ATTACK ON POLICEMAN.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12789, 14 June 1912, Page 7

ATTACK ON POLICEMAN.

A MAN KILLED. SYDNEY, June 5, A riot, which originated m an, attack made by some larrikins on a couple 'of' policemen, and which quickly attracted a crowd of several thousand personssome defending the police, but the great' majority; aiding and abetting the, rioters — took place m the vicinity, of the Belmore Markets, Sydney, where Wirth's circus is located, on the night of tlie King's birthday. The Wo constables were badly .injured, ■ and. several -of the rioters were severely knocked about, one so serious that his life i.s in danger! Early m the evening the police got a message that a number of young men were lighting at the rear of, the circus, and throwing bottles at each other — these being the favorite weapons of Sydney "pushes"— and Constable Matthews and Thompson were despatched to the scene. .When they arrived all seemed to be quiet, and one of them entered the circus to ascertain the reason for the call. Constable Matthews -was standing near the entrance to the building, when lie was suddenly attacked by a young man, who threw a bottle at him. The constable immediately proceeded to arrest him, but the man struggled violently. A crowd was beginning to gather, and there were loud shouts and threats, but no one actively interfered, until another man ran behind the policeman, and striking him a heavy, i blow -on the head, knocked him down. Matthews at once regained his feet, and made a dash at. his new assailant, and succeeded m handcuffing him, and then thrusting him into the circus building. By thia time others had returned,, to the attack, and broken bottles, and stones began to be thrown. The constable then made for the first man again, "and managed to seize him, but was immediately surrounded and violently attacked. He was kinpck'ed down .again, arid his cowardly assailants gave him no .chance to , rise, but commenced to kick him savagely. At this juncture Constable Thompson came to the help of his comrade, and just m time to see another man m the act of, kicking him about the body. Thompson at once drew his baton and felled the man, and then dashed intp the throng all abou^ the fallen policeman. By the free use of his baton . he j succeeded m making a clearance, and got his friend' into safety, and then the two of them made 4 for the crowd again. Their position, however, was serious, and- Thompson received a blow from a flying bottle that badly gashed him On \the temple; Several of the crowd that had gathered, seeing' the danger of the constables, came to their assistance, | and had a hard fight with the riotous element* and for some time the struggle was fierce, both the police and their helpers being severely handled. Then, m response to urgent calls for help, strong detachments of,. police from various stations arrived on the scene, and the riot was quelled.. Numerous arrests were made, the men being taken to the Central Police Station. ; The: civil ambulance was needed to attend to the injured rioters,, who were at once conveyed to the Sydney Hospital, one of them having a fractured skull. The two ■ policemen, were also taken to the hospital. The row started, it seems, through some, young men molesting some of the employees of the circus, several of whom are Maoris, while the latter were at their meals m a neighboring -restaurant, and on the circus nien retreatirig_to the shelter of their building they tried to force an entry, and succeeded m breaking m one. of the doors. Other circus employees at once rallied to the assist-ance,,of-their friends, and managed . to eject the men who had gained entrance. In tho melee »some of them received injuries which prevented them from appearing at the evening performance.