The Waihi Turmoil

Waikato Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5156, 13 November 1912, Page 5

The Waihi Turmoil

By Telegraph.—Press Association Waihi, Last Night.

Following the shooting this morning, and the arrest of two of the culprits there were many sensational incidents A young fellow, having the appearance of a hunted hare after a prolonged run, dashed into a private residence and implored a woman who was alone with her children to save him. She locked the doors, but the workers said they would burst the door in, and a window was broken. Just then a local J.P. happened to come along, and the woman made an appeal to him to keep the men off. The Justice appealed to the men and they kept off, but intimated their intention of waiting all day if necessary. A few minutes later the police arrived in a motor, entered the house and searched the man, who was in a state bordering on collapse. The workers alleged that he was the individual who bad thrown a plug of gelignite out of tlie Union Hull at Waikino last evening. He admitted coming from that place, but denied having used gelignite. En route to the Etblion several attempts vverr made to get at the man, but the police kept the assailants off. | Meanwhile other incidents were taking place in the vicinity of the i Union Hall. Mr Rudd, president of I the new union, mounted the steps of { the Scddon Memorial, a"d addressed I the workers. Ho said they had now j taken possession ut the Union Hali, and were going to stick to it. He held the keys of the building in Ids hand. Legal possession had been taken by those workers who were financial members of the old union. An outburst of cheering greeted this announcement, and the ceremony of running up the Union Jack to the l truck of the flagpole was then performed, amidst further applause. Later on a red ensign was also hoisted. . The Rev. P. Cleary, vicar of St. John’s, also spoke, and urged the men, as law-abiding citizens, not to resort to violence nor to adopt anything in the nature of the I.W.W. tactics which had been so freely advocated, in this town. One of the workers mounted a ladder and pulled down a calico sign with the words: “Barry and Its mates must be released. Mr Rudd announced that permission had been obtained to lay the Waihi mine idle for that day and a mass meeting of the new union would bo held in the afternoon in the hull just taken possession of. A hostile crowd gathered outside the Fire Brigade station, some of its members being well known federationists. The workers, after entering the ground floor, retired. The doors were then closed. The whole town was now in u stale of great excitement. The police were here, there and everywhere, keeping in touch with the hunting bands of arbi trationists.

The “glorious conclusion of the fight,” as mentioned by Mr Semple, has resolved itself into a debacle. The arbitrationists have won every position, and shortly the red flag will be an unknown quantity in Waihi. The following notice now appears outside the Union Hall: “No red dances here any more. Good old red, white and blue!” Hearing that a number of strike pickets were likely to come up by

the 12 o’clock train from Waikino, a body of arbitrationists assembled outside the railway station, but no pickets arrived. A passenger made a statement to the effect that a number of prominent strikers, including Waikino men, were at the Karangahake and Paeroa stations. An authentic report from Waikino shows that arbitrationists there have cleared the township, compelling federalionists to get out. Prominent federationists here Have left after receiving a warning.

A report was circulated to the effect that Messrs Semple and Webb were coming here today, but this is most improbable. Arbitrationists had crib in the Miners’ Union Hall today, A sensational story, regarding an explosion of gelignite near the Miners’ Union Hall, at Waikino, was brought by a strike picket last evening. He had ridden up on a bicycle in hot haste. He reported to the strike committee here, who sent him on to the police. The picket stated that when he was in a boardinghouse, having tea, he heard an explosion, and on running out, he saw a group of men near the Miners’ Union Hall, the pickets at this time being in the building.

It appears that some of the strikers, being under the impression that the workers intended to assault them, ''ocked themselves in the hall. Judging by the hole in the road, probably a plug of gelignite, with a detonator and fuse attached, had been exploded. The police searched both workers a"d strikers, and also the vicinity of the explosion, but found no trace of explosives. Both parties deny having used any. Further investigation shows that the plug of gelignite was thrown out of the hall by one of the strike pickets. The latter were eventually dislodged from the hall by means of a fire hose, and had to seek police protection.

A number of workers located Mr Kennedy, president of the Miners’ Union, hiding in a house in the west end, and dragged him out. The police effected a resuce, and rushed him to the railway station, with a view to catching the goods train. On arrival at the station, the mob rushed him, delivering several blows on his lace. Kennedy fell into the arms of Constable Shaw, crying out: “Save me! Save meThe constable managed to bundle him into the guard’s van just as the train steamed out. The hunt for prominent strikeis is still proceeding.

Further particulars of the shooting shows that when Constable Wade was shot he knocked down the man alleged to have fired the shot, by name Frederick Evans, with his baton. Evans’ condition is now very precaiious. The injuries to Constable Wade are not considered very serious.

It appears that Hie bullet which struck Constable Wade.glanced somewhat, not entering the stomach direct. This probably saved his life. The wound is in the pit of tho stomach.

Other shots are alleged to have been fired by a picket named G. Jones, who is now under arrest. Tha worrkers have given some of the most prominent federationists a warning to get out of the town.

The strike prosecution cases, arranged to be heard in the Magistrate’s Court this morning, were adjourned. One of the most prominent militant women was driven to the police station-where she had busi ness——in a boycotted cab escorted by the police. Late this afternoon about 150 arbitrationists arrived from Waikino. An immense gutheing is taking place in the Union Hall in the main street. A crowd of school children assembled at 3 p.m., and sang the National Anthem outside the hall. The red flag was destroyed by (ire. Forty-eight hours’ warning to leave the town has been given to the chief Federationist offenders if they will not promise to behave themselves. Waihi,.' This Day. The doctors have located the bullet in Constable Wade and say there will bo no difficulty in exliacting it. Evans, the injured striker, is_ a married man with an only child. His condition is almost hopeless. He is suffering from concussion of the brain and is unconscious. A mass meeting of the members of the new union was hold last night. The speakers claimed as financial members of tho federation that they had the right of entry to tho Miners’ Hall. The proceedings wore most enthusiastic.

A number of federationists have applied for police protection.