, 1886-06-11
Savagery.

paratively quiet this forenoon. Seven
hundred extra policemen are now in the
town. Six hundred Loyalists drilled neal
the city of Armagh last night. An eye
witness Of the riots on Wednesday gives
the following description of the scene at
tending the mob's attack on the Bowers
Hill police station. Men armed with
pokers pried up paving stones and broke
them into suitable siz for the use of the
rioters. When they ran short of missiles
women and young girls desperately en-
treated the men to continue the fighting,
whenever they tagged, offering them
aprons full of fresh stones, and when en-
treaty failed women and girls drove the
men or by savage threats. The police
station is a moderate sized dwelling house.
When the mob attacked the building, the
police responded with volley fired from
the doorway. But the rioters soon drove
the officers in and they retreated up stairs,
and from there maintained the fight en-
their side by shooting from the windows
of the front bedroom on the second floor.
They held their position half an hour,
during which the battle was hot and saw.
age on both sides, when they were rein
forced by the arrival Of seventy fresh Off
GERS.
The increased army of policy served but
to aggravate the mob and they became
ferocious. They were maddened by the
sight of their comrades shot down with
ing and bowling with agony in the streets.
Old officers have since said they never
knew a mob to show such v~iciousness,
violence, pluck and determination. Des-
pite their desperation, the rioters hurled
their missiles with regulation and preci-
sion, as if they had heen drilled in stone
throwing. When the men in front had
exhausted their ammunition, they would
retire to receive fresh armsfull from the
women, and thus make way for their CON
rades with new supplies. Some of the
stone throwing was quite extraordinary.
The better armed of the rioters carried
what we call here Belfast kidneys"
These are stones about five and a half
long, three and a half inches broad
and weigh, on an average, about one and
a half pounds. There were many boys
among the rioters and they were as des-
rerate and as plucky as the men. The
battle at the station ceased when $50
soldiers came to the aid of the police.
The soldiers we're the H%ighlanders and
f~usileers and they soon drove the mob
away.
People living in the neighborhood
where the rioting began, say it vas caused
by the police, undera mistaken impression,
molesting and cudgeling some orderly
workmen leaving the foundry. According
to the story the populace got angry at the
police for their cruel and uniustifiable
conduct. When the conflict became i'm
minent, the story goes that that the mob
offered to behave if the police were with
drawn. but not otherwise,
The people at the Shank Hill road meet
ing to-day attacked the police. The mil
itary were summoned and the crowd dis
persed. 1t is now stated that the meeting
was summoned ito denounce the police
and also other persons, for attacking the
houses and property of peaceable people,
and to urge upon citizens their duty to do
the most in their power to bring the dis
turbers of the peace to Justice, irrespective
of creed or party. The meeting an
pointed a deputation to wait on the mayor
of Belfast to ask for the names of the of
ticers in charge of the Shank Hill police
barracks.
Out of town police have been Withdrawn
from the streets of the city in consequence
OF the hostility manifested toward them
by Orangemen. Soldiers have been told
aft to take the places of these officers and
assist the city police in case they should
need any help to night,