RIOT IN WELLINGTON.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 7918, 14 August 1917, Page 3

RIOT IN WELLINGTON.

POLICE ROUHGLY HANDLED BY THE MOB. SEVEN MEN ARRESTED. WELLINGTON, Last night. One of the wildest and most disorderly scenes ever seen in the city occurred on Saturday night in the vicinity of Cuba and Vivian streets. Over two thousand persons were attracted by the disturbance, and some of those present handled the police, who had a man under arrest, very roughly. A DRUNKEN FIREMAN. It was the behavior of a drunken fireman that led up to the mob taking the law into their own hands. The man in question was in the bar of the Imperial Hotel, Cuba street, and the licensee had put him out on to the street on several occasions. He persisted on entering the hotel and making a nuisance of himself. Eventually the police were sent for. Constable McColl arrived on the scene shortly before 10 o’clock. Being unable to persuade the fireman to leave, he arrested him. After handcuffing his man, he managed to get him out on to the street. He had no sooner done so when he was jumped upon by two of the arrested man’s companions. Then the crowd that had gathered entered the fray. The constable and the men were parted, with the result that the arrested man and those who assaulted the constable made good their escape. Sergeant Cruickshanks, of Mount Cook, arrived about this time, and he and Constable McColl secured one of the men who obstructed the police and took him to the station. The next policeman to come along was Constable Dowling, and upon another offender being pointed out to him, he promptly arrested him. The man put up a fight, but the constable stuck to him and succeeded in putting on the handcuffs. On reaching Veitch and Allan’s corner lie was joined by Constable Cox, who was in plain clothes. By this time the crowd became very hostile, and it was alleged they were led by six or eight soldiers. Constable Cox came in for the worst handling. He was knocked down, kicked while on the ground, and roughly used generally, so much so that, although his injuries are not serious, he was unable to report for duty yesterday. IMPRISONED IN A SHOP. The violence of the crowd prevented the police making much headway with their prisoner, and after struggling against the mob to the corner of Marion street, it was found impossible to make further progress on account of the hostility of the mob. Acting quickly, the prisoner was rushed into a confectioner’s shop and the doors closed until reinforcements of police arrived. FLYING BEER AND GLASS. Having securely placed their prisoner under lock and key, Sergeant Cruickshanks and Constable McColl made their way back to Vivian street, and by the time they reached the confectioner’s shop the crowd had become intensely hostile. The window of the shop had been broken, and a riot was practically in progress. The mounted police were despatched to the scene, and with the help of a detachment from the Taranaki street police station, the street was cleared. When this had been accomplished the prisoner was brought out. This advent renewed the hostility of the mob. who assailed the police by throwing bottles of beer at them. In the end seven men were arrested. The disturbance, which commenced shortly before 10 o’clock, continued until twenty minutes of midnight. COURT SEQUEL.

As a sequel to the riot in the centre of the city on Saturday night eight men appeared at the Magistrate’s Court to-day. Harvey Nicholls, the man who was the main cause of the disturbance, was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, in addition to fines. Sydney Reid, charged with obstructing the constable while in the execution of his duty, was fined £5.

John Jones, similarly charged, was fined £lO.

Henry Jensen and Ernest Leshke, charged with inciting a man to resist arrest, were fined £5 each. Terence Bowler, a soldier, for using obscene language, was fined £5, and on a charge of inciting Nicholls to resist, was convicted and ordered to be handed over to the'military authorities.