, 1896-03-04
THE ST. KITS RIOTS.
From the Aduertiger.)

we nave uSC pdoSCQ CHlO0SA q PO4lON "
much trouble and anxiety, and though we are
now breathing fuller and frser than we were
able to do a week ago, it cannot be said that
our difficulties are over. The report Of the
proceedings Of the meetings held here during
the past week and the letter of our regular
correspondent. both of which appear IN to-
days impression, tell the tale Of lawlessness
and disorder which have been witnessed hele.
AS reported in our last paper. there was a
scene of rIoting. on the night of Monday the
18th instant. Bands of men aud women arm
ed with heavy sticks and all sorts Of missiles
paraded the streets at nightIall and almost all
of the street lamps were smashed. Then The
mob attacked the liquor and provision shops
of the Portuguese citizens, broke into them,
and looted them Of their conteutS-the shop
keepers and their families being in peril Of
their lives az the rioters grew fierce and turl-
Gus. Fortunately for the island a ship Of
war had bean requisitioned some days before
when the storm was brewing. and when the
footing was at its height the Cordclla, which
had arrived that morning, landed an armed
party ofMariues and checked the disorder to a
great extent, but not before some eleven shops
were pillaged. THIS Marines having been
stoned at street corners they used with vlgour
the butts of their rifles and thereby must
have raised a good many bumps. A party Of
Bluejackets which had been sent down the
coast by the Ferry-steamer Greenwood re-
stored 0 Ider there during the evening and
marched up to town at night. reinforcing
the Marines who had been tramping and
clearing the streets for more than two hours,
and when the throwing Of stones continued
and bottles taken from the shops were emptied
and thrown at them they naturally not only
fixed bayonets but fired, with the result that
two young men-George Phillips and Benja-
miu Hart-were killed, and several wounded.
Several of the armed party were struck by
stones and one received a revolver bullet in
the leg.
That the steps taken by the Government
to maintain order are warranted can be pa
thered from the subjoined graphic account Of
the disorder in the country districts. taken
from IA private letter dated February 2lst:
Il fear that our troubles, though some
what allayed by the power Of the law aided
by the armed force from the ship-of-war, are
far enough yet from the end. Things OH the
windward side of the island have been pretty
quiet for the past two days; but to the close
observer it Is evident the peoples lawlessness
is merely suspended 49,.
tell you it was fortunate for Us that the
Blueiackets were Sent out to the country dis
tricts 50 promptly on Tuesday evening. For
the whole day things We're very bad all along
the line from Brighton Estate in Cayon 10
Dieppe Bay, and indicated to a certainty that
the worst would happen after nightfall.
When in the evening of the same day the
engine whistle at Brighton blew loud and
long, the warning (for such it was) naturally
struck terror i'll the minds of us all, knowing
how completely We we're at the mercy of the
mob, not having at the time any sort of pro-
lection, Certainly | resolved to defend my
home to the last, and fiat the cost of my life
to sell it dear. We learned soon after that
the mob bad been at Brighton but had been
valiantly resisted by the people there under
the command of young Adamson-they (the
labo urers) proving themselves loyal to their
employer. The mob subsequently proceeded
to Lodge; and | heard they were going on
very badly in that Estates yard. At this
point | felt myself called upon to prepare for
the worst, feeling sure they would push their
lawlessness farther and farther. What a
night ? The women folk were in a fearful
state of agitation, as you may guess".....".
But the welcome news came that the Marines
had left town. The rebels heard, too, | be-
lieve, for they soon left Lodge and went to
Phillips Village, where they remained and
kept quiet fer the rest of the night. There
they had intended to loot the shops; but the
H. oi- l--lJ- H..