MELBOURNE RIOTS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14983, 9 August 1919, Page 8

MELBOURNE RIOTS.

-__•» — FIGHTIMI TN THE STREETS. POLICE AND SOLDIERS COLLIDE. TROOPS RIDE THROUGH CROWD. Australian papers received by mftil contain graphic accounts of the street rioting that took place m Melbourne, commencing on the night of the Peace celebrations, July 19, ahd recurring en the following Sunday and; Monday. On Saturday night a huge crowd assembled m front of the Town Hall m Swanston street. Just after 9 o'clock the scene was reminiscent of Mafeking night, and the excitement grew intense. A number of men m naval and military uniform exceeded the limits that are admissable oven on such occasions, and the police deemed it necessary to interfere and arrest two. Tlie offenders were lodged at 'he police depot at the Town. Hall, and before long a crowd was hammering at the door. A number of soldiers demanded the release of their comrades. An attempt was made to force open the door, and m a moment of high tension someone m the crowd discharged a revolver on the skirts of the huge gathering. Out of the by-streets hundreds of people rushed- towards the scene pf the explosion. Into the big crowd rode, a' body of mounted troopers, and forced their way from Collins street towards Bourke street. Many persons were kicked . by the horses. The police tried to induce the crowd to disperse, it is said; but, whatever was done, there followed, a shower of stones and bottles. As the .troopers swung over their horses' bodies and struck left and right with batons, the people rushed m all directions from the horses' flying feet and the descending weapons. It was soon pandemonium. Shop windows caved m. Men, women, and children were trampled upon, and screams went ud.

. About 20 people were arrested ; as many were treated for ihjuries, mostly minor, at the hospital ; and over 100 were treated at the Town Hall. During the afternoon soldiers entered the few cafes that were open, demanded a holiday for the workers, and closed the places. /A' few trams that were run were uncoupled and pushed off their tracks. Consequently, no car? entered the city proper. , SENTRIES WITH DRAWN BAYONETS.The events of Saturday night had a disquieting effect, and m the intervening 24 hours they gave i* rise m the minds of many to aniticipatipn of more incidents of -the kind. Tp-night the police felt called upon .to • use their batons again, although the crowds were small. ' As the result of a serious disturbance m front of Victoria Barracks late onSunday night 10 arrests were made by the police, and a .man named James O'Connor, of Madeline street, Carlton, was shot below/the hearty He was first treated at the/ base hospital* and then conveyed to Caulfield Military. Hospital, where he was operated on. "His condition is extremely serious. At. the barracks a brawl occurred be tween about 50 and 60 sailors and soldiers m uniform and members, of the guard on. duty at the gates. Almost simultaneously several mounted constables from the depot at the rear of the barracks arrived, and, working m conjunction with the foot police, they dispe-'sed the crowd assailing the guard. STRUGGLE WITH POLICE. Some 20 of the offenders dashed across _ St. Kilda road and entered the Domain. They sought ,, refuge m the rockeries and tangled Scrubs about. 10ft., high 6n either side of the Domain gates. Drawing their batons, the police crawled after the escapees and searched through the mass of undergrowth, m which many of them were hiding m the darkness.; There were many short and sileht struggles. The force of foot police was strengthened by the mounted men, who joined m the pursuit, and later m the attack a cordop of; military sentries, with, bayonets, surrounded the. rockeries, and th& 20 men who were captured hy the police were handed over to military custody. Several of them fought fiercely before they were arrested. A FIREMAN KILLED. During a brawl at Fitzroy yesterday John Andrew Wootten (27), "fireman, of 575. Panning street. North Carlton, wa? knocked unconscious. He died later of concussion of the brain. Late to-night David A. Perkins, on c of. the crew of H.M.A.S. Melbourne, wa? charged with attempted murder. On Saturday afternoon, the small arm? pstablishment of Abrahams Bros., wac broken into, and £80 worth of revolver.were stolen. ATTACK ON PREMIER, On Monday the trouble continued, and m the afternoon between 800 and, 10.000 soldiers and a number 1 of sailors overran the State Preiiaier'a room. The Premier, Mr. Lawspn, was wounded on the head. The day's, events were introduced by a meeting of ex-service men at t]he Returned Soldiers' League rooms m Swan--Bton Street. All was excitement. The speeches constituted a denunciation of the police force. At the instance of Messrs. Whplan and Lowe, the meeting decided: "That m the interests of life and property, and. the maintenance pjf order m the city, the"/ Chief Commissioner should dismiss or remove to a safe, distance the irresponsible officer whose conduct is believed to have can Fed the unwarranted attack, on and indiscriminate .batoning of Ipy.iV citizens who were listening: to the band outside the Town Hall on Saturday night." ,' ' t . ■'■" .' Speakers said that on Saturday night innocent men.v w othen, and children were ridden down by the troopers' horses on the footpaths. One had heard Senior Constable Scanlon say he was out to break the soldiers. ; Voice :' We will break him. The State Commandant, BrigadierGeneral Brand,. then addressed the men. and advised them to send some of their number to interview the Police Commissioner. This was decided, the meeting declaring ari armistice till 2 p.m. The men, streamed out into the street and spent most of their time hooting every policeman m sight; a small 'deputation- immediately 1 left and interviewed the Commissioner of- Police at his office;

vino men had already -lathered. In a tew mnmt.s the place was crmvded with excited people. Mi;. ('...dwell (vico-presidenl or the league), who presided, reported the result of th,. interview with the police (Sir George Steward). The commissioner had. he said, appeared reasonable, and was prepared to weigh all tho charges the deputationists laid against tlie police. This statement did not satisfy the assembly. It was impatient of consideration. It wanted something like submission to its will. Captain Burkitt mounted the platform. He said that the soldiers should make the Government understand that they were Australians. They had been blamed for the beginnings of every row that occurred m the country. They should make the Government realise that m this case the men who were kept to maintain the , law had been the first to break it. AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE. The leaders of the men, who had been ! appointed officers of the league, and others who put themselves m the van for the occasion, moved through the crowd. Some of their impatient followers reached the State Office before them and the rest surged behind. Three or four members of the executive left the crowd to seek an interview with the Premier. Mr. Lawson was conferring with the Cabinet at the time. He hurriedly consulted ! with other Ministers regarding the situation. Tlie soldiers' delegateawaited him m. the Treasurer's room. The Premier delayed a few minutes, and when it was announced that the interview had not yet taken place, the crowd lost what little patience it had. Hundreds rushed the doors and ran upstairs. They met the Premier on his way to the delegates. The Premier suggested, that a delegate should confer with and that- the imprisoned men would be released on bail. He turned indoors. Tlien followed a breaking of window-glass. The building was rushed. The Premier found himself imprison-

Ed m the .Treasurer's room, with an ungovernable mob about him. Tlie soldiers mounted the horse-shoe table, rifled the drawers, destroyed some papers, pocketed others. They removed everything m the room that was removable, and destroyed everything that could be destroyed. Somebody brought a. heavy metal inkpot down on the head of the Premi6r, and left a gash two inches long. He staggered, and appealed to some of the mon. "No digger did that," said one, and they shepherded Mr. Lawson., and got him out. They escorted him to the refuge of the Cabinet room. Tlie plundering proceeded m different parts of th 6 building. Word cam c of the approach of troopers, and several sold.ig.rs called for revolvers arid guns. There were no arms handy. ; Then ,out on the street the mob sallied, equipped with pokers,, bits of furniture, and other things. In the street, however, it was all so different. A force of foot' v police was busily dispersing the crowd. ' The looters showed li_tle inclination for the collision they anticipated, so they also dispersed. At night the streets were thronged, and two-up was played under the noses of the pqlico force. A menacing demonstration was made by the members of the R.S.L. early m the evening m. Swanston Street. At a late hour 5000 people congregated outside the Oity Watchhouse, m Russell street, ahd were addressed by several ihen from ' the steps. The speakers ' jvdvised them- to remain calm, since conferences' were being held with the authorities.' They alsp warned the people that if the police interfered with them' they should stand their ground and not sctittle. away, as they had done on Saturday night. Immediately after .this a body of troopers 'appeared, riding on the outskirts of the crowd, and making to disperse at. Their interference produced a desperate effect on the people. Stone? were torn from the road and hurled at the troopers. Then Saturday night's melee was repeated. Fmally j under severe batonings. the assemblage dispersed m terror. ' FOURTH DAY. Disorder and jiot were again rampant on. Tuesday,' though the, area of trouble was-, not large, nor the consequences material. After the troops returned from the funeral of ex-Private Jas. O'Connor, who was shot on 'Sunday night, the men streamed across the road and the trouble opened. There were cries of "They' re after the police." The street rapidly filled. Th< crowd, ready for a fight, was taken witl a feverish desire to reach the same spof at one and the same time. The objective pf the people was two shining helmets ir 'he centre of the street. The objective nf the soldiers was certainly not the police, i However, several men mad< hastily for a van standing by the pavement, and one of the policemen., Constable Allen, an ex-service man, followed to see what was happening. There was a collision. Hooligans, thi> police say, precipitated it. At a! v events, Constable Allen and his uniform nd companion were roughly handled, anr' those who contested "for supremacy witlhem were treated by the police no lesF lichtly. In a few minutes the mounted troopers who have been patrolling the city during the last four days appeared, and rode through the crowd, with batons free, W the, centre of .the fight-. Their appearance, electrified hundreds who were not yet engaged m the fight, and sticks, stones, and bottles of all descriptions greeted them. Their assailants endea-, vored to unseat ' + hem. One trooper waiactuallv unhorsed, and only saved himself by swinging his baton rthd bran dishing a revolver r " In the meantime the foot police carried on a series of hand-to-hand engagements. Missiles .came from mysterious positions; under ''the. shop verandahs. They had not been, taken from the shops, because all the establishments m, the immediate vicinity were closed' during the" ; riot. Apparently a great number had come forewarned and forearmed. After about an hour the trouble began to evaporate. Feur "troopers . rode into Flinders street ; then, wjieelinaf about suddenly, they rode sijrniflcantly towards thie crowd, 'That was sufficient. The result was a general dispersal. The. streets werp : thronged again at night, but no serious disturbance was reported. ■aa___H___a_____aa___a__n___a______________a_B_f