RIOT ON A SUGAR PLANTATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVI, Issue 14913, 4 December 1912, Page 2

RIOT ON A SUGAR PLANTATION.

$ COOLIES BESIEGE THE MANAGER'S HOUSE. ' j A FATAL SHOT. CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER. Longstanding unrest among the East Indians indentured to the sugar estates in British Guiana who form the greater portion of the colony, reached a climax on Sept. 19, when a riot occurred at Plantation Lusignan, owned by the English firm of Curtis, Campbell, and Co. This resulted in the fatal shooting of one of the coolies, the arrest of the manager, Air lv. E. Brassington, who is a member of the Legislature, on a charge of manslaughter, and the prosecution of 24 of the rioters. About 200 coolies, dissatisfied with tlio wages offered—claimed by the management, however, to he better th.iin before —struck work, and after inducing a gang of a hundred men working in'another field to ioin them, marched in the direction of tho manager's house. An overseer apprised tho manager of what had occurred. and Mr. Brassington and his deputy, Mr J. G. Mackenzie, galloped in their direction. The coolies were marching in a body, and were menacing in demeanour, shouting and gesticulating wildly. _ Mr. Brassington tried to get them to state their grievance calmly, hut \the coolies charged clown upon him and his deputy with their long shovels and forks held like fixed bayonets. Idealising that their only safety lay in flight, Messrs Brassington and Mackenzie galloped back to the manager's house, with tho mob in pursuit. The only occupants of the house wore the n-anncrer's sisters, Miss Brassington and Mrs King, the hitler's two children, three servants, and two hookkeepers. The ladies and the children wove put in places of safety, twenty native labourers working about the yard, were called in, and preparations mode to meet the attack which tho behaviour of the East Indians indicated was about to bo made. DAimiCADED DOORS. _ The doors were barricaded and eighteen loaded rifles were distributed amongst tho men, who were posted in different parts of tho house, but told I not to lire until the last moment. ■ Tho coolies appeared, brandishing their agricultural implements and shouting " Mar sara " (Beat him). From their positions at the back of tho house tho manager and his deputy warned the East Indians in English and ilindustani not to cross the bridge and enter the yard or they would be fired upon. Tho warning was disregarded. Some of the coolies got on to the bridge and the manager and his deputy fired. Still the coolies pressed on, and about a. dozen other shots were tired. Although the guns, it is stated, were not deliberately aimed at the men. one was. hit. This had the effect of stopping the rush of both this gang and tiie other which had gone to the front of the house, and, picking up the injured man, tho coolies retired. Dr. La. Fronois, who had been engaged at the estate hospital, e>i ; deavonred to attend to tho wounded man, but liis ofler was rejected, the' Indians _ saying that they intended to carry him to the Governor as he was. Placing tho unfortunate man in a cot. they inarched to Georgetown, twelve miles ckstant. They entered the citv in regimental form, and, with their shovels over their shoulders, caused a tremendous sensation. GrOTEivNOIVS ADVICE. Tho coolies marched straight io Government. Rouse, and asked permission to interview tho Governor, Sir' Yi alter Egerton. Their request was granted, and six of the hare-legged, dust-covered cooiies were ushered in his Excellency's receipt ion room. The deputation stated tlieir case through an interpreter,.and were advised to, go to tho immigration authorities, wlio, they were assured, would deal with it with the utmost fairness. The injured man was then conveyed in an ambulanea to the public hospital, where he succumbed shortly after having been operated upon. On an inquest being held the jury, consisting of two English and two East Indian merchants of Georgetown, returned a verdict of death from a bulletwound, the bullet being ft red by somo person unknown to prevent an outrage. Medical testimony was given to the effect that had the coolies not taken the man such a long iourney in the scorching sun, but allowed him to bo treated at the estate hospital, his lire would probably have been saved. Immediately after the inquest the manager was arrested on a charge of manslaughter, and 2-i of the coolies v,ere also put iftidor arrest for causing a riot. The coolies, on whose behalf it was contended that they had not threatened the life of anyone, were committed for trial at the Criminal sessions. For Mr Brassington it was urged that the shooting was necessary in the circumstances, that the guns were aimed_ over the heads of the coolies. t.iauit was by inadvertence that one was - hit, and that it was not ho who hred the oullet that found its billet.