The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-12
THE BELFAST RIOTERS.

BELFAST, June I.-An Associated Press re-
porter, who was detailed to remain on the scene
of the riots ats o'clock this morning reported
as follows: II remained among the rioters all
night The greatest damage in the way of
wrecking and looting was done along the Shank
Hill and the York roads. The fighting in both
thoroughfares was desperate and continuous.
The mob was composed of the lowest ruf6ans.
The bayonets of the police had no terrors for
them. and in many cases saw the mob in over
whelmng numbers press up against the bayo-
nets of the police and drive them back. The
only instances in which the police drove the
mob at all, so far as observed, were those in
which the officers, in compact lines, fred at
close range rapid voIleys of bucksIot These
the rioters could not stand against, and they
were driven back but even under such calling
fire the rioters would drop to the pavements and
rush upon the police while they were reloading.
1t is impossible to describe the state of terror
| under which the respectable Catholic peo-
pie of Belfast are now living, in conse-
quence of the prevalent anarchy of big
| otry. The bravest of them hardly dare to
venture out of doors in daylight, even. l know
that scores of people were shot during last
| morning 1t is feared that every funeral of a
victim of the riots may provoke fresh out
break. The law-abiding citizens demand of the
govern '1nt the appointment of special COM
mission to INQUIRE into the cause of the whole
disorder. Fighting of this kind, at such close
| range as to be practically and-to-hand, was
continued until o'clock this morning. when
| daylight began to dawn and many of the
| rioters disappeared as to leave the mob of IN
sufficient strength to longer cope with the
| armed police, who succeeded in dispensing it.
| My observation shows that the mob of last night
was composed of the very scum of Belfast I
saw members of it throw paving-stones weigh
| ing fifteen and twenty pounds. even saw
fends hurting rocks at the gallant firemen who
were imperiling their lives in attempting to save
dwellings from destruction by incendiary fires
| and the helpless inmates from horrible deaths.
| If any ything else were wanting to prove the char
acter of the mob, it would be furnished by the
dozens of ruf6ans saw during the night sneak
| ing away from wrecked or burning buildings
| laden down with loot"
| The rioting of last night was less disastrous
| than on Wednesday After their days labor
had ended thousands Of workmen gathered in
the vicinity of the Bowers Hill police barracks.
They execrated the police and cried out, I'VE
will have ten lives for every one of the murdered
girls" The mob demanded the withdrawal of
the police. While the clergymen were speak
ing, the rioters kept up desultory stone-throw-
ing at the police. One stone struck divine
squarely in the face and hurt him severely.
Captain Lestrange, the resident magistrate,
who was present to counsel order, was
| struck by brick in the head.
When the preachers ceased the mob surged
up to the gate of the barracks. and defed the
police to come and take square fight. Things
went on in this way until about 10 o'clock, when
two troops Of dragons galoped up. They were
followed by three hundred infantry These men
had been under arms eleven hours The mob
was for a moment powerless with surprise, and
dispersed. The runaways soon, however, be-
came ashamed of themselves, and returned to
| the scene, warmly cheering the soldiers The
latter had taken complete possession of the
streets around the barracks, and cordoned them
effectively. The mob realizing the impregna-
bilty of the police position, departed in
| sections cursng the Pope, denonncng home
| rule and singing 'The Orange Lily"
| While this going at the Bowers Hill
| barracks mob had taken possession of York
street. They first concentrated in front of a
wine store kept by Catholic named McKenna.
| The building was soon seized and wrecked, and
| all of McKenna's stock of wines was empted in
the street. The mob then proceeded to McClos-
keys tavern. The police had taken warning and
got there first. A fight took place. which was
rad with ton hot n eidao The po1;ca
| fired twenty-six rounds of buckshot at the riot
ers, but the mob finally drove them away and
smashed McCloskey's tavern to pieces, distrib
uting the liquors to all who would drink or carry
| liquor away. Several of the rioters were wound
ed and left helpless in the street by their COM
sades who, maddened with liquor and excite
ment, rushed to the work of wrecking. num-
ber of taverns were destroyed, and all their
stocks of wine whisky and beer thrown out to
the crowd in the Streets who drank or carried it
away in jugs and buckets In the latter work
scores of women and children were engaged all
the time the rioting lasted.
Towards midnight the mob after having
wrecked and looted ali the taverns in the vicini-
ty, returned to McCloskey's and set it on fire.
The glare attracted the police, who reformed and
marched to the place to stop the fire and save
the town from q conflagraton. They had to
fight for every foot of the way they made. At
times, when the flames fared high, the sight of
the uniformed officers glittered among the mob,
filing the street from house to house, each
officer fighting on his own account and
all in the same direction, every man shouting
or cursing, and the women and children at the
windows shrieking and gesticulating Finally
the police got together and carried on their bat
tie with buckshot This eventually scattered