The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-19
THE BELFAST RIOTS.

Order Fully Restored-Resp0nsibilit Tor the
Recent Disturbances
BELFAST, Aug. 1S.-The utmost quiet prevails
in the city. The Island men have returned home
without any demonstration taking place. except
that of few rivet boys of from ten to thirteen
years of age, whose ears were soundly cuffed by
some magistrates as they passed Carrick Hill
The troops were withdrawn from the police bar
racks at Shank Hill but were replaced in the
evening The police have practically resumed
their duties in the Protestant quarter with out
being molested. The last funerals of men killed
during the riots occurred yesterday, but caused
no renewals of the disturbances. Shcpkeepers
and respectable residents of both the Catholic
and the Protestant quarters have been so much
troubled by bands of roughs going round de-
manding and taking food and money, even
jewelry that all except rowdies and small
boys have shown themselves anxious to aid in
all ways in the preservation of peace. Altogether
there is good reason to hope that there will be
no more real riotng, although doubtless roughs
may continue to fight little among themselves
and even attack the police The fact that it is
now possible for any magistrate to concentrate
$50 infantry troops and cavalry as well as large
body of police at FIVE minutes notice upon any
point in Belfast has had much to do in bringing
about this result.
A certain amount Of cowardice on the part of
the better classes oe Belfast has bees largely re-
sponsible for the rioting. A magistrate laugh
ingy told me to-day that on Sunday last he
heard several pistol shots. 1t was evening, and
he rode on to see the cause He found man
standing alone between two churches, which
open nearly facing each other and watched the
man as he calmly fired several shots in the air.
The magistrate rode up to him, but the
man away fast that the
horse could not ovartake him. The inquiring
magistrate at last found both churches full of
anxious people, who had waited inside an hour
or more after the usual service, all because they
thought the firing outside indicated that a riot
was going on. don't guarantee the truth of the
story, but see no reason to doubt it,
AS a further guarantee of peace, army officers
here are soon to be commissioned as magistrates,
with power to read the riot act and fire upon
mobs. With the commissions will probably
come instructions to the utmost severity in
dealing with mobs. 1t is also probable thar the
police will be ultimately reorganzed, and per-
haps deprived of their rifles. Many of the police
were eager for this change, which would throw
the responsibility Of firing at mobs upon tran
sient soldiers instead of upon the police, who are
forced to remain among the people whose rea-
tons have been killed. / find among the police
bitter feeling against the authorities whose ir
resolution made such continued rioting possible
also, an expectation that many of the police will
be assassinated when they are forced to resume
ordinary duty.
Since the riots began here, every Catholic
workman has been bounded off Queens Island,
although, prior to the disorders, hundreds were
at work there. In many large establishments
Catholic employees have been forced to quit.
The coroners jury in the case of Jackson, who
was shot by the police while the latter was oc
cupying McKennas tavern, returned verdict
Of murder against Seageants Daily AID Arm
strong and several constabes. The coroner has
issued warrants for the arrest of the accused.