Untitled

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3680, 15 November 1912, Page 5

“There’s many a slip ’twixt the nip and the lip,” hut not often when the cup contains Mart ell’s Brandy. A man is very careful with liquor like that.*

ONE I

FATAL sequel to waihi war. DEATH OF THE STRIKER EVANS A SADDENING EVENT.

[PEESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM]

WAIHI, Nov. 14. A fatal sequel to the disturbance which took place at the Miners’ Union Hall on Tuesday morning occurred last night at 10.30, when George Frederick Evans, who was struck with a baton by Constable Wade when the latter, it is presumed, was shot by Evans, died as a result of injuries. The cause was laceration and concussion of the brain, caused by a blow" from a baton. From the time that Evans was taken to the hospital there was scarcely any hope of his recovery, as in such cases death almost invariably results. He was taken into the institution in a semi-conscious condL tion. and shortly afterwards became wholly, unconscious and remained in this condition until he breathed his last.

Deceased, who was 28 years of age. was an Australian, married, and leaves a widow and two young children. When the strike occurred deceased was employed as an assistant stamper man in the Grand Junction battery.

HOW EVANS WAS STRUCK CONSTABLE WADE INTERVIEWED.

[BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT] WAIHI, Nov. 14. Frederick Evans, the striker who has met his death as the result of his injuries, it maybe remembered, was one of the small band of strikers who tried to hold the Miners' Union Hall against the onrush of the angry workers when a revolver shot was fired, itis alleged, by one of the strikers who afterwards retired"within the Hall. Evans later was cornered by Constable Ge-rald Wade and it is alleged that lie discharged his revolver directly at the Constable, wounding him in the stomach.

Before he fell the Constable clubbed Evans, who was afterwards very severely manhandled by the infuriated crowd before being rescued by the police.

Evans died without renaming consciousness and for a while the constable whom he shot was in a critical condition. During the strike Evans acted constantly as storekeeper in the Lnkm store, and he was known among his fellows and even to the police authorities as a quiet, unassuming young man.

He*it was who consulted the Inspector of Police as t-o just what procedure would be considered reasonable as “peaceful picketing” and his manner made a favorable impression upon the officer. Evans also acted at times as correspondent to the official paper of the Federation, and it was said that he had previously had some experience in press work in Australia. Interviewed this morning at tlie Waihi Hospital Constable Wade, who, although mending. is still very weak but in good spirits, said when the crowd got opposite the office door of the Miners’ Union Hall workers and some strikers were having hot words. A rush was made towards the door. He heard a shot fired and immediately ran into the passageway, at the same time telling the foremost of the workers to stand back. Constable Wade rushed through towards the folding doors from which he states he saw Fvans fire. Being under the impression that the shot was fired direct at him Constable Wade chased Evans out of rine back of the Hall on to a vacant allotment and was gaining fast on the fugitive when the latter swung round and. the Constable asserts, fired point blank, the bullet striking him in the abdomen. Constable Wade continued the ohase and drawing his baton before Evans conld start off again struck him on the head. Evans falling fiat on his face. Then the crowd took charge.

“RED FED' 5 PLOTS.

SOME VILE SUGGESTIONS,

INTERESTING PAPERS DISCOVERED.

[BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT]

TV AI Hi, Nov 14. A good deal of correspondence was found strewn on the floor of the Waihi Miners’ Union Hall when the building was captured, and throws some interesting light on. things in general concerning the strike. One letter, which was written in Melbourne on October IS, was signed: “P. H. Hickey,” and a tag to it was as follows: “I would suggest that the next summonses are issued against Union officials or members that every available man and woman to the number of hundreds, if possible, be subjugated for the defence. Make the trials last four days. Pile on the agony. Turn the law Courts into a farce. Make the whole show a laughing stock. It- can be done with hundreds ready to give evidence — men, women, and children. Summon them all. Hero is a suggestion —in a hig strike of Welsh miners the strikers, armed with bibles, got hold of scabs and made them kiss the Book and declare they would cease from scabbery. Out of several hundred scabs only one refused the oath. It is worth thinking about. Another letter, written by a Waikino woman, urges the throwing of eggs and rotten tomatoes at the procession of worker’s. Inter alia she states: “Pay special attention to the engine driver. He is very fond of eggs so you might oblige him with a 'few pure bred Orpingtons. Please let Mrs Parry know that scab women are going up in quantities by the 12 train. They nrav like eggs too!” A letter signed by J. ]R. Hunter, secretary of the State Miners’ Union, runs: —• “We. the Committee of the StateMiners’ Union, viewing the position of affairs at Waihi, especially tho

gaoling of our comrades, consider the time has arrived for drastic action. We, therefore, suggest to you the advisability of inaugurating the irritation strike. (1) To select all primary industries that can be relied upon and issue instructions that on and after a certain date the output be reduced by what proportions you deem necessary; (2) that you stipulate a penalty for disobeying the anandate, as it is necessary that every member shall remain at. his worli so as to prevent the other side from declaring a strike or lockout; (3) that you draw up a demand on the Government for the release of our comrades. Issue same to all Unions in New Zealand or what you think best in that direction.” The secretary of the Waihi Union, in a communication to the Alillcrton Union, says: “They (the engine-drivers’) absolutely refuse to hear and when we came hack to our Union with their answer the ball was bounced, and where it is likely to lob I <m unable to say, but I will venture this much, that- there is not much "likelihood of one of our nlen being lowered into the Waihi mines by any of these individuals while there is a loaf of bread available.”

DOWN FROM THE PEDESTAL.

R ELEASE OF THE IMPRISONED MARTYRS.

ALL THE BONDS SIGNED

[PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM] AUCKLAND, Nov. 14. All the "Waihi strikers in Mt. Eden gaol were liberated to-day, sureties be>.ng forthcoming, and the bonds being i'.igucd. Some thirty or forty Federationisfs and their families, driven out of Waihi, also arrived to-day. Air Parry •iiid members of tlie committee hold a. meoting in Auckland this afternoon. The whole of the imprisoned strikers have been released on bonds to keep the peace.

MR PARRY INTERVIEWED.

WILL SEE THE STRIKE OUT.

HIS EXPERIENCES IN GAOT.

; BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT] AUCKLAND, Nov. 14.

It appears that the release of Air Parry, president of the Waihi Miners’ Union, was not brought about at his own request. The decision to take the necessary steps to have him set free ■was arrived at by Messrs Semple, Webb, Fraser, and Richardson in conference at Huntly.

The fact that three others were decorous of being released yesterday was not known by the officials above referred to until they visited the gaol. "With regard to the release'of the remainder of the men in gaol that was decided upon in view of the recent developments at "Waihi. “I have information,” Mr Parry said, speaking to a “Star” reporter, “that the wives and families of these men are being frightened -and illtreated in "Waihi. They would' never forgive us if we allowed them to remain in gaol while this sort of thing is going on. "We have reports of cases where parties of the scabs are raiding the houses of our men and are destroying their furniture. “My own wife, who was at home alone with two little girls—one of them an invalid —was the victim of a visit from a crowd yesterday who tried to frighten her into leaving the place. “She tokl them that if they were men enough to attack her she was woman enough to fight them.” WHAT OF THE FUTURE?

?»Ir Parry declared that he was confident he could cope with the position and he oronosed to see it through. He scornfully rejected the suggestion that he was ahont to leave for Svdney. “Give a man a fair deal.” he said, '‘and deny a "owardly statement of that kind. "When it was suggested earlier m th° strike that I intended to go to Australia I said then that I had no intention whatever of leaving New Zealand. I said that I would see thestrike through and would he in New Zealand at the end of it and I have never had any other thought.’’ Continuing. Mr Parry said that- he had not gone to Wellington last night because 1m thought it was his duty to stay at tin's end and look after the members of his Union and their families. They were being driven out of Waihi and arrangements would be made to rallv them in Auckland* and find accommodation for them. He commented bitterly on the fact that while the police force in Waihi was publicly announced to he sufficient to cope wi+h the five or six hundred strikers, the police now declared that they were powerless to maintain order” among a couple of hundred -workers.

LIFE 3N CfAOL. Asked as to his feelings towards life in gaol Mr Parry admitted that many aspects of it were “interesting.” The fare, however, did not appeal to him as being epicurean. Sixteen ounces of drv bread in the morning and four ounces of dry bread in the evening, tea without milk and a tnntalisingly small amount of sugar did not recall pleasant memories. At mkldav the four ounces of boiled meat four ounces of potatoes, and two ounces of vegetables were not designed to increase a man’s weight. He was keenly appreciative of the many acts of kindness ho had experienced in gaol and remarked : “You firid some good in the worst of men.” hut. he continued, the harshness of it all is what would get a sensitive man down. “There-is a rattle of keys all over the blooming show and a clanging of doors. You can’t persuade me now that you can ever reform a man by harshness. All the same it was interesting.”

m FULL FLIGHT. The Paoro.a boat which arrived in Auckland this morning contained about 30 fugitives from Waihi. Several of these were women with small children in their charge as passengers. They were very quiet. The party included the lmlf-dozen men who went up to Waihi from Auckland on Tuesday. One of these latter explained 1 that there had never been any meeting of Federationisbs to go to Waihi to cause trouble. Four ox-Waihi men. he said, had decid’ed to go to the scene of the strike to sec for themselves what was happening. Shortly* before leaving they were joined hv a couple of others. None of them had ever been in Huntly (as had been suggested*! or knew anything of tlie details of the struggle in Waihi.

They were, of course, recognised* to be men who had not come to work and they were ill-treated and compelled to leave the town. The workers, they asserted, wore running everything their own way and an attempt was being made to run every member of the old 1 Union out of Waihi. It has been explained that many of those who have been forced to flee from Waihi have taken refuge in the meantime in Karangahako and Dacron. Some of the meg.who have been very severely handled are said to be in hiding in the hills.

A BITTER MANIFESTO.

NOT FIT FOR' TELEGRAPHY.

FEDERATIONISTS’ LAST HIT.

[PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM] WELLINGTON. Nov. 14

A manifesto has been issued by Messrs Webb, Semple, and Glover, on behalf of tlie Federationists, giving their version of recent events in Waihi, but it is of a nature which <toes not lend itself to telegraphy. It contains accusations of theft, aspersions, against the jx>lice- and other people, and a number of similar statements which are not covered by the law of libel, and makes frequent use of the offensive term “scab.”

A HERO SACRIFICED.

THE BLOOD-LUST OF CAPITALISM.

[PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM] WELLINGTON, Nov. 14. The Federation of Labor Executive passed a resolution condoling with Airs Evans on the death of her husband and pledging the Federation to see her and her children provided for, and stating that Evans was a hero sacrificed to the blood-lust of capitalism. Federation representatives will speak at various centres next Sunday regarding Waihi. Alessrs. Kennedy and Holland will speak at Wellington, Air Webb at Tima ru, Mr Semple at Christchurch, and Messrs Parry and Fraser probably at Auckland. The Executive will reassemble in Wellington next Tuesday.

“WHAT ARE m GOING TO DO?”

HOW THE RELEASED AIEN CAAIE FORTH.

A DEJECTED PROCESSION^

AUCKLAND, Nov. 14. It was just at nightfall that the prison door swung open and the 63 self-made “martyrs” marched out of gaol two deep and stood against the wall until tlie final word for their freedom was given by the chief gaoler. Outside there were a dozen women, 40 or 50 children, and some 60 Federationists. Some of the women were from Wailii, eager to tell their husbands, brothers, and lovers of the great change in tlie strike town. Some of the men, too, were fugitives, and they talked bitterly of their forced flight from the place which had been their home. Then came greetings. When welcomes were over the question arose, “Where are we going? What are wo going to do ?” Sixty-three men needed board and lodging. They came out from prison, but they bad been feci well ana sheltered. They said themselves, without exception, that they had been well treated. The warders were good fellows. Gaol fare had been what .gaol fare should be, but. what were they going to do? In ragged procession the released men walked from the gaol with their friends. It was then they learned the details of what had happened in Waihi. Men cursed as women told their tales, and swore vengeance on everybody, but after a time they became quiet and dejected, and many were obviously depressed. “We’ll wait to hear what Parry says,” they murmured. The procession made its way to the Theosopliical Society’s rooms. Only the released men were allowed to enter the hall. They went in, some cheerfully, to hear “What Parry had to say.” Wliat he did say did not impress them. They were as far off as ever from the solution of their difficulties. “What are we going to do?”

POSITION AT HUNTLY. STRIKERS ARRIVING DAILY. AUCKLAND, Nov. 14. The “Star’s” Huntly correspondent telegraphs that meetings of-miners are being held every night and very hitter feeling is being engendered This morning a considerable number of Waihi strikers arz-ived here. What the Waihi strikers expect by coming is not apparent as it. is understood that new men'going on mines here have to sign on under the Arbitration Act. All the mines are now pretty well fully-manned and difficulty was experienced in getting trucks a few days ago. The organiser of the new Union is expected from Waihi on Friday or Saturday and the acting secretary from Auckland on Friday. Next week a meeting will he held to elect an executive and arrange for a public meeting. Last night a heated exchange between Federationists and Arbitrationists led to fights in which two “Feds” were badly punished. Feeling between the two sections is daily becoming more bitter.