New-York tribune., 1922-03-12
Strikers Uprising, Joined
by Dutch Farmers, Laid
10 Bolsheviki; Seizure
of Johannesburg Feared
Miners Ambush and
Slay l8 Soldiers
Many Die as Aviator
Bombs Labor Meeting;
Fatal Riots in Cities

LONDON, March II (By The AS
sociated Press) The Trades Union
Hall at Benoni, near Johannesburg,
crowded with South African gold
mine strikers, was bombed by an
aviator to-day, says a Central News
dispatch from johannesburg. The
majority of those assembled were
killed and the building was de-
stroyed.
The general strike at johannes
burg is in reality a revolutionary
movement, according to the Cape
Town correspondent of the Daily
Telegraph" The strike issue has
been eclipsed by the threat against
The state, he says He reports that
the Dutch farmers in the Boksburg
and Benoni districts have joined the
strikers and formed mounted COM
mandos, which attacked Benoni.
"The Times's" Johannesburg cor
respondent ascribes the trouble to }
widespread Bolshevik plot, and says
the Fordsburg commando regards it
self as Red Guard.
JOHANNESBURG, March II BY
The Associated Press) A Scottish
detachment was ambushed at Benoni
to-day by strikers hidden in a plan
tation, who suddenly poured a heavy
volley into the soldiers, killing cigh-
teen of them and wounding twenty
five. Most of the detachment were
ex-service men.
"The Rand Daily Mali places
Fridays casualties at 500, of whom
eighty are believed to have been
killed. Thirty-two Of the dead are
policemen.
The situation to-day is somewhat I'M
proved
Firing continued until after 9 O'Clock,
but by Il the streets had become abso-
lutely deserted and the town was un
cannily quiet. The public was forbid
den the streets.
The heaviest casualties in the dis
trict are believed to have been suffered
in the extreme eastern section of the
Rand. No news has yet been received
from the Western Rand.
General Reeves, commanding az
Witwatersrand ordered the public 20
remain indoors from 7 p. m. until
s a. IN.
Strikers Armed With Bombs
Jeppe, suburb adjoining johannes
burg, to the east, was seething with
strikers yesterday. Most of the men
were armed and number carried
bombs. They are credited with plan
ming to hold up the police in that area
so as to prevent them from reinforcing
other points, particularly Fordsburg,
whers intermittent firing was con-
tinuing.
The position at Brakpan and Beroai
was extremely grave. The strikers ap-
parently had obtained the upper hand
at least temporarily, and numbers OF
dead and wounded were lying in the
streets.
The strikers plans evidently had
been we'll laid. The leaders apparently
aimed at cutting of communications
in order to facilitate the seizure Of i'm
portant strategic positions. The pos
session of Fordsburg was part of ths
movement.
Special Cable to The Tribune
Copyright, 1929. New York Tribune irc.>
LONDON, March 11.-Strikers to-day
control several outlying parts of Jo-
hannesburg and fear is expressed that
they may try to seize the entire city.
dispatches received here to-day showed
pleted by the dispatch of reserves to
One attack on the local electric light
and power house has been made by the
strike sympathizers and the newspaper
offices are threatened. The Corner
House, headquarters of most of the
gold mining companies, has been made
a target of the strikers.
Rioting continued in many Rand
cities and heavy casualties are report
ed. At Fordsburg the fighting was car
ried on all day. At Benoni and Brakpan,
fifteen miles north of Johannesburg, the
rioters dominate the city with their
guns, and ambulances have been unable
to pick up the dead and wounded in the
streets. At Benoni the disorders were
worse than yesterday. Captain Carey
Thomas, an aviator, was shot down by
the strikers. His machine, wrecked in
the fall, was later blown up. Thomas
was shot through the heart.
The statement yesterday of Premier
Jan c. SHUTS that the fighting on the
whole is mot going in the governments
favor" was borne out by dispatches.
The whole Rand seems 70 be afama
with sedition, as the disorders are moi
confined to any one district. The IA
tives have not risen on any large scale
although a few pro-Boer farmers are
said to have joined the strikers. The
government is devoting strong efforts
TO keeping the natives calm, as an up
rising bv them would be far more Sc
riovs than the labor dispute. In gen.
eral the agricultural districts srs quiet
y