detect the ringleaders. For a minute or two all was quiet, and then a bottle of beer, hurled from the centre of the front rankers, smashed through one of the plateglass windows. This attach was received with deafening cheers. ■ There were a number of customers in the shop when the affray began, and these must have felt somewhat uncomfortable. They were able finally to escape by the, back door. These joined the crowd, and the news that the whole affair arose cut of the question of payment for a shilling meal quickly spread. Some said that the man who had refused to pay for his meal had already paid, and had been asked to pay again, and on refusing had been assaulted. Having heard this story, the crowd recommenced hooting and jeering. A volley of “half-bncks” found its way through the windows, and gave the shop a wrecked appearance. The police pounced upon any man who they thought had thrown missiles, but immediately an arrest was attempted the crowd pressed round, and made capture extremely difficult, amd very often impossible. Tramcars were leaving town practically empty, the people being too interested in the fray to quit Queen Street. , - THE CROWD RECEIVES A SCARE. A ‘ couple of ■ large cracker-cannons were.fired close to the policeman, and those not directly in the know made a rush to escape, thinking revolvers had been brought into action. 'However, the gaps were quickly filled up. Packets of crackers were then thrown into the thick of the crowd, the policemen’s helmets acting as targets for the ‘ throwers. BOMBARDMENT CONTINUES. The bombardment of the windows with bottles and stones, had all along • continued, and by this time the only sound piece of glass left in , front was the fanlight- One of the,panes was nearly intact, a stone only having found its way through it. For about a quarter of an. hour all was quiet, and then a. loud shout and a crash proclaimed that a bottle had smashed this last pane. It was then after twelve o’clock, and the affray had lasted upwards of .. an hour. During the whole of that time the street was a scene of wild disorder, and the police were powerless. The attack was concentrated on the restaurant, but the window of a building next door was smashed in two or three places. SIX ARRESTS MADE. Despite the fact that the police had auch a large crowd to deal with, several arrests were made during the night, and at the time of going to press ■ix men were in custody in connection with the affair. The crowd as a whole, it was evident, had no ill-feeling against the police, and that their only objects were to destroy the restaurant arid prevent arrests. With the exception of the bottle of beer that was thrown at the two constables under the verandah of Messrs Smith and Caughey’s building, and the throwing of crackers at them, the police were unharmed. In the circumstances they did all that was possible against such' odds. Some of the oldest 1 members of the' po’lice force state that it was the worst disturbance of the kind they have ever aeen in Auckland.