The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-09 00:00:00

"DURHAM STREET AND SANDf-ROW.

" Respecting this district we take our information
from the bestsources. Between 6 and 7 o'clock the
disturbance in this place reached its height. Mobs
congregated in Barrack-street and Sandy-row, and
stones were thrown by both, and it is further stated
that shots were fired from both sides. Acrimony,
no doubt, raged high; for the belligerents at both
sides encountered much danger in the effort to
wreak their animosity on their opponents.
"Owing, unfortunately, to the absence of the
constabulary at the street preaching in Corporation-
square, there was not a sufficient force to repress
the tumult at its opening. Mobs, always timid,
become wild when license is afforded, and the mob
last night ran wild.
" Mr. Hunt, R.M., was standing in readiness
with a body of police at the constabulary station in
Durham-street, when word came that forces were
wanted in Barrack-street. The necessary aid was
promptly on the spot ; but just as they came up an
accident occurred.

" Mr. Stevenson, one of the oldest and most re-
sp-cted magistrates on the local bench, was present,.
and into the entry into which the constabulary had
retired the mob flung a volley of stones, and one of
the missiles struck Mr. Stevenson, inflicting a cut
over the left eyebrow, which bled rather freely.
" By a fortuitous circumstance there happened to
be actually
'.three mounted constables in Belfast.
We believe that this is *owing to the happy chance
that Mr. Williams, the county inspector, has been
nominally removed to Belfast, although on this oc-
casion he was absent 'on duty.' " The of of the
mounted constables was very evident, for they re-
peatedly cleared the streets, better by far than could
be done by firing or by bayonets.
" In the localities just mentioned, and in the lo-
calities adjoining, showers of stones, we have been
told, were thrown. Some of the local force wore
obliged to creep over walls to save their lives. From
the entry in which Sergeant M'lntyre and his 12
men were stationed files of three at a time were or-
dered out, with directions -to fire at the stone
throwers. The act, it was stated, enjoins that, after
the reading of the Riot Act—a preliminary which
had been gone through previously by Mr. W. T. B.
Lyons—the guns or muskets should be fired at and
into, not over or around the 'riot.as.'
" The act was adhered to. The firing was of the
most regular order, so perfectly so that it was heard
a couple of miles off by-the gentlemen travelling
on the County Down Railway, and nobody knows
the exact number of the sufferers. On inquiry at
the General Hospital last evening, we learned that
several persons were attended to who required
wounds to be dressed. Some had broken arms and
others had severe lacerations of the head and face.

" George Walker;aged 19, was shot inMill-street.
The ball entered the side of the left jaw, and passed
out at the balk of the neck; in its course it passed
close be3ide the great artery and vein of the neck,
either of which, if wounded, would have caused
instant death. The sufferer remailis in a very pre-
c trious condition.

" Capt. W. Verner was cut in the head by a blow
of a stone, received whil‘ driving through the dis-
turbed districts, some time • after the row on
Donegal quay.
"The following magistrates met at the police-
Majoray -, ri (I .la private conference :
W. Verner, Capt. r. Mr_ It. Thom-
son, Mr. W. T. B. Lyons, Sir W. G. Johnson, a.
Hunt, R.M., Mr. W. Weal/ice, Mr. W. Stevenson,
and Mr. J. Maenamara. After having arranged on
the measures to be adopted in the ewe of a disturb-
anc3 these gentlemen proceeded t,) the scone of the
open-a:r preaching, and were present at the prin-
cipal scene of the disturbance.

" The following persons aro in custody :—B.
Gallagher, May-street, disorderly, and throwing
stones in Albert-square ; J. Mullah, Berry-street,
ditto ditto ; G. Minn, Townsend street, disorderly in
Donogall-quay ; P. McAlister, Pound-street, do. ;
G. Sharkey, Ilainill-sitreet, ditto ; W. Johnston,
Pbund-street, do. • Thos. Maguire, Bond-street,
throwing stones in high-street, and disorderly ; J.-
McMahon, Lag in-street, do.; F. Magee, William-
street, ditto.
" We niay mention at the close that after the
reading of the Riot Act by Mr. Lyons, and the
giving of the order to load, Mr. Bindon, sub-in-
spector, who was in charge, gave the order to load
merely, but refrained for some minutes from giving
the order 'to cap.' The people, or the mob,
were cautioned more than once that the order to
load had been given ; and we learn from the con-
stables that it was only when these cautious were
disregarded and the stone-throwing became insuf-
ferable that the order to cap' was given, and the
order for firing followed."