POLICE ROUGHLY HANDLED BY MOB.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17061, 14 August 1917, Page 5

POLICE ROUGHLY HANDLED BY MOB.

STREET CLEARED BY MOUNTED

POLICE

One of the wildest and most disorderly scenes ever seen in Wellington occurred on Saturday night in the vicinity of Cuba and Vivian streets (says the New Zealand Times). Over 2 000 persons were attracted by the disturbance, and some of those oresent handled the police, who had a man under arrest, very roughly.

, A DRUNKEN FIREMAN,

It was the behaviour 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 resujt that the arrested man and those who assaulted the constable made good their escape.

Constable Cruickshank, of Mount Cook, arrived about this time, and he and Constable McColl secured one of the men who had obstructed the nolice and took him to the station. The next policeman to come along was Constable Dowling, and upon another offender being pointed oat to him, he promptly arrested him. This man put up a fight, but the constable stuck to him and succeeded in putting on the handcuffs. On reaching Veitch and Allen's corner he 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 quickly 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 or 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 put. 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, and will appear before the Court this morning. The disturbance, which commenced shortly before 10 o'clock continued until twenty minoites of midnight.