Foreign Sailors in Trouble

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14211, 28 May 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

Foreign Sailors in Trouble

ROUGHLY HANDLED BY A SiD--\~A <_J.vvl».U. A meelee o..t wf the timely' intrvvii..oii 01 a i.,uua oi uuu.r fauO-iiiojyector wouiu nave ue-Yelop*--o. uii.u a not, was ciiaci.ed. m Bourse oii'i-rt, itoolioomouluo, : bydiiey, iuoidy ui.u.iigiit; on ' batuiUay, Jiaj \ . -iccorulUg to tne account jjux-ii to a byaiiey "Atoniing HeraiU' 1 reporter by one a small party of foieign suilurs, uuia-, bring rauier mure tii..n a score, tire ' majority ot whom appeared to be Oer-' mans, uoardeu a lioiiui tram in tno city a litue a iter l l o clock. Their apparance attracted attention. All wore exaggerated mourning favouis, but tliree of four—apparently tile ringleaders of the parly wiiose appearance , called bort-li a stjrni of adverse com- ' ment from the bystanders. One of these carried a arum rantiuticaliy draped with crepe, a second had a con-cci-Lina. similarly craped , a tniid sported a top hat ornamented with long streamers of the same material, while the fourth was attired in exaggerated it-male garments. They left- the city without molestation, but a small knot ot persons, curious to see the end of the piece, boarded the same tram. Both parties left the tram at Bourke Street. The foreigners were evidently following a prearranged plan, K.r as soon as they alighted the drum and concertina player took their places at the head of the procession ; the others fell in behind them. The drum commenced to beat, slowly at first, but- with increasing rapidity and stiength. The strains of the concertina could also be heard. Xext the sailors took up the tune, and to the accompaniment of lusty strokes on the drum, weird music from the concertina, and the hoarse singing of the men, the procession moved off. At first the crowd were inclined, to treat the matter as a joke. The weird procession wended its way along Bourke Street, across Oxford Street. In the meantime the crowd had heen increasing. They now greatly outnumbered the sailors. Like a flash it seemed to burst upon the spectators that the whole performance was merely a mocking travesty upon the real grief of the Australian nntiou on account of the death of their fviug. A bystander who understood the German language stated that the foreign sailors were making insulting references to the late King. As soon as this fact was realised the crowd commenced to close around the little knot of foreigners in a menacing manner. First insults were hurled at them. To these no reply was made—perhaps because the persons at whom they were directed didn't understand their meaning. At any rate, the sailors persisted, 'ine crowd wcie at fever heat; it only waiiter someone to make a start. Tile cordon round the sailors was contracting slowly but- surely.

All or a sudden one of the crowd made the first start. He lunged'savagely tne saiior nearest to him. His example was quickly followed by his companions. In a moment the fight had become general. The sailors, hemmed in like sheep in a stockyard, could not escape; they could only protect themselves. Blows were showered tipon them 'in all directions. The fact that the crowd in its eagerness to get at its enemies interfered with its own members undoubtedly was a big factor in preserving the foreigners from .serious bodily barm. Bottles were being used club fashion, when the police arrived. They were just in the nick of time. 'Die Sailors had put up a good fight, but the (Kids were t-PO big, and : they were at the last gasp. ' Seeing the condition of affairs. SubInspector Spenee and his men immediately da«hed into the fray, and endeavoured to quell the tumult. The job w;>s Ivy no means an easy one. The infuriated crowd rtts.eiiied the interference of the police. and turr. r si ' savagely upon tlienj. For a few ssconds <r"l..r,.

ifc appeared as if they would prevail, 1 but the Sub-Inspector kept his men well in hand, and before " lone; the trained men triumphed. The. riot was quelled. Faces blade with anger •snarled savagely at the new exhausted sailors; not a few fists wero shaken in their direction, and muttered threats «cmlcl b© hoard on every side. The crowd was dispersed as quickly ..as possible and the sailors, it is to bo hoped , rendered contrite by their drubbing, slunk away. That is, all except one—the one maspucrading as a woman—who was taken into custody on the charge of drunkenness. The second scene of the little drama wis enacted at the AVater Police Court

when Emil Kenneek, a German sailor, j appeared to answer a charge of drunkenness. There being no otlie r evi- ] deuce a-wn-t him. he "was let off with'.1 fine of os. . | " Tlv- agents for the Xord-' T.loyd st-it.' that none of the seamen from the German mail , steamer Sehnrnhorst were in any wavconnected with the disturbance. All the crow whi wont a show on Saturday muH. with one exception returned to the ship shortly after 10 o'clock.