The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-06-16
An Eyewitness Tells the Story.

BELFAST, June 10.-The city was compare
lively quiet this afternoon. Seven hundred
extra policemen are now in town. Six hun
dred Loyalists drilled near the city of Ar
magh last night.
An eyewitness of the riots on Wednesday
gives the following description of the scenes
attending the mob's attack on the Bowers
Hid Police Station: Women with pokers
pried up paving stones and broke them into
suitable sizes for the use of the rioters when
they ran short of missiles. Women and young
girls desperately entreated the men to con-
tinue the fighting whenever they tagged, o.:
fering their apronfuls of stones and when
entreaty failed they drove the men on by
savage threats. The police station is a mod
erately sized dwelling house. When the
mob attacked the building the
police responded with a voliey fired
from the door way. But the rioters
soon drove the officers in and they retreated
upstairs, and thence maintaining the fight
ON their side, by shooting from the windows
of the front room. They held their position
for half an hour, during which the battle
was hot and savage on both sides, when they
were reinforced by the arrival OF several
fire sh officers. The increased energy of the
police warfare served but to aggravate the
mob and they became furious. They were
maddened by the sight of their comrades
shot down, writhing and bowling with
agony, in the street. 1 have since heard old
officers say that they never knew a mob to
show greater viciousness, pluck and deter
mination. Despite their desperation the RI
oters hurled their missiles with regularity and
precision as if they had been drilled in stone
throwing. When the men in front had ex-
oA THAR oununnnffinV thau U0nlH rotira
TO the rear to receive fresh supplies from the
women, and thus make way for their COM
rades with new supplies. Some OF the stone
throwing was quite extraordinary. One
man threw a stone with such vigor that ii
crashed through a window, struck a rear
wall and rebounded with such force that it
struck and hurt policeman. The better
armed of the rioters carried what we call
here Belfast Kidneys" These are stones
about five and half inches long, three and
a half inches broad and weigh on an average
shout eleven and halt pounds. There were
many boys among the rioters, and they were
as desperate and plucky as the men. The
battle at the station ceased only when $50
soldiers came to the aid of the police. The
soldiers were from the Hillrounders, and
they soon drove the mob away.
The people living in the neighborhood
where the riot began say it was caused by
the police, under q mistaken impression,
molesting and cudgeliDg some orderly work
men leaving foundry. According to this
story, the populace got angry at the police
for their cruel and unjustifable conduct,
and attempted to make them desist. When
a conflict became imminent, the story goes,
the mob offered to behave if the police were
withdrawn, but not otherwise.
The people at the Shank Hill road meet
ing to-day attacked the police. The mill
tary were summoned and the crowd was dis
persed. 1t is now stated that the meeting
was summoned to denounce the police, and
also all other persons for attacking the
houses and property of peaceabe people,
and 10 urge upon the citizens their duty to
do the utmost in their power to bring the
disturbances of the peace to justice, irrespect-
i've of creed or party. The meeting appointed
a deputation TO ask the MAJOR of Belfast for
the names of the officers in charge of the
Shank Hill police barracks yesterday even
ing.
6P. M-The utof-town police have been
withdrawn from the streets of the city in
conss quence of the hostility manifested
toward them by the Belfast worknen.