THE LITHCOW TROUBLE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 12, 30 August 1911, Page 5

THE LITHCOW TROUBLE.

STRIKERS AND POLICE FIGHTING. Sydney, August 29. A procession of a thousand strong, accompanied by a band, marched to Lithgow, demonstrating against the non-unionists. Great excitement reigns at Lithgow. Soon after dark a horde of unionists raided the blast furnaces. All available police were called out io guard the non-unionists, and a right ensued. A police sergeant was wounded in the head with a brick. The crowd appears to be in possession. Ihe outbreak was the most serious in the district. (Received 30, 9.5 a.m.) Sydney, August 30.. A special train with police reinforcements was sent to Lithgow last night. Others were drafted from the adjoining towns. The disturbances were apparently unpremeditated. A crowd of strikers and sympathisers, accompanied by a band, gathered to see the usual change of shifts. Non-unionists came to watch the crowd and hear the band. A number of youths started stoning the non-unionists, and the crowd made a rush and swept away the small force of police, who, with the non-unionists, retreated to the engine-house and barred the doors. All the windows were broken. The police attempted to c(iiicton the rioters, but they were struck by missies, and three wore rather seriously injured. Others sustained minor wounds. Meanwhile, the crowd went through the free labourers quarters’ and destroyed a quantity of food and furniture, and sot fire to bunks. Two motor cars were damaged, but the chaffour managed to got one away, the other being set on fire and destroyed. The blast furnace was also shut off, and whether it can be restarted depends on the police reinforcements arriving in time to release the imprisoned non-unionists, who at a late hour—along with Hoskins, his sons, and some of the staff—wore still locked in the engine room. Hoskins attributes the outbreak to drunken men inciting the crowd.