WAIKINO TRAGEDY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19000, 24 October 1923, Page 8

WAIKINO TRAGEDY.

SIEGE AT THE SCHOOLHOUSE. SENIOR-SERGT. O’CRADY’S STORY. CIVILIANS MAD WITH FURY. (From Oor Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND. October 22. A stirring narrative of the siege at the Waikino Schoolhouse is lold ny Seniorsergeant U’Urady. He first of till went to the study window on tho outside of tho school and called to Higgins, inviting him to come out. The response was a couple of pistol siiots. The Senior-sergeant then entered tije school with the constables and •aw Reid through a crack in the door tying on the floor in a pool of blood. He then thought Reid was dead. Higgins bred through the door, and the speaker returned the fire with a view to ‘•winging him. Had ho determined to kill Higgins lie could have done so the first shot with his pistol or service rifle from the side o. the study. There was slight cessation in the tiling after some time had elapsed, and it was 'thought for a moment that Higgins had been killed. Constable Olsen peered through a split in the panel to see and immediately Higgins fired two shots ono out of the window and one through the door. The latter struck Olsen in the groin and incapacitated him. In order to protect the doctors and others who had to pass through tho corridor to Constable Olsen's assistance barricades ■were erected outside the study door with desks and other furniture, and 01sen_ was removed outside. Senior-sergeant O Grady taiil he then tried persuasive measures with Higgins and the following dialogue took

The Senior-sergeant: Come out, Higgins. Have some sense and come out. Ihrow vonr revolver through the window. * Hb'irins; No. You come round to tho front’°window and wo will light. I am going to fight to a finish. The Senior-sergeant: Oh, no, Higgins, 1 am not going round. You come out. Higgins; X’o. The Senior-sergeant: Come out or you will got shot. T e Higgins: I’ll loss you wuethor I fighc to n finish or whether you will come round by the window. ■ The Senior-sergeant: No, Higgins: you have done enough damage already. Come cut and I will protect you , The Senior-sergeant said he then took a .pads and smashed in all the top panels of |he ' door. Higgins then appeared to see he was in ihe direct hue of lire, and was in danger of being shot. He appeared to bo frightened, and said: ‘lts all over, have thrown the revolver through the window: ” When this assertion had been confirmed the Senior-sergeant kept hi? man covered and ordered him to throw up his hands A civilian also had him covered With a rifle, and the Senior-sergeant said he fully expected this man to; fire “The civilians wore very hostile and threatened to rush Higgins and kill him, ’ said Senior-sergeant O’Grady. He remonstrated with them, and said: “You had your chance to kill him and could not do it Whv do you want to kill a man in told W The police had great difficulty in keeping the infuriated crowd back. One or two civilians kept cool and helped the police When tho barricades were removed and the police went forward to handcuff there was a scuffle. Higgins went down and was kicked in the face by a civilian. It was said that when Higgins was ordered to put his hands up ho drop Tied a knife but Senior-sergeant O Grady said he did not see him do so. The Senior-sergeant said he was convinced that had H tf 10 * b<3 er } for the efforts of the to take their man alive the civilians would kav- killed Higgins. Civilians said afterwards that if it had not been for the colice they would have lynched or shot Higgins in cold blood. Senior-sergeant O’Gradv said he had never seen a crowd so mad with fury as the Waikino men were on Friday morning. They wanted to burst into the study and rush Higgins, and there was talk of using explores. Onlv the uncertainty of Mr Held s condition and the efforts of the police deterred them. It was with difficulty that the J' persuaded them that it was better'to "-M' and to use quiet methods than that In es should be lost needlessly.