Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1906-11-29
MOB
IN THE STREETS
HAMILTON, ONT, STREETS THE
SCENE OF A WILD RIOT
OF STRIKERS.
MANY HEADS ARE BROKEN
Police and Soldiers Charge the Riot
ers, Using Clubs, Sabres and Rifle
Butts Effectively.
How the Battle Ragged.

Never in Hamilton's history were
such scenes of disorder and lawless-
ness seen as were enacted in the prin-
cipal streets of the city Saturday night.
Scores of rioters, sympathizers with
the striking street car men, felt the
weight OF policemen's night sticks and
the keen edge of the soldiers swords
in conflicts on James and King streets.
At late hour street cars were run
ming at intervals under heavy guards,
but they did not carry passengers, and
continued to be targets for fusilades
OF stones and bricks from side streets
and alleyways. Drastic as were the
measures taken by the authorities. it
was plain that the mob spirit had not
been broken.
At s o'clock a concerted effort was
made by the police and soldiers to
clear the streets. James street, In the
vicinity OF the city hall, was packed
with a dense crowd of yelling hood
lumns and hundreds of people attract
ed to the scene more by curiosity than
to take part in the disorders. Smashing
right and left with their heavy night
sticks, the police waded into the
crowd. Men and women suffered alike,
and soon the pavement was marked by
many unconscious forms. The mob,
realizing that the police meant bust
ness this time, began to retaliate with
| stones and other missiles.
At this point the clatter of horses
hoofs on the pavement announced the
approach of the cavalry, and the
crowd, attacked from both sides, broke
and fled down side streets and through
Railways into back alleys. The streets
In the vicinity of the city hall were
cleared, but 1t was only temporary re-
lief for the authorities.
The crowd soon began to converge
on King street. A street car with de-
tectives on board came along and be-
came the target for a fusilade of bricks
and stones. The strike-breakers and
detectives deserted the car as the mob
grew in volume and their lives were
endangered by the avalanche of rocks.
! They we're followed by a section of the
crowd and given severe beating. The
street car was derailed and literally
torn to pieces before the militia could
reach the spot. The mob melted away
as the soldiers charged down the
| street with fixed bayonetS.
This was the last concentrated dem
onstration made by the rioters during
the evening, although disorders on a
smaller scale were frequent up to mid
night.
The streets are strewn with debris
and many plate glass windows in
stores were broken by flying missiles.
Twenty Of the rioters were arrested
and landed at the police stations. The
policemen arrested scores, but the
CT ovid took the prisoners away from
them before they could get to a pa
troll box.
Nearly one hundred people were
treated at the hospitals Their injuries,
however, were not serious. They had
been hit by clubs. The soldiers as a
rule used the fiat OF their swords and
the butt ends of their rifles. Most of
those treated at the hospitals were
able to leave after having their wounds
dressed
Frank Fitzgerald, whose skull was
| fractured in last nights disorders, IL
at the point of death.