The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-10 00:00:00

THE ROCHEFORT RIOTS IN FRANCE.

Rochefort was arrested whilst at a public meeting in
Paris on Monday evening. He had attended the
sitting of the Corps Legislatif but was allowed to depart
unmolested. He then went to the meeting in the Rue de
Flandres, where from 3,000 to 5,000 persons were
assembled, anxiously waiting for him. He was
captured immediately on alighting from his cab
at the door. A young man rushed in and
told the crowd of the event. The resulting scene is thus
described by the correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette:
—"An exciting scene ensued in the hall; the violent
Flourens drew a pistol from Mit pocket, a sword
no one knew where from, and announced him-
self in a state of revolution. His first act of
authority was to seize on the unfortunate com-
missary of polibe. About 300 persons imitated the
example of their leader, and revolvers and cutlasses
were brandished by an infuriated mob, who soon
found the hall too small for their enthusiasm, and
rushed into the street, where Flourens solemnly fired
a pistol shot in the air, and declared Paris in a state
of insurrection. The rioters were allowed to
march away in the direction of Belville without
any interference from the police, who, after the seizure
of M. Rochefort, left the field to the revolution,
and it was then that Flourens and his band were able to
carry along with them their prisoner. The Marseil-
laise' was sung, and there were cries of Vive Roche-
fort Mort aux assassins! Vivo la Republique !'
and some pistols were fired in the air in the
hope that the noise and the smell of gunpowder
would encourage this undisciplined group to deeds of arms.
About the time that this band was on its march some
men and boys appear to have commenced a barricade
at Belleville by seizing an empty omnibus; the horses
were taken out, the vehicle upset, and the structure
was strengthened with a couple of fiacres. All the shops in
the neighbourhood had long been shut, ard but few cautious
citizens peered into the street. The barricade had not been
long in existence when it was discovered by a detachment
of police; the commissary advanced and carefully recon-
noitred the obstacle, which, after a short inspection,
was stormed, sword in hand, without loss of life
the enemy having abandoned their work on the appear-
ance of the executive. The band which had thrown
up the barricade seems eventually to have fallen in
with the Flourens lot; there was evidently not much soli-
darity amongst the rioters, and one of them, inspired by
the awkwardness of the position, exclaimed, " Atany street
corner we may come upon the men of Napoleon. Are you
decided to fall for the cause ?' Rather to the disappoint-
ment of this hero, who had caught a glimpse of a safe road
home to the bosom of his family, there was but one reply
"We swear it," and there were cheers given for the men
of the first revolution. The band now approached the
Faubourg du Temple, and immediately the good citizens
of the quarter ran up their shutters. At the infantry bar-
racks the windows were swarming with soldiers, and
there were cries in favour of the army and fraterniza-
tion. Here a couple of omnibuses were stopped, and the
passengers were asked, with the politeness of a
Claude Duval, to alight ; they did so, and the coachmen
unwrapped themselves and descended, without much re-
crimination, from their boxes; the horses were unhar-
nessed, and instead of being converted into cavalry, were
handed over to the coachmen, and then the sovereign
people toppled the vehicles over, and they barred the
breadth of the Faubourg—the front of a butcher's shop
was added to the obstruction. This barricade, like the one
at Belleville, was carried by the police without any op-
position, and the dismantled omnibuses were dragged
into the Prince Eugene barracks. In the Rue do Paris, at
Belleville, another barricade was thrown up, and was
formed of the usual materials—omnibuses, cabs, and trees
which lied been torn up, and here the insurgents had put
the lights out, and this unfortunate move prevented them
from seeing the approach of the police, backed by a strong
force of the civic guard. Here there vi as a short
struggle, owing to the want of:light, and an officer of the
peace recived a bayonet wound which, to judge from
what M. 011ivier said in the Chamber this evening,
has terminated fatally. A seryent de tale was also shot
through and carried to the rear. The barricade, however,
did not hold good; several of its gallant defenders fled,
not before the Chassepot, but before the swords of the
police, and the insurgents, on the invitation of the small
boy of the occasion, started off for the depot in search
of more omnibuses, Nowhere was there any
serious fighting ; nowhere did the insurgents have a
moment's success except when they managed to break into
a gunshop and plunder some rifles and revolvers.
Even Flourens, a man of undoubted courage, could
not inspire his rabble to stand up against the tricornes
and redeem the affair from ridicule by bringing out Can-
robert and his corps d'armee to give the affair at least the
lustre of a tragedy or a hecatomb. The chieftain who was
to perish for liberty vanished in the darkness, and took
the direction of the Bastile, but he is said to have fallen
into the hands of the police this morning, and he will have
a sharp reckoning to pay for thus troubling Paris, and
indeed France."

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

IsIARLBOROUGLI-STREET.

A CLERGYMAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING A
CABMAN. —Mr. Jones Ellis, describing himself as a
clergymin, staying at the Tavistock Hotel, Covent-
garden, was charged before Mr. Knox, with as-
saulting Richard James Hayward, a cab-driver,
badge 7,850, he being drunk when charged.
The complainant said that on the previous after-
noon the defendant, who had a lady with him,
hailed him while driving a hansom cab, and after
keeping him for two minutes the lady said she did
not want him. Ile then asked to be remunerated,
and they proceeded up Cranbourne-street, and
then gave him a nod to follow them, and he did so,
and they went into a picture shop. After waiting
some minutes for them they came out of the shop,
and the defendant said to the lady, "Now, my dear,
I must wish you good bye, and the train will take
you to Paddington." They then walked on ald
called another cab, and got in, and on his telling
the cabman how ho had been served, he refused to
let them into his cab. LTe again asked to be settled
with, and they refused to do so and walked away,
and the defendant then came back and lifted up
his stick as if going to strike him, and his face,
in trying to avoid the stick, got struck with it.
Police-constable Harding, 7 C R, gave similar
evidence, and said that the cabman, in trying to
avoid the stick, caught it on his face, which was
matched; and that the defendant was drunk at the
time.
The defendant said that the injury to the cab-
man's face was caused by the lady scratching it.
He was not drunk, and only took water, as even
a glass of sherry would make him drunk.
Mr. Knox said that had the woman under the
circumstances caused the injury to the cabman's
face, he would not, had he been the defendant,
said so. The defendant would have to pay a fine
of £2, and give the cabman 10s., and he would ad-
vise him, as he was from the country, to at once go
back again, to save himself from getting into further
trouble.

The defendant said he intended to go back im-
mediately.
CHARGE OF DOG STEALING.—IsraeI Brittam,
greengrocer, of Richmond-street, Rupert-street,
and John Sussex, a lad in his employ, charged with
stealing a dog, the property of Mr. Miller, baker,
of Crown-court, Pall-mall, were brought up.
Mr. Lewis appeared for the defence.
On the accused being placed at the bar, Pickles,
detective officer, said there was no further evidence
against them.
Mr. Lewis said a number of persons were in
attendance to give the accused good characters.
Mr. Tyrwhitt said he did not wonder at the
charge being made, but at the same time he would
be glad to hear witnesses to character.