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[Page 27]

were all out on their parade grounds, at Liverpool, drilling, when the head of this Column was seen approaching steadily. The Column was marched straight at the first section, smashing it asunder & so on till every Company & party were scattered. The leaders of the men, by this time augmented by numbers from Liverpool Camp, had an interview with the Authorities and had come to a satisfactory understanding to continue as heretofore to enable the Military Officials time to consult the proper Ministerial Authorities and after going through some Company drill on the "outside" parade ground a start was made to return.

The manner in which this Column was handled by the men in charge gained the admiration of all who saw it, officers & men, one incident occurred worth mentioning. The first section smashed had been drilling with rifles & as the section was scattered many of the rifles were seized upon by the men of the Column & carried away. As this would have caused trouble to all parties, the leader of the men, was approached the matter clearly pointed out to him & he immediately gave instructions for the rifles to be given up, the leader himself collected about half a dozen. The Column was then examined to see that none had been overlooked & the men of the section were allowed to return them in good order to the hut, not one being missing.

On the march from Casula pickets had been sent ahead notifying all Hotelkeepers at Liverpool to close their houses while the men marched through, & had it not been for the opening of the door of one of the Hotels, from the inside, during the return march, nothing would have been heard of what is now known everywhere as the "Liverpool Riots".

Once the door of one of the Hotels was opened very little imagination is needed to picture what as everyone knows followed

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