The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-29 00:00:00

THE FATAL RIOT AT ALDERSHOT.

Since the occurrence of this most unfortunate
outbreak at Aldershot a military court of inquiry
has been sitting at Camp, to investigate in the most
searching manner the circumstances which led to
this grave breach of discipline. Until this inquiry
is concluded both the evidence and the decision at
which the Court may arrive will be kept secret, but
enough has already transpired to show, as well as
can ever be ascertained in these cases, how the quarrel
originated, and who were really to blame. As is
always the case in camps and barracks, the usual
strict bonds of discipline are relaxed on Christmas
nights, when a liberal allowance is made for any
slight breach of discipline arising from prolonged
and unusual festivities. At the same time, however,
While this indulgence is to a certain extent allowed,
yet, as a matter of course, in dealing with such a
large body of armed men as are always in camp at
Aldershot, special precautions are taken on such
occasions to prevent fighting or insubordination of
any kind. These customary precautions were, we
are informed, by no means overlooked at Aldershot
on Christmas night last, as it was known, or sup-
posed, that between two regiments in camp, which
we need not name, a bad feeling subsisted, and
which in case of the men meeting at the canteens
when excited by drink, might break out into open
violence at any moment. Against the occurrence
of any disturbance between these two regiments
therefore precautions were taken, which were quite
successful. Between the 2d Battalion of the 24th
Regiment and the King's Own, or Tower Hamlets'
Militia, the best possible feeling was supposed
always to exist, part of the latter regiment occupy-
ing the same block of permanent barracks with the
former. Any collision between these two corps,
therefore, it is needless to say, was never for a
moment dreamt of ; yet, at a moment when least
expected, a drunken squabble among the men in a
canteen gave rise to a most serious riot, which,
though all happening comparatively in but a short
space of time, actually proceeded to such lengths
that the 24th at last attacked and fired upon
their comrades in the militia, killing one and
wounding three others. As we stated in our im-
pression of yesterday, the 2d Battalion of the 24th,
forming part of the Second Brigade, occupied the
west block of buildings of the permanent barracks
in the South Camp. As long descriptions of these
barracks appeared in The Sun when they were re-
cently finished, we need only say here that those
intended for the infantry are built in double blocks
in parallel lines, the spaces between the front and
back blocks being covered in with a ridge and furrow
roof of glass and iron, so as to form a sheltered pa-
rade ground for the men in all weathers. The
backs of each block looking on to this parade have
outside each story a wide balcony running along
the entire length of the building and giving access
to the rooms inside. The faults of commission and
omission in the whole of these permanent barracks
designed by the Royal Engineers are neither few
nor unimportant. Tw' among others being, first,
that none of the regimental officers live in any of
the blocks with the men, but some distance apart ;
and secondly, that all the blocks are too large for
one regiment, and too small for two. The result of
the latter inconvenience is, that at the west block
the 2d Battalion of the 24th with three companies
of the Tower Hamlets' Militia are auartered toge-
ther. The former corps occupies the whole of the
front block and the lower stories of the back ditto,
leaving the upper story of the latter to the three
Militia companies we have mentioned. The other
companies of the Tower Hamlets' Militia Regiment
were distributed in huts in the South Camp, near
head-quarters. As is the custom on Christmas-day,
the officers provided the Christmas dinners for the

men of their respective companies on last Sunday.
At these entertainments, which took place in the
middle of the day, there is no doubt but that many
of the men laid the foundation for that state of in-

toxication which was more or less prevalent through-
out the Camp on that evening. After the dinners
were over, the troops mostly went as usual to their
various canteens, the men of the 24th Regiment and
those of the Tower Hamlets' Militia going to their
own in the west block. It was here the quarrel
first began, and like all drunken squabbles of the
kind, there are at least 50 different versions of the
affair. The most probable account, and that most
generally believed, is that it arose from some men
of the Militia treating two or three of the 24th to
beer, which other men of the latter regiment, who
were not invited to partake of it, drank up. A fight
is stated to have ensued, in which the 24th were
beaten, though quickly reinforced by large numbers
of their comrades, the Militia were soon over-
powered, and driven to take shelter in their bar-
racks, where the 24th wero also quartered. A
running fight appears to have taken place, during
which the Militiamen reached the balcony attached
to the story in front of their portion of the block.
On this place of retreat a general attack seems to
have been made by the men of the 24th, armed with
sticks, brooms, stones, and large lumps of coal,
which was of course replied to in kind from above
by the Militiamen. The row had only lasted a few
minutes, and the Militiamen, who were outnumbered
in the rate of six to one, and appear to have been
getting the worst of it, since they were now, many
of them, running for shelter to their rooms, when a
cry was raised among the 24th that their opponents
were going for their rifles.
Though this statement appears to have been
without the least foundation, yet, most unfortu-
nately, the men of the 24th believed it, and conceiv-
ing that they were about to be attacked with fire-
arms, at once, in their drunken rage, went in for
their own. As a matter of course, there were soon
obtained, the men appearing to seize whichever fire-
lock came first to hand. A most imprudent rule of
the service requires that each man in camp or garri-
son shall always be provided with 20 rounds of ball
cartridge, and with these some of the men instantly
loaded and fired very many rounds from one balcony
across into the other occupied by the Militia. The
marks of 27 balls are still to be seen on the doors,
walls, and windows. One man, a private in the
Militia, named James King, who was standing in
one of the rooms warming himself by the fire, was
shot through the abdomen by a rifle billet which
came through the room door. He fell at once, and,
after a few hours of intense suffering, died. Two
other men -were also wounded with bullets, though
not dangerously, and one drummer lad was
much hurt by blows from sticks and stones. All
those men belonged to the Tower Hamlets' Militia,
not one of the 24th being injured, we believe, in any
way. All this fighting and firing took place, as we
have said, in a very few minutes. Instantly on
hearing of the riot, Major Adams, of the Tower
Hamlets' Militia, with other officers, hurried to the
spot, and, seconded by the exertions of the officer:
of the 24th, who had also been alarmed, the dis-
turbance was soon quelled. It would have been
known, probably, and stopped before a shot could
have been fired if the night had not been au un-
usually wild and stormy one, the wind sweeping
across the heath with - such fierceness that not a
sound of the struggle reached the officers' quarters
till the firing actually commenced. The divisional
pickets were marched to the spot at once, and, as a
further precaution, the regiments of the second bri-
gade were also paraded. Both the 24th and the
Tower Hamlets' Regiments were immediately de-
prived of their weapons and ammunition. A careful
examination of both was made which showed that
all the shots had been fired by the men of the 24th
Regiment, for the weapons of the Militia were clean,
and their complement of ball-cartridge untouched.
About 50 of the men of the 24th were at once ar-
rested, and of these more than 40 of those most im-
plicated are still in custody. A few of the Tower
Hamlets' Militia were also locked up, but none, we
are informed, remain now under arrest, as there .
seems not the least doubt but that they were the
parties aggrieved, and that the men of the 24th
have committed a most cowardly outrage.
Of course not the least clue has been obtained to
the man who fired the fatal shut. Indeed, most of
those who fired at all are said to have been too
drunk to tell the direction in which they were level-
ling, and nothing but this and the darkness of the
night can account for so few of the Militia having
been hit during the fusillade. The non-com-
missioned officers who have more immediate
charge of the men are much blamed in -camp for •
allowing the riot to progress to the alarming ex-
tent it did without at once informing the officers
of both the corps engaged, when the fatal con-
sequences of the tumult might have been averted. '
The public also, we think, will be inclined to ask
whether it is not high time the imprudent rule
which places weapons and 20 rounds of ball cart-
ridge
in the reach of often drunken men, should
be rescinded, as far at least as regards the troops in \,
England. If on last Christmas night the men of I
the Tower Hamlets' Militia had yielded so far to
their exasperated feelings as to return the fire of '
their assailants, there is no knowing what the loss
of life would have been en both sides, for such a
have been easily stopped.
fight once begun could not.
It is much to be regretted that the year, which has
up to the present been particularly marked by the
good conduct of all the troops in eernp, should now
close with such an instance of mardero a 3 in:;ithor-
ilination. The inquest on the, rauedered marl is,
fired to take place in the South tc) inorrov.
(this day). His Royal ilighness the
Cors.uande. -
in-Chief will visit the camp to-morrow to inquire
personally into the circumstances connected with
the eineute.

The 24th Regiment still remains in its old quar-
ters, in the West Block, where the riot took place.
It is not, we believe, intended to change the position
of this regiment, as such a change would be tanta-
mount to an admission on the part of the camp au-
thorities that they bad no means of keeping order
among the troops save by keeping the regiments

apart: Putting aside this unfortunate outbreak of
drunken ill-temper, all the regiments in camp have
lately been most unusually well-behaved and
healthy.