Waihi Trouble

Waikato Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5155, 12 November 1912, Page 2

Waihi Trouble

Further Rioting This Morning.

REVOLVERS USED BY THE STRIKERS. Constable and a Worker Shot ATTEMPT TO LYNCH THE SHOOTIBTS.

By Telegraph. —Press Association. Waihi, This Day. The most exciting sensation which has ever happened in Waihi occurred this morning. Yesterday’s incidents were exciting enough, but pale into insignificance compared with this morning’s events. The town from 7.80 a.m. till after 8 a.m. was seething with excitement, and everything was so unsettled that work at the mines was not thought of, and permission was obtained from the company to suspend work for the day. The workers, as was the case yesterday, assembled opposite the new union hall, and in a body marched into the main street en route to the mines. The street was conspicuous by scarcity of the unemployed section of the community, but the workers, the police and the general pubilc were largely represented. The body of workers marched to the Miners’ Union Hall, and a halt was called at this point.

The first exciting incident occurred as soon as a halt was called. The leaders of the workers rushed at the closed doors of the union building and in a few minutes an entrance to the main building and the offices was effected. Meanwhile a section rushed down the alleyway of the hall smashing all the windows on that side of the building. Just as an entrance to the hall was effected two or three revolver shots were fired by federationiats nside the hall. Constable Wade, who stood in front

of the workers, endeavouring to restrain them, received a bullet in the abdomen and almost simultaneously a worker, Harry Johnson, a resident of Russell street, was shot in the fleshy part of the leg above the knee. The constable was at once conveyed to the hospital, but Johnson, regardless of his wound, mshed with the crowd in search of the users of the revolvers.

There was a tremendous hue and cry, as three strikers were seen escaping from the building. The crowd, with scores of police, joined in the pursuit, and there was a mad rush through an adjoining yard. The workers were literally beside themselves, and howled and yelled at the heels of the fleeing fugitives. The chasers suddenly lost sight of their quarries as they disappeared into the grounds of Dr. Craig. While a frantic search of the doctor’s garden and houses was being made the three fugitives effected an entrance to the doctor’s house.

Mrs Craig saw two men through the window rush past the side of the house. She immediately rushed to the front door and was met by the breathless men in the act of rushing in the doorway.

She promptly slammed the door in their faces, but the men were not to bo denied. One jumped through the window of the children’s room, while it is not clear how the other got into the house. Mrs Craig gave the alarm, and in a few minutes the police and workers rushed into the house.

The rooms were searched, and two of the men caught. They were hauled out, and the police had the greatest difficulty in preventing them from being lynched. A loaded revolver was taken from one, and a box of revolver cartridges from the other. Both were taken to the lock-up with howling crowds after them.