The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-07-19 00:00:00

sTATA.L ORANGE RIOT IN CUMBER-

LAND.
On Saturday the Cumberland Orangemen cele-
brated the 12th of July by a great demonstration at
Cleator Moor, one of the principal mining centres of
West Cumberland. The population of Cleator
Moor is chiefly Irish, and a large majority are Roman
Catholics. When it became known that the Orange-
men had fixed upon Cleator Moor as the ground on
which to hold the demonstration grave fears were
expressed that the day would not pass off without a
disturbance.

On Saturday morning special trains conveyed the
Orangemen from various parts of Cumberland to
Cleator Moor. Here the different lodges, each having
a brass or drum and fife band, formed a procession,
which proceeded through the district and past the
Roman Catholic Church, the bands playing the usual
party tunes. A meeting was afterwards held, when
the principal speakers were Mr. F. W. Deacon, Man-
chester, and Mr. Knightsborough, of Armagh. It
had been considered advisable not to prolong the pro-
ceedings until night, special trains being ordered to
leave Cleator Moor between three and four in the
afternoon. Up to this point there had been no
disturbance, perhaps owing to the procession
being escorted by some forty constables, who
were armed with cutlasses. Fears were ex-
pressed, however, that the procession would not be
allowed to march from the field to the station, some-
thing over a mile away, without a disturbance taking
place. The procession proceeded about a quarter of
a mile towards the station, when a large crowd of
excited men, women, and boys were seen blocking the
road near the market square. Between the pro-
cession and the crowd were two detachments of
police, under command of Superintendent Thorn-
burrow, of Whitehaven, and Superintendent Taylor,
of Cockermouth. The attitude of the crowd as the
procession approached was threatening, and the
police received a shower of stones. The procession
was next attacked with stones, several of which
struck men and women, inflicting wounds. The
police attempted to disperse the mob, and the
Orangemen ran with their swords and pikes, attack-
ing the assailants in a most threatening manner.
Several persons were struck with the swords and
pikes, stones flying at the same time at the members
of the procession. Suddenly the Orangemen drew
from their pockets revolvers which were ready charged,
and these were fired in the direction of the crowd.
It was at first thought the revolvers were only loaded
with blank cartridge, the shots taking no perceptible
effect. Presently, however, persons were seen to fall.
Some of the magistrates were close by, and Mr. Ains-
worth, who employs a large number of hands at
Cleator, interposed between the parties, and attempted
to get the Irish portion away. They went a short
distance, and the procession, in a disorganized state,
moved on. They had not proceeded many yards
when they were again charged with stones, and a
regular fight took place. Shots were fired, as it
appeared, indiscriminately, and the swords and pikes
of the Orangemen were freely used. This kind
of fighting was continued along the rest of the route
to the station, the platform of which is overlooked by
a bridge on the roadway. Notwithstanding the efforts
of the police, the mob assembled on the bridge and
threw stones at the Orangemen, who replied with
stones and their revolvers. Mr. Dunne, Chief Con-
stable of Cumberland and Westmoreland, the super-
intendents of the division, Inspector Blenkinsop, Mr.
J. F. Kirkconel, manager of the ironworks, and
others were prominent among the crowd, endeavour-
ing to restore order. This scene of excitement con-
tinued until the train came up and carried off the
Orangemen, who were so excited that they continued
firing their revolvers from the carriage windows.

Later inquiries show that one young man, named
Henry Tuenilty, aged 19, who had been seven years
connected with the post office at Cleator Moor, was
shot dead with a revolver. The number of wounded
is estimated at about fifty. That the number of
killed and injured is not far greater is most re-
markable considering the very large number of shots
that were discharged from the revolvers of the
Orangemen, who in the market square resembled a
company of skirmishers. The injuries received were
principally from revolver bullets, sword cuts, and
stones. Joseph Fisher, of the Ironworks Hotel,
received a bullet through his left arm while standing
beside a shop window, and he had a remarkably
narrow escape, two more bullets striking the window
close to his head. A man named James Carty was
dangerously injured. He was found on the road in
a state of insensibility, with a bullet through
one of his thighs and a sword cut across the back
of his head. A man named Wear, from Workington,
who was standing looking on, got two bullets through
one of his legs. A youth named Harker received a
severe blow close to the eye with a sharp piece of
iron. Another man had his nose nearly- cut off,
while another lost his ear from sword cuts. A man
named Burney, an Orangeman, received two bullets
through one of his arms. Several women who were
in the procession received more or less serious in-
juries, one or two getting frightful cuts atout the
face with stones.

During Saturday tight a large detachment of the
police kept guard on the moor, distinct threats
baying been made to "go for "the prominent Orange-
men left at Cleator Moor, a large number of whom
had taken refuge in the Hematite Schools. No
serious disturbance such as that of the afternoon.
however. occurred.