THE BATTLE OF WINNIPEG.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXIV, Issue 17640, 15 August 1919, Page 7

THE BATTLE OF WINNIPEG.

BLOODTHIRSTY BOUT WITH

MOB.

MILITARY AND LABOUR

(Special to "Star. s')

VANCOUVER, July 6

! With a military airplane hovering over the metropolis of Manitoba,signalling the presence of fleeing rioters, and a big armoured car with stub-nosed machine guns extending from its sides on north Main Street, with eighteen rapid-fire gun squadrons strung out in the city hall area, supported by hundreds of cavalry, infantrymen, and 1500 special police, the labour disorders in Winnipeg took on a more serious phase when Mayor Gray issued, an order forbidding street processions which the strikers of Winnipeg had refused to obey.

This energetic display of force was the aftermath of the rioting that swept around the city hall district for forty minutes, involving some 15,000 people massed in the square. That but one immediate fatality followed the clash in which some suO pistol and gun shots were mingled with bricks, battles, and sticks can be accounted for only on the theory that the Royal North West Mounted Police —the historic Scarlet Riders of the West- —fired their two full volleys wer the heads of the mob. But even then numerous rioters were firing down from adjacent buildings at the struggling officers, afoot and mounted, and desultory continued for half an hour| sweeping down Main Street and in and around the Labour Temple, into which scores of rioters fled, pursued by police and cavalry.

PITTED WITH BULLETS. The buildings around the scene of the fighting were pitted with bullets and glass smashed by missiles hurled by the mob in their frenzy. Out of the mass drifted wounded down the side streets in every direction, some assisted by friends to escape in autos commandeered by force, and others limping into alleys and out of sight. Thirty-one battered men were hurried to the hospitals, and some 4500 captives dragged to the "police station, many of then^ fighting to the very doors.

Of the prisoners seven were wolien, and they were the most difficult 0 handle, tearing at the police, graodng the cavalry horses, hurling their >onnets at the .animals, and even tolding on to them by their tails. In act, hundreds of women were scatered through the crowd in the treets, gathered to participate in the ilent parade as requested by the ;trike leaders. In the- windows of idjacent buildings were massed housands of sightseers, many of vhom threw missiles at the officers, vhiie others cheered the soldiers and t was no one-sided fight, for the eading spirits of the mob were not mly armed with pistols and some yith sawed-off shotguns concealed mder their coats, but they were organised, several hundred of them advancing and retreating at the sound >fa whistle blown by their leader,: md they were effective in their reseated assaults, and very successful, jntil the military appeared, the in:aritry with bayonets and the cavalry ft rith swords. Then they fled. ALIENS IN EVIDENCE. That aliens were leading forces behind the disorderly display is no question. Big Austrians were everywhere, throwing and shooting, seemingly indifferent to danger, and resolved only upon dragging down some officer to death. Chief of Police Newton subsequently stated that the aliens were the principal disturbers, and "the evidence of-it is that nearly every rioter in the hospital and under arrest has a name ending in 'kyz/ or something similar. The chief added that from those arrested he had sifted out 85 men and seven women, releasing the others on investigation. Those held were charged with, being members of a tumultuous assembly, but some were charged with shooting with intent to kill, and in "the event of death of some of the injured officers they would have to stand trial for murder. The killing of Mike Sokolwoki, a huge Austrian, in front of the city hall just after the Riot Act had been read, illustrated what furious fighting the alien elei -i,nt piit up. The Red Coats had just swept into Main Street from William Avenue, where they had gone after riding twice through the Main Street end of* the mob, to break up, the central gathering of the parade back of the city hall in Market Square. As they galloped forward with pistols drawn they were literally surrounded by yelling, shooting, throwing aliens. Half a dozen Red Coats were on the ground at once, and their companions were, themselves fighting for their lives with baseball bats. One officer had just dragged himself into Thompson's undertaking establishment, chased by a hundred armed rioters, shouting "Kill him." ALIEN IS KILLED. A Red Coat arose from the ground where he had apparently been beaten to death. He held his .45 well up, and as he was again struck at he placed a bullet into Mike's heart. The rioter crumpled up and dropped the stone he had poised. He fell almost at the door of the morgue, into ! which his body was dragged. Cor- i poral Henrick, R.N.. W.M.P., was J dragged from the bloody shambles \ where he had been unhorsed and beaten, and was the most seriously wounded of the omcers in the hospital. It was evident as early as noon' that day that trouble was impending. 10,000 strikers had gathered at Victoria Park, and their speakers were more inflammatory than ever. The "Labour News" had just appeared advocating the silent parade, in spite of the Mayor's reiterated proclammation. General Ketcheu had 2000 troops ready lined up and machine gun squadrons manned and run out for action. Captain Baker had a Lewis gun on his flying machine and the huge, ugly-looking armoured car was hauled out. 1500 special police assembled at the police station. As the hour of 2.30 approached Market Square was a seething mass, and the buildings up and 1 down Main Street from the Union I Depot to the Royal Alexandra Hotel alive with .sightseers, while people were jammed all along the pavejment. Rain was threatening, but the stage was set for the flifet real drama of the six weeks' strike.

The barracks wero no-led that the parade was forming, and at the same time Chief Newton sent a score

of police toward the city hall. They were assailed upon every side, and each man was seen fighting for his life. They could make no headway, and retreated, meeting reinforcements hurried from the station. As they re-formed a street car was stopped in front of the city hall, torn to pieces, a-nd the wreckage fired amid frenzied cheering from the mob.

At this stage Inspector Meade, at the head of a squadron of ljUounted irien,!;ss of whom were in red coats, galloped furiously on to the scene, being greeted by cheers as they rode down the main street. Probably 5.000 sightseers had gathered at the junction of Main and Portage Avenues. Through the crowd in front of the hall the cavalry rode swinging their clubs. The mob opened and closed behind them at the sound of the leader's whistle. They booed the police and threw stones, shooed the horses, and rushing out, grabbed some of them. Some riders were pulled off and riderless horses galloped south, further exciting the crowd. TAKES MOB IN REAR. | Inspector Meade gathered what was left of his command, hurried them around the Ashdown store, and took the crowd in the rear at Market Square just as the Mayor from the steps began to read the Riot Act, and officers with copies rushed up and down the avenues stopping at each corner to proclaim the Act. Back into Main Street from William Avenue rode the cavalry, and they had discarded their baseball bats. There were occasional shots from the crowd, from the side streets and tops of buildings. Several officers fell as j their mounts stumbled. Then two volleys followed from the police as the sharp command rang out to fire, most of the pistols being fired in the air. The fighting for ten minutes j after took -the form of individual! melees. The mob fled, pursued into ' the side streets by the police, while i the mounties kept their formation j partially. . ■ j

At Trades Hall and in the adjacent alleys sporadic firing and individual gun battles were numerous, and scores of the prisoners were dragged from there, a block, to the police station, but the rioters were by no means quelled until the infantry with fixed bayonets swept into the square, accompanied by the machineguns, and General Ketchen took personal charge, but not under martial law. The general explicitly stated that he was merely in charge aiding the civil authorities. Mobsters crowded into adjacent stores and up the stairways around Market Square,

'where they were dislodged by fierce fighting. Then the hose was turned on sightseers at Main and Portage, the soldiers establishing a cordon from Industrial Bureau on Main Street to the Royal Alexandra Hotel, ; barring all side streets, and up Portage to the post office. Pedestrians and teams were forced to turn elsewhere. When the rain poured down helping tOyfiiaintain order, the troops returned "to barracks at midnight with the machine-guns. NESTS OF SHARPSHOOTERS. Winnipeg for the next few days succeeding the battle resembled an army camp at the war front. Nests of sharpshooters kept their positions on all tall buildings in the district surrounding the City Hall, Police Station and the Labour Temple, and the cavalry, infantry and machinegun sections were kept in readiness at the barracks with a mounted police detachment part of the time stationed near the City Hall, but the city remained quiet. Street cars were kept off the after d&rk set in each night. The agitators and Bolshevik element retired from .the vicinity of the Labour Temple and contented themselves with meetings in the suburbs of Weston and Elmwood, but these meetings were subsequently stopped by the military authoritines, all open-air meetings being banned by the Mayor. With the arrest later of James Grant, who advised the rioters to adopt violent tactics which led to the bloodshed, the Soviet leaders became more cautious. ' i AVERY TRACTOR DOES MOKE~ WORK IN LESS TIME. Jusi>. as prosperous city establishments ] now deliver and receive their .goods by motor-cars and lorries, so on hundreds oi' prosperous farms the Avery Tractor has replaced horses, aud is now doing more work in less time. The A very carries on ploughing, discing, harrowing, roiling, drilling and reaping on a more progressive and prpfitab'e basis —and ns we have said before, it does work which horses cannot do. You can use your Averv Tractor as a stationary power plant—at drives milking machines, lighting plants, circular saws, threshing machines. It runs-on the cheapest fuelKerosene. It costs less to "feed" than its equivalent in horses, and it needs that "feed" only when it works. The 8-16 h.p. Avery \is a handy model. 'In the field it does the work of two fottrhorse teams and two mea. Yet a boy can drive it. Bear in mind also that the Avery Models are standardised. If: by accident yoii should need a new part, you cau adjust it yourself. Put your farm on a better paying plan. Gome for all the details now. —A Hatrick and Co., Ltd., Wanganui and Wellington, Distributors for New Zealand. '14