BAILIFFS IN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17236, 16 April 1930, Page 5

BAILIFFS IN

FLAT TENANTS EJECTED UNPRECEDENTED SCENES SYDNEY, April 3. ■'« ’ Unprecedented scenes were witnessed at Darlinghurst on Wednesday night, when an army of bailiffs and a squadron of carriers descended on* a block of nine flats and took every piece of furniture from the building. The flats were situated in Victoria street, one of the busiest streets in the vicinity, and the descent was made at 7 pan., when nearly a‘ll the occupiers of the flats were at their tea. . * --- Within half an hour tables, chairs*beds and other articles were piled high on the footpath as they awaited loading into the fleet of removal carts. Dozens of angry occupiers of -the flats rushed in and out of the building and fought the removal men for possession of their furniture. The carters could offer no explanation of the occurrence, merely saying that they had received orders from the New South Wales sheriff to remove the goods. The bailiffs were also acting * under similar instructions. One of the women tenants in the flats drew a revolver and threatened to lire if they touched any of her furniture, but a policeman was called, and he managed to quieten her. In another flat a family which was already seated at tea table had to eat their grilled chops with their hands. Crowds gathered -from all over the city to watch the operations. Many of the tenants were forced to sleep for the night on bare boards, while others carried mattresses to a nearby park and slept- there. Thirty police were placed on patrol at the time of the occurrence, and many articles left on the footpath had to he taken to the jrolice station for safe keeping.