The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-09
TERRIBLE RIOT ATLONDON
THE CITY IN THE HANDS OF A
HOMLING MOB.
Stores and Houses Sacked and Pill
laged-Attacks on Defense.
less People.

Stores and Houses Sacked and Pill
laged-Attacks on Defense.
less People.
LONDON, February s.-The Starving
mechanics" Of London to-day held a
mass meeting in Trafalgar Square
around the Nelson monument and it
resulted in riot. The proceedings
were opened with an assemblage of
10, 900 men. Police were present in
large numbers. They at once saw that
the Socislistic element OF London
greatly predoninated in the crowd,
which was also managed by well
known Socialists. and extraordinary
vigilance was ordered and TO preserve
the peace at:sll hszards. Conspicuous
among the leaders OF the multitude
was Mr.. Burns, who ran as the Social
ist candidate in Nottingham in the re.
cent election. He sneered at the po-
lice and acted generally ~ il he wished
to bring about a conflict between them
and the people. Finally, he assembled
the pedestal Cf the Nelson column for
the purpose Of delivering harangue.
He was well aware this act would not
be tolerated, and the police polite y
ordered him TO get down. This he re-
fused to do, appealing to the crowd
10 resist interference with the
exercise OF popular rights" The
officerp, however, were determined
and they pushed their way through
the excited and resting mass of hui
manity, and by force removed Mr..
Burns ON the pedestal. By this
time the crowd had vastly augmented,
and the streets adjacent were packed
with surging mobs. The stir In the
elevated spot where the Burns Incl
dent took place, was easily percepti-
BILE; almost the entire area covered by
the concourse and the sight of helmets
and uniforms into struggle, was ac-
ceptsd as visible proof of the COM
mencement Of the
"FIGHT AeAINsT THE LAW"
The intelligence was responded to
with general and fearful howl, and
an attempt I'D rush from all directions
to the point OF interest. Burns had
now been removed some distance
from the position he had attempted to
occupy. He became emboldened by
the cries Of the throng, and made
desperate effort to recover his lost
ground. He was 30 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 re.
assembled the monument, accompanied
by a number of ether Socialist
leaders. Bnrns bore red flag,
and he waved it to the assemblage as
signal OF his triumph over the authori-
ties. He was greeted with deafening
shouts, repeated again and again
Burns then leisurely finished his ad-
dress, BE then read fiercely-woi ded
i S'esord tit5i4.. - I 10 tSliUdnced the "aV-
thors OF the present distress in Eng
land" and demanded that Parliament
start public works to give employment
and bread to the tens Of thousands Of
deserving men who we're out Of work
through no fault Of their own, but be-
cause of bad government; to afford
every facility for the employment OF
British capital at home for the benefit
OF British people, and to give Br. t,sh
enterprise preference over foreign, and
asserted that the time had arrived for
Parliament to earnestly legislate for
the relief OF the depressed in the
ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY.
The resolutions demanded the i'm
mediate appointment Of minister OF
commerce and a minister Of agricul.
ture, and concluded with the resolve
that copies should be forwarded to Mr..
Gladstone, Lord Salisbury, Mr.. Parnell
and the Board of Public Works. The
reading OF the resolutions was accom-
! anied by fierce comment and short
explanatory speeches by the various
orators who stood with Burns. Some
OF these orators went 80 far as 10 warn
the government that although the
starving mechanics OF London are
now attempting to draw attention to
their needs by quiet and peaceful agi-
tation, they were bound to get bread,
and would ge, it by attacking the
baker-shops next, If. the government
did not come TO their relief. Burns
himself, in one of these side speeches,
denounced the present House Of Com
mons as body Of landlords and capi-
talists, for whom hanging vas too
good. He also declared that the peo-
pie had assembled TO summon Parlia-
ment 10 Immediately relieve the dis.
tress of The British workingmen; that
the people wanted the question settled
at once and peacefully, if possible;
otherwise revolution was inevi-
table. All this 80 aggra vated the
excitement of the huge mob that
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 resolutions which had
already been offered and seconded
were about to be submitted to the
mob for approval. The officers at once
ordered the proceedings to be discon-
tinued on the pedestal and command
ded Burns and his colleagues 10 come
down. This they refused to do, and
the officers thereupcn
DRAGGED THIN DOWN BY FORCE
and drove them from the pedestal.
1t was evident that Burns expected
that the application Of force to him
would pTecipitate q riot, and it was
also apparent that the officers imme-
diately engaged in removing the ora
l tors feared an attack. But the men
composing the mob were not yet in
fighting humor, and the mob con-
tented itself for the time by hooting
the police and smothering them with
flour, dirt and garbage. The officers
behaved admirably under this abuse
aud showed no resentment. After
their election neither Mr.. Burns nor
any OF his colleagues made any fur
ther attempts TO get back. They at
once left the scene and proceeded to
the Reform Club building. They
mounted the steps, pointed to the
doors and windows, and bitterly de-
nounced the inmates. This looked
like an attempt 10 set the mob on the
building. The mob was excited, but
not up to the point Of violence yet.
Burns and his colleagues, seeing this,
vacated the Reform Club steps and