RIOT IN SYDNEY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17098, 22 February 1916, Page 7

RIOT IN SYDNEY.

SOLDIERS ON STRIKE. COLLISION/WITH MILITARY GUARD. PICKET'S BAYONET CHARGE, ONE SOLDIER KILLED AND NINE INJURED. [Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, February 21. Sydney newspapers just to hand contain reports of a sensational soldiers' mutiny on Monday. - Thousands of men at Oasula struck against extra time for training of one hour and a half per day, required under the new syllabus. They gathered more men from the Liverpool Camp, took charge of the trains for the city, and, arriving there, broke through the railway gates and marched in an irregular line through the city, looting private property, and doing serious damage to shops on the lino of route. They also rifled the fruit supplies of barrowmen'. Mounted police charged them at the corner of Georg© and Liverpool Streets, and scattered the mob, but at about 7 p.m. an attack was made on the "Evening News" office. A window on the ground floor was smashed. The crowd smashed an hotel window and again attacked the German Club. The trouble culminated shortly before midnight in the shooting of some soldiers at the railway station. A hand of thirty roysterers arrived with missiles and assailed the military guard at the Central Station. They came on throwing stones and bottles, and charged the platform. Seeing a- number of police and pickets in a bunch, they seized a fire hose, and. played water on them. They were ordered to desist, but jeered and plied water harder. A shot was fired by a noter with an automatic pistol. Two -constables endeavoured to wrest the hose from the mob and failed. The pickets fired twice. The first volley did no hann, but after an internal of a few minutes the pickets fired ucain; and several soldiers were hit hf bullets and* fell. The picket charged with bayonets, and when the alley way at right angles to the station was cleared it was found that one soldier had been killed and nine soldiers and one constable wounded. These were conveyed to the hospital. The man killed was Private R J. Keefe, of the Sixth Light Horse. He had a bullet wound in the cheek, bayonet wounds in the side, the neck 3Jid the right shoulder, and died witnin a few minutes of being shot. One man, Private Body, was unconscious for twenty-four hours as the result of a baton stroke. Two others were shot in the knee and one was shot in the head. The constable was badly hurt but not seriously injured. At Liverpool, a mob of the rioters took possession of the Commercial Hotel, smashed the furniture and started a fire which was stamped out. They rushed the cellar and hauled hogsheads of beer to the street, where they were tapped. Kegs of rum and whisky were also looted. Rafferty's Hotel was also raided. The licensee barricaded tfie premises, which escaped any damage except a few broken windows. The trouble seemed to have simmered down nest day, when things were pretty quiet. A compulsory parade was ordered for next morning, and about one thousand failed to attend. A large number of men were arrested and punished. ___^_