Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-02-19
AN INFURlATED MOB.
Starving workmen of London Demand Bread

The starving mechanics OF London held
mass meeting IN Trafalgar Square around the
Nelson monument on the Sth inst and II re-
suited in riot The proceedings were opened
with an assemDage o. 1000 men, he police
were present In large numbers Cons plcuouS
among the leaders OF the multitude was Mr.
burns, who ran a the socialist candidate in
nottingham in the recent election. He as
cended lie pedestal of tie Mel on column for
the purpose Of delivering harangue. The
police requested him 10 desist, but lac refused,
and the officers removed bin 10y force.
By this time the crowd had vastly augment
cd, and the streets were packed with surging
MODS.
Burns quickly reascendcd the pedestal, ac-
Companicd los a number Of o,hcr socialist
leaders He bore red nag and he waved it
10 the assemblage a signal 81 his triumph
over the authorities, and was greeted
With dcaiening shouts repeated again and
again.
lie then read u ierc ~ wordcd resolution,
denouuring the present distress in England
aud demanding that parliament start public
work - So Employment 10 men who are idle
through. n laIlt o. their own. Inc rcsOlut Ons
also q, m n .he immcd ate appointment OF a
minister 90 m ucrce and mniSt"r of agri-
culture and concluded with the resolve that
copies suOaid he forwarded 70 Mr. Gladstone.
Lord "A sbury Mr. Parnell, AID the board ol
public works.
The reading OF resolutions was accom-
panied hy fierce comment and short AMI eX
plana,ory speeches by the various orators who
stood wiki Burns. Burns himself IN one OF
these side speeches, denounced the present
house OF commons a. "A body OF landlords and
capitalists cor whom hanging was 100 good.
All this So aggravated the excitement Of the
huge no. that the dice r. formed with IA
creased force and adc another assault. The
officers IL once ordered the proceed ms TO be
discontinued n the pedestal and commanded
Burns and his colleagues come down. This
tley refused to do, AMI the oIcers thereupou
drag ed L.cm down by 4Orce ami diOtc them
IRON the pedestal. The mcn composing the
mob were not yet ia lighting humor, ana con-
tented themselves FOR the time hy hootlng the
police AMI smotherins them with flour, dirt
and garbage.
Alter Their election Burns and his colleagues
proceeded u the wall OF the National gallery.
They mounted this wall, pointed 10 the doors
and windows aud bitterly denounced The in
mates. The mob was ,Xcited, bat not up 10
the point Of violence. Burns and his co e
leagues seeing this vacated the National gal
lery wall ana pOceedcd 10 the ariton club
wb,re they repeated their tactics. BY this
| M the mob Was tremend u IN numbers and
Nergn 0n desperation. stories OF what the
police had said aud done at the Nelson column
had been CIRCULATED from mouth TO mouth, eX
aggeratch Win every repetition until the ne
cn~nics were convinced tuat the authorize
had actually dared them 10 a conflict.
At o'clock in the evening part Of the mo-
started IN its way to Hyde park t. hold Il
meeting On %. way an effort was made To
ente + the war office, but was turned away
when the sentinel az the entrance confronted
the intruuers with his bayouet.
IL was q at part Of the mob which was
drawn east through ST james street 10
Regent that attempted 10 enter the war
ONCE opposite 81 James square. Arnold
MOrley's residence which was formerly occu-
pied by John Bright, was forcibly cnte ed and
ransacked. Scarcely whole pane of glass was
left IN the bu.lding. \ very great number oi
other houses along the route AIRED worse than
did John brigLts old residence. DevOnshire
club house was raided. and Hatchetts hotel
was sacked ~ food and drink. As the IN n were
leaving the hotel they saw a carriage, which
was pressed up against the cu.O by the
passing Pre- '-~ipu anu abandoned b. its
frightened occupants. IL was seized and in al
instant broken up,and the wheel-spokes, shaft,
and other pieces carried away for clubs. The
Turf Club house presented temptation 10
the rioters as they went by and they smashed
all its front doors and windows with stones.
All along Regent and oxford streets, between
Plcadlly aud hyde park, houses were attacked
lndscrin iuatcly and the windows smashed in.
After Burns had been driven away from
Nelson monument by the police and had
spoken from the national gallery wall and
Carlton CLUB steps, "a savage light took place
between his adherent'. SOC alists and anti
socialists. The Latte ragged some time, but
the socialists proved victorious and lifted
Burns To- their shoulders and bore him aloft
To- Regent street, whore, with him, they sue
ceeded In leading the crowd towards Hyde
Park, Burns leading the whole way. At the
park when the mob had all collected,
Burns again addressed them. The speech was
even more violent than the Others he made.
Burns was followed by several other sucialistic
spt akrrs, all Of whom did all in their power TO
stir up the strife When the speaking was
over the mob broke up into sections The
main body went back east along Oxford street.
They had the thorOughfare to themselves and
smashed every sound window they noticed.
Beer and wine saloons were entered and their
wares distributed 10 whoever wished 10 drink.
Policeman were powerlcss The mob finally
disbursed soon after dark. No lives are re-
ported as having been lost. IL is estimated
that 1000 persons were engaged In the 'Irafal-
gar square demonstration. Probably 20J shops
aud dozen club houses were seriously dam
aged About ~ shops were pillaged, including
jewelers. Lakers, butchers and wine shops.