THE NEWCASTLE FRACAS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12066, 9 September 1902, Page 5

THE NEWCASTLE FRACAS.

ITS CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSPOET COMPLAINTS. [by 'nxr.ORWJT.~- COEKESPOXDF.VT-] Manata, Monday. Regarding the Newcastle fracas., the Waimate Witness, in to-day's issue, states thai; if the vvno'ie matter were thoroughly sifted it would be found that there was a connection between the Newcastle affray and the transports scandal. The Witness states that it possesses reliable evidence which shown that the troopers were bundled on to the transports before tilings were ready for .them, a consequence of what took place at Newcastle. The men were not allowed to stop at Durban, and had no time to make arrangements for then? comforts before the vessel left. The result was overcrowding. Discipline was an unknown quantity, and the insanitary arrangements caused an epidemic of sickness, and death then did its work. The paper adds editorially: " The Government can get at the facts if they wanted to by applying to the Newcastle authorities, who would supply the particulars." ___ STORY OF AN EYE-WITNESS. [BT TELEGRAPH.-—SPECIAL CORP.E3PONrjF.ST.] Wellington . Monday. lit the Waimate Advertiser of Saturday. Corporal George Wilson, of the Tenth Contingent, writes:—-To commence at the beginning. Alt police, work in the town while the country was under martial hew was done bv Cue "Tommies."' and as the Minister Fusiliers were camped near Newcastle they policed the town. Under martial law no soldier could be supplied with liquor, but certain of the Tenth were m the -habit of getting civilians to procure the liquor, and as it was a luxury they often look too much. At times a man would create a disturbance in the street, and in their capacity as police the Ministers would "lumber" him. A certain class oi Tenth Contingenters blamed Cue Ministers, forgetting that they were real soldiers, and could not disober orders with impunity as irregulars often can. The better class of rife Tenth (and they were many) recognised that the "Tommies" were only doing their duty. Toe method of procedure on occasions when a New Zealander was gaoled was for a few of the sensationloving agitator-like men to go round the camp* and harangue all hands about the " honour of New Zealand.-' keeping up the good name of our country, etc.. until they got a good-sized following. These were : joined by others, who wanted to see some : fun, and oft' to the gaol the crowd set, talking loud and long about Tommy Atkins. About half-a-dozen "such "affairs" bad occurred, without the writer having gone once, and on the evening in question, hearing that a North Islander had that afternoon been "lagged" for drunkenness, he made it his business to be on the road towards town. Soon si crowd gathered,, and, about. ISO strong, all hands set out for Newcastle gaol. On the road was a picket of 2.0 men, and though ordered to stop> the croud wen* deaf for the time being. Past the picker, a little way a hair whs called, and all hands armed themselves with wattle or peach blanches, which they bioke from neighbouring trees. A sellconstiiiited leader told off the crowd into foul's, when it was found that they were about 70 strong, live of them being South Islanders. They inarched into town in fours, stopping opposite the gaol. The : prisoner was; very promptly fired out into > the street, and joined the" band, sneaking ' of his wrongs as volubly as he con The military (or some other* sort of) ardour of ' the noble rescuers of the oppressed was 1 not satisfied with so easy a victory, and instantly the cry was raised. '"Lei's raid i the Hindu shops,'' there being quite a - number of these in Newcastle. These shops '. proved to be closed, and the heroes strag- • gled back to the main street, here an - unfortunate Tommy wandered across the ■ road, and some New Zeulanders struck him ' on ill" head with a slick. He was cried I to shame by the others, who moved up near to the Town Hall. A big house 1 standing back from the road next caught > i the eyes of the men, and they got down t there and demanded jewellery. They got 3 a good deal, and then made for the post • office. Here a Tommy was standing, and • one colonial, who was armed with a stirrup l ' iron, struck him over the head. He was '' badly hurt, and was carried away. Word \ was then passed that a body of mounted ~ troops were coming to clear the town, e and the looters left for Fort Hay camp. .- Just after they had dispersed. 10 mounted t men with drawn swords galloped through J the town, but our fellows were faded and e gone. Thus ended t lie Newcastle affair, ■> except that every man was debited with 7d r s to pay for the damage done. As regards .' the two wounded men, 1 was in Newi. castle Hospital two days before the Tenth V. left Newcastle, and was told that one ol I. the men had left there fit for duty, and n the other would be out in a. few days. t-s' if A HAPPY THOUGHT leading to the pro :>f duotion of a useful article lias often brougb >e the inventor a fortune. See handbook oi a •' Patents." Free from Baldwin and Kay ic ward, Legal Chambers, Queen-street, Auckland.,