The New York herald., 1879-08-28
The LURGAN RIOTS.
The Police Fire Upon a Catholic
Procession.
DEAD AND WOUNDED.
Account of the First Days
DOingS.
AND WOUNDED.

The Irish papers bring full accounts of the hrst
day of the rioting at Lurgan. some facts of which
we're brought by the cable. August the 18th being
Lady Day. the home rulers OF the North Of Ireland
for the past few years held demonstrations on
hat day. This year displays took place in vari-
parts OF Ulster At Lurgan the Roman
Catholics Of the town and neighborhood had re-
solved to celebrate the anniversary of the day in the
usual manner-by home rule demonstration. The
celebration was. unhsppily marred by riot and
ploodshed. There various explanations given rs
the origin of the disturbances. One correspondent
ays:-"Ihe constabulary were posted in the town
various points direct the route OF the process
,ionists ana some members of the force followed
,lose behind the latter The home rulers. irrtated
1t this, attacked the constabulary with stones and
the police charged the mob with axed bayonets. and
subsequently fired upon them. One person was
killed and several dangerously wounded. The
mob afterward made an attack on Lord Lurgan 9
property, and wrecked one of the gate lodges. The
correspondent OF the Dublin Freenans Journal, how
ever, gives different version OF the affair.
THE CAUSE OF THE RIOT.
Another dismal tragedy, says the correspondent.
writing from Lurgan on the morning Of Saturday
l6h has to be added to the records of sectarian
street warfare in the North After desperate
struggle the streets of Lurgan the police charged
and fired into Lady Day procession. killing
boy, wounding his sister and hopeessly manning
h IL
ing been in Belfast ST. Patrick Day. that the police
have discharged their rifles into the thick OF crowd.
and in both cases. by some sinister coincidence, the
crowd has been Catholic one 1t is one OF the IN
cidents of this accursed war of factions that the
tolerance and forbearance is too often all on one
side. and that side the Catholic. The Orange
anniversaries are never interfered with-the
brethren fret their little hour upon the streets
without the smallest hindrance. but the moment
the turnout OF the Catholics comes. either 1.-The
friends of civil and religious liberty" proceed to
repay their tolerance with brickbats or the police
he tnfG Iran fola To
press with their rifles whatever the stones Of the
Orangemen spare. To-days battle was fought al
most entirely between the Catholics and the police.
The facts thus hurriedly picked up may possi-
bly, bear correction At all events here they are.
taken place today at Milltown. few miles out.
side Lurgan. The beautiful weather attracted thou
sands from the surrounding towns. who marched
in with bands and banners to their gathering ground
in Edwards street. Vast c>ntiugents arrived from
the Derrymacash peighbornood. and Portsdown con-
tributed brass band An extraordinary force of 100
additional police had been drafted into the
Of emergency. They were mostly from the midland
counties and were in charge Of two resident magis
trates, two county inspectors. and four subinspec
tors body OF some twenty Of them were posted
at the of Ulster street. in North street. under
who is famous as the commander of the flying col
umn which encountered Peter O'Neill Crowley at
klcooney Wood during the Fenian rising. The pro-
cession numbered tully 5000 persons when, about
one O'Clock. it set out for Midtown.
TROUBLE COMMENCES.
While passing the corner where the police
were stationed they in some manner, differently
planned by different persons. came into collision
with band OF miliworkers of the opposite persua-
sion, who either jeered at them las some say)
stoned them las others say. set upon young
fellow who was a stragger from the procession
las / informed by eye witEess). The
affair. am assured must have ended with some
trifing scrimmage had not the police promptly
OF disorder. Accounts differ widely to what
followed The police say they were assailed with
repeatedly tried charge with the bayonet with
out effect; that Mr. Redmond attacked on his
had his temple opened by blow Of u brickbat,
and that 1t only in the last resort few of the
men were ordered to level their rifles and fire. On
the other hand there Is an exceedingly indignant
feeling among the civilians Of both parties that the
police we're not very prudently handled; that they
interfered without necessity; that the stone throw
interposition; that they were attacked by only
small section of the procession; that they charged
helter-skelter through the general body of peace
able crowd and that when reinforced by addi-
tonal body OF fifty men they might have easily
with the disturbance. Several persons who were
present have even stated to me that the Riot act
,;vsraS W RSond n no's was Ie
any statement the subject. denios this
point blank. and. indeed. his denial is un-
necessary. for. of course. its roading was simply
lost in the uproar. It only shows that to the by
ISLANDERS, the matter did not appear to have at all
reached desperate extremitles when the death
shots rang out. The number of shots actually
fired is another matter Of debate. Accounts vary
It from three to dozen From the fact that they
.es' - 80 - - 80
Day. and that the police officer in charge. Sub
inspector Fulton. was by singular coincidence
Belfast upon that OCCASION 1 am inclined to think
not more than six rounds discharged alto
named Furphy thirteen years of age who was stand
ing as a spectator was shot through the lungs. and
expired a few moments after the last sscraments
administered TO him by the Rev. Mr.. McCon-
Vile. His sister, child OF about the age,
ceived bullet in the arm. and lies at this moment
in the workhouse hospital. One OF the procession
lists named John 5myth had bullet lodged in the
thigh. His leg has since been amputated. and he
suits produced the widest excitement.
THE HOME RULERS AROUSED.
The crowd sulenly gave way before the vast bodies
stones still discharged they retreated up
North street The procession reformed and arched
meeting held, and. although popular
element was at wild pitch, the proceedings
mention as circumstances showing the ferocity
though there were half dozen newspaper
reporters in Lurqan none of them ventured to trust
Glenavy, moved to the chair. The first resolu-
seconded by Mr. EDWARD Edward Il Hany. Of ''sh Kiioush h.
affirmed the principles of Home Rule for Ireland.
In the second resolution. which proposed by
Mr. James Magee. of Aughagallon and seconded
by Mr.. Joseph Dogherty. the meeting promo unced
an indignant protest against the conduct of Mr.
Redmond and the police in the tragedy which
has just been enacted. Happily the different
country contingents returned home without passing
through LurRan lne return OF an excited multi
tude OF this extent might have produced the most
calamitous results. for 1 afraid the crowd wcro
more enraged than cowed by the events OF the morn
ing. As IL was. only small body belonging to the
town re-entered Lurgan. This was about ocock
in the evening. The rival mobs gathered in the hos
tile quarters. glowering at one another from behind
the cordons of police. As darkness the town
once more became battlefield. Lord Lurgan's lodge
gate wrecked; a man was all but mortslIy
stabbed at Dolngstown; In North street and
several of the adjoining streets several houses
were attacked and windows broken: Wherever
the police moved they stoned; all the
night shots were discharged from the win
dows In different parts of the town. In North
street and Edward street this guerilla warfare was
maintained until after eleven O'Clock night with
out any injury to life or limb that could hear Of
Catholic newspaper reporter from Belfast. wher
returning to the railway station was set upon and
beaten severely by party of Orangemen. When I
passed through the disturbed districts at midnight
there not soul In the streets, the police
had retired to bed. and the only sign of the day =