St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-09
Further Use of the Rife and Torch Mo-
mentarily Feared.


STARVING mechanics.
LONDON, Feb S.-The starving me-
ehanics" of London to-day held a mass
meeting in Trafalgar square around the
Nelson monument and it resulted in a riot.
The proceedings were opened with an as
semblage of 1000 men. Police were pres
ent in large numbers. They at once saw
that the Soeialistic element of London
greatly predominated in the crowd, which
was also managed by well-known Social
lists, and extraordinary vigilance was ordered
TO preserve the peace at all hazards. Con-
spcuous among the leaders of the multi
tude was Mr.. Burns who ran as the So
cialist candidate in Nottingham in the re-
cent election. He sneered at the police, and
acted generally as if he wished to bring
about a conflict between them and the peo-
pie. Finally he assembled the pedestal of
the Nelson column for the purpose of
delivering a harangue. He was well aware
that this ACT would not be tolerated, and the
police politely ordered him to get down.
This he refused to do, appealing TO the
crowd to resist Interference with the ex-
erciSe of popular rights" The officers,
however, were determined, and they pushed
their way through the excited and resisting
mass OF humanity and by force removed
MIR. Burns from the pedestal. By this time
the crowd had hastily augmented and the
streets adjacent were packed with surging
mobs. The stir in the elevated spot where
the Burns incident took place was easily
perceptible over almost the entire area COW
cred by the concourse, and the sight of
HELMETS AND UNIFORMS
in the struggle was accepted as visible
proof of the commencement of the Eight
! against the law" The intelligence was re-
| sponded to with general and fearful howl
and an attempted rush from all directions
/ to the point of interest. Burns had now
been removed some distance from the posi-
tiOn he had attempted to occupy. He be-
came emboldened by the cries of the throng
and made desperate effort to recover his
lost ground He was so effectively helped
by the mob that the officers on the spot
were brushed out of the way and the orator
was soon pressed up against the monument.
He quickly reascended the pedestal accom-
panied by number of other socialist lead
ers. Burns bore a red flag, and he waved
it to the assemblage as signal of his trl-
umph over the authorities. He was greeted
with deafening shouts, repeated again and
again. Burns now leisurely finished his
address. He then read q fiercely-wOrded
resolution. This denounced the authors
of the present distress in England" de-
manded that parliament start public works
to give employment and bread to the tens
of thousands of deserving men who were
out of work through no fault of their own,
bnt because of bad government; declared
that it was the duty of the government to
afford every facility for the employment Of
British capital at home for the benefit of
the British people, and to give British en-
terprise preference over foreign, and as
serted that the time had arrived for parlia-
ment to earnestly legislate for the relief of
the depression in the English agricultural
industry. The resolution also demanded
the
IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT
of a minister of commerce and a minister
of agriculture, and concluded with the re-
solve that copies should be forwarded to
Mr.. Gladstone, Lord Salisbury, Parnell and
the boards of public works. The reading
of the resolutions was accompanied by
fierce comment ard short explanatory
speeches by various orators who stood with
Burns. Some of these orators went so far
as TO warn the government that although
the starving mechanics" Of London were
attempting to draw attention to their needs
by quiet and peaceful agitation, they were
bound to get bread, and would get it by at
tacking the bakers shops next If the gov
eminent did not come to their relief. Burns
himself in one of these side speeches, de-
nOunced the present house Of commons as
a body of landlords and capitalists for whom
hanging was too good. he also declared
{ hat the people had assembled to summon
parliament to Immediately relieve the dis
tress Of the British workingmen; that the
n eople wanted the question settled at once
a nd peacefully if possible, otherwise revo-
I ution was inevitable. All this so ag-
gravated the excitement of the huge mob
tn at the police reformed with increased
force and made
ANOTHER ASSAULT.
They succeeded in forcing their way up to
the pedestal. They reached this point just
: as the resolution which had already been
} offered and seconded were about to be SUBJ
mitted to the mob for approval. The officers
at once ordered the proceedings to be dis
continues on the pedestal and commanded
: Burns and his colleagues TO come down.
2 This they refused to do and the officers
, thereupon dragged them down by force and
[ drove them from the pedestal. 1t was evi.
T dent that Burns expected that the applica-
ton of force to him would precipitate riot
: and il was also apparent that the officers
. Immediately engaged in removing the ora
{ tors feared an attack. But the men COM
5 posing the mob were not yet in fighting
humor and the mob contented itself for the
time by hooting the police and smothering
them with flour, dirt and garbage. The
officers behaved admirably under the abuse
election, neither Mr.. Burns nor any of bis
. colleagues many any further attempts 70
q get back. They at once left the scene and
u proceeded to the wall of the National gallery.
!, They mounted this wall, pointed to the
t doors and windows and bitterly denounced
4 the inmates. This looked like an attempt
q to set the mob on the building. The moi
was excited but not up to the point OF vio'
lence yet. Burns and his colleagues SEEING
this, vacated the National gallery wall and
> proceeded to the Carleton club, where they
repeated their tactics. BY this time the
. mob was tremendous in numbers and yerg-
! ing on desperation. Stories Of what the
: police had said and done at the Nelson
:, column had been circulated
FROM MOUTH TO MOUTH,
/. exaggerated with every repetition. until the
starving mechanics" were convinced that
: the authorities had actually dared them to a
!. conflict. Such fire as was ready for igni-
;. tion and within touching distance was In
= famed py she speeches delivered on the
. Carlton club stoop. The mob was split uI
4 into many divisions by being forced dowr
- the different streets by the pressure from
n Trafalgar square to get nearer the occur
rences at the club house. and the various
divisions started OF hooting. bowling ana