Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-10-23
MADE MAD BY THE PEST.

r,,. U..,,ences Tho Authorities Pow
erless. ... .l.-...
MONTREAL, Can, Sept. 20.-Compulsory
vaccination was begun here yesterday. The
idea of stringent measures being employed
has exasperated the French population at
the east end of the city. Yesterday morn
ing there was a riot at the branch health
Office in that district. A smallpox placard
had been posted next door, and five or SIX
hundred French Canadians gathered around
it, hooting, yelling and threatening the
health officers. The placard was torn down
and trodden under foot, and the mob stoned
the office, breaking the windows. The police
were sent for and subdued the crowd.
A reporter traversed the whole OF
the worst infected districts yesterday NOM
ing. Not a single warning placard could
be seen, all having been torn down by the
people as soon as posted. 1t looks as II the
law could only be carried out BY tine aid OF
military, and there is some talk of apply
ing for soldiers.
The number of cases in the city is estl-
mated at 1000, and 1t Is commonly believed
that Montreal is doomed. The authorities
are helpless. Deaths are occurring at the
rate of 800 a week, and not a doctor has
been hired by the corporation to give med.
ical aid to the poor.
One of the most disgraceful riots known
in the city occurred last evening about six
o'clock. Nine hundred or onetfousand
French-C Canadians gathered at 422 St Cath
inc streets, where the branch health
office for the east end of tho city
is situated, and broke in the win
dows, tore down the doors, smashed the
counter, and generally demoralized the
place. After completing the ruin Of the
building the mob, now greatly augmented
in numbers, proceeded to the drugstore OF
Beridon Brothers, at the corner of St. Denis
and St. Catherine streets, which they mis-
took for the store of Alderman Gray, the
medical health officer. In twenty minutes
the ruin of this store was complete. Win
dows were smashed and doors destroyed,
counters inside We're ruined, and the frni-
ture was broken.
The mob then proceeded to the City Hall,
"AtAS liCS CtlNtCuClS lllCllNtCu liISSiilS1s
from expressions uttered: 'Down with the
Council!" xiii the vaccinators!." "Burn
the town!' "Hang the English!" were
heard on every hand. Arriving at the City
Hall the crowd began a furious onslaught
on the public buildings. The Central Po-
lice Station is here located, but few police
men were present. the most being at the
east end of the town, where a riot had been
anticipated. Stones were thrown, and
soon every window III the spa
cious structure was broken. Revolvers were
drawn and some twenty shots were fired,
when the police appeared, they at once re-
several thousand. The entire police force
of the city was summoned to the scene, and
after a hard fight dispersed the mob, who
went up the street yowing vengeance OH
''the ID English paper which favored
vaccination" The officers afterward sur
rounded the building and prepared to de-
fend 1t.
The Mayor, in the meantime, had been
sent for, and was busy detailing special po-
licemen to protect the lives and property of
citizens. The crowd now left the vicinity
of the city hall and proceeded down St
James street to Victoria Square, where the
Daily Herald is situated. Here some g.
600 or :, 800 roughs had gathered, and i'll a
%twinkling the windows of the establishment
were smashed in with stones and clubs.
The volley was returned by the pressmen.
A squad of fifty police, under Chief Para
disc, dispersed the. raiders.
Subsequently they amt together again
and went to Alderman Grenier's house.
The alderman has always been a firm SUP
porter OF the vaccination theory. The mob
demolished everything about the premises
which was breakable. Then they went to
DR.. LaChappelle's house. He is a member
of the Provincial Board of Health. They
broke his windows and repeated their riot
Gus acts at the house of LaBerge, medical
health officer, and DR.. Larocks, public vac
cinator. The windows were smashed and
the premises despoiled.
Colonel Stephenson's field battery has
been ordered under arms, and has orders to
clear the streets OF the populace at any cost
of life. 1t is reported that two men were
killed among the crowd in the fight which
occurred ut the city hall. AT one o'clock
this morning the east end is in a perfect
frenzy of excitement. The 1000 people as
sembled there declare that they will die
rather than be vaccinated. and will not sub
nit to 1.-THE English dogs" Bloolshed is
considered unavoidable, unless they dis
perse at once. which is hardly possible.
The Englisl-speaking community saw
this is but the beginning OF Il war of races,
which they depIore. The police are totally
incapable of supprcssing the trouble, and
when the end will be no one can Judge. The
mob is led by fanatics. many of whom are
members Of the City Council, who have ut
tered the most %inccndiary threats to burn
the city and shoot all who favor vaccination
being made compulsory. Royal engineers
are now ready to start for the eastern wards
OF the city, under Colonel Denny. with in
structions from the Minister of Militia to
disperse the rioters there at whatever cost,
The rioters set fire to a quantity of shay
ings they heaped against the dwelling of
ID. La Porte, in the east end. The fire.
however, was soon e%Xtinguished by the fire
brigade.
A gentleman of the Citizens Committee
yesterday claimed that there were at least
1000 cases of smallpox in the CITY. The
opening OF the Theater Royal has been in
definitely postponed Oh account of the epi-
demic. AT high mass Sunday in the
Roman Catholic Cathedral Reverend
Father Emard read the papal decree,
which is considered as applying to the
epidemic in Montreal, and which was
issued by his Holiness, Pope Leo Xiii.
under date of the Goth of August last. THE