TROUBLE AT KNAPDALE.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 6, Issue 304, 9 November 1883, Page 5

TROUBLE AT KNAPDALE.

1. + V^e have now some further particulars re ' garding ths recent disturbance at the Knap. ? dale school, where Mr G. Wood has been ir / the habit of holding a singing class everj - Friday night. T.ast Friday night, however ; MrO'Farrell would not give the singers ad- ' mirtance, and the result was that they san| their hymns outside and expressed them- ? selves in pretty sweet language regarding J the stand taken by the dominie. .Sofarysc b good. They left in due course, but subse- . quently 'some person or persons ' unknown risited" the school, and were guilty of th« most wanton destructiveness. The master, , ifc would appear, was sitting before the fircj either reading or smoking, when a folley of » well-directed stones poured in through the ' windows, all of which were smashed more or r less. The teacher at once put out the light . and otherwise shielded himself as well as he I could, but as far as we can learn no more stones were thrown. The stone throwing * would appear from this to liave been preconcerted, and done with the object of wilfully injuring the person of the teacher, as » when the light was out liis assailants had no " object at which to aim. After waiting some time (anticipating another attack) the teacher decided to go to bed, but to get to that desirable retreat it was necessary to get to the children's playshed, in which place he had rigged a tent — for since the residence was destioyed it seems he has had no settled place of abode until he took up his claim agan on the spot. .But; what, was his surprise when he fonnd agrees stopped, and himself a prisoner in an empty, schoolroom. There was no help for it. * liehad to make the best of a comfortless' roofe 7 uptil daylight, fearing if he went outside through the broken window the attacking party might do him bodily injury, when in the unpleasant position necessary to enable, him to climb out of any of the windows! He decided therefore that it would be much" better to stop until daybreak before he made the attempt. At daylight the attempt was made with succ«-_ and withbdt any injury;, andjthe master vacated' his' position. How the mater will end, we are Uot in a position to say, but now, no' doubt, an enquiry' Will be held to sift the whole proceeding from iitart to climat.