Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-02-19
Iohn nnIIinH ,.,.ric.

The London correspondent Of the New
York Times draws an amusing picture, in
despatch dated on Saturday, OF the panic
which seized upon all London last week after
the riotous outbreak OF Monday
London hnds 1t dfhcut in these closing days of
the week to lay hold Of words furciblr enough to
characterize properly its own idocy from Tuesday
down to Thursday. Research has shown that there
has been no previous outbreak OF pnagiug in Lon
don since the Gordon riots 1906 years ago II needs
no examination Of the records to form belief that
no city in Europe has gone into such foolish utter
of pauc we have had this week such slender
grounds for at least twice that period. Mondays RI
OF was merely some Guy Fawkes rufiausm on a big
scale, with the efforts Of few thieves added. Four
or i've hundred roughs found themselves together,
and the efforts Of the Socialists and the breaking up
Of the worknPmens meeting inspired them with the
idea Of turbulence. They started on aimlessly to
shout, throg stones, aud create racket until they
stopped. Tbs intelligent police simply remaiu-
ed behiud III order TO guard the square where the
meetings had been held, instead Of following the
gang The roughs and thieves thus got free rein
aud grew holder as they made progress until they
reached point where they iuseusate with de-
sire for destruction and Wholesae pllAgug. Finally
thirty policemen met aud dispersed them, as they
might have done at any stage of the sO-called riot
This is absolutely allthere was Of It but az London
IN ridiculous tremOr Of agitation, leaped to the
clusioD that there was direct connection between
the windy harAngues of the Socialist agitAtors aud the
subsequent action OF the mob and surrendered itself
to panic On Tuesday the densest fog Of the win
ter prevailed, and everybody saw rioters in every fit
ting form that enyeloped in the darkness aud
suspected conhagration in every skylight reflection
upon smoky wall. On "Wednesday there the
same fog and the excitement grew until people we're
wild with frenzy. Sensible men Became lunatics,
aud honest citizens turned into puryeyors Of false
news. At noon the town was agJg with stories Of
battles waRing the Thames bridges, of the city be-
ing barrcaded, aud Of bodies Of rioters convergiug
from all the outlying slums. The papers came out
with haring reports that an army Of rioters we're
marching on London from Greenwich. The police
utterly lost their heads and went about warning the
shopmen to put up their shutters At the dinner
hour citizens waited for the worst II 10 town in
the last extremies Of siege. Conceive of the po-
| lice Of New York ordering the stores BrOadWa y
and IN Union-square to be closed tho strength Of
rumor that gang of Foughs were smashing win
dows In Williamsburg and you will have faint idea
Of the situation only here there sixty miles of
shops closed Business amounting in the aggregate
to millions was suspended. On Thursday the fog
| lifted aud people began to compare notes. They
found that there had been no riot aud attempt at
riot. Four millions Of people had gone into hys-
teres over the sheerest connections Of fancy that
er scared boy passing graveyard in the daTk.n