Overview
Mon Nov 3
Up at 5 am. The guard at each end of Buckle St consists of men of the Permanent Force who stand with fixed bayonets. The crowd of last night was absent this morning. Strolled up to the Barracks on Mount Cook where other squadrons are in camp. After breakfast wrote to Maud. At 10 am the whole 800 special constables paraded on horse back going several times round a block – up Taranaki St + down Tasman St + so on – at first we got glowering looks, then jeers + hoots, then finally curses, stones + dirt thrown at us. On return to camp we were all sworn in as “specials” for three months – repeated the oath + kissed the Book. Dinner in the Artillery Drill Hall which has been converted into the principal meal-room –
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“Tiny” Freyberg, who has chummed up to the cook + commissariat officer, personally conducted us into dinner; he is a great chap – his cheek + good-heartedness caries him through everything. Slow afternoon – the mob in Taranaki St had again assembled + were fairly talkative, especially the women whose language was frightful. Later we were ordered to change our horses to a very bleak position on Mount Cook, + we put up picket lines there, but were afterwards allowed to take them back to their original stand in the Barracks yard. Through Freyberg, I at last got hold of a good hard-wood baton. Very cold at sunset. At 7 pm the crowd at corner became so lively that the fire hose had to be turned on them. Then they went wild, + great excitement prevailed for a time :– two of the squadrons were ordered out + the others to saddle up. Two troops charged the crowd which melted into alleyways
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+ corners + pelted the horsemen as they rode past up the street. The din was terrific several + revolver shots were fired by a man in the mob – Cullen, Commissioner of Police was nearly shot + bullets passed through uniforms of two of Permanent Force. Two “specials” + a NC officer of the Permanent Force had their heads cut by stones. After this all the “specials” were put out of sight in Barracks + the crowd tamed down. During the melee many windows of Barracks + of a shop in Taranaki St were broken by stones. Pickets were put out to guard horse-lines etc, and most of the men turned in at 10.30 pm.