High Jinks at Balmain.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 315, 22 June 1889, Page 3

High Jinks at Balmain.

The "loyalists” of Balmain, a suburb of Sydney, held a meeting the other night and protested against the mission of the Home Bule delegates and against Home Rule itself, While a well-known Wesleyan minister was speaking continuous interruption was persistently made by an individual who was sitting in the front part of the hall. Remonstrances proving useless, an attempt was made to quietly taka the disturber out of the hall, but in his disinclination to go he grew violent and abusive, while very soon others joined in the altercation on both sides, and the excitement and noise became greater and greater

till it culminated in a fight with walking sticks just inside the entrance door of the hall. For over five minutes a score of sticks

were swinging swiftly in the hands of the opposing factions, who vigorously belaboured each other, and caused no small amount of damage to both hats and faces, some of the latter presenting a seriously damaged appearance before the melee was quelled by the opportune arrival of a few policemen. Confusion reigned in the hall for fully a quarter of an hour, and as one attempt after another to proceed was made the voice of the speaker was hooted down or drowned in the babel of sound from heated disputants in several parts of the building.