Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1882-05-13 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

RIOTOUS PROCEEDINGS AT BRIGHOUSE. The thrill of indignation which spread through the oountry when the news of the brutal murder of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Mr. Burke was made known, has probably not shown the depth of Its intensity more forcibly than in Brighouse, and it was certainly not expected that it would have given rise to such a state of things as has transpired in the district during the week. The proceedings of the past few days will no doubt go a long way towards creating a very bad impression upon the minds of strangers that its inhabitants are not the peace-loving and law-abiding citizens they ought to be, but on the contrary are those who , have no respect for law and order. It cannot but be admitted that the disorderly prooeedings which took place in the town some time ago have given a thirst to the more ignorant portion of the community for lawlessness and disorder, which in the event of not being curbed and checked has given rise and culminated in disorderly and disgraceful proceedings. The news of the murder of the deceased lord naturally caused some excitement when published In the town on Sunday evening, and even then it was evident that the feeling against the Irish ran' high. In the town and district there has been for many years an Irish element, perhaps in some respects small, yet in comparison to the number of inhabitants in the town itself not so small as has been imagined. In past years frequent collisions between the two parties have taken place, but none of them have ever reached the dimensions which the proceedings this week have attained. For the last few years comparative quiet has been maintained between the two parties' and no serious affrays have taken place. The proceedings of the last few days have without doubt resuscitated the old feeling, which after such a lapse of time would have been expected to have died out. Like a spark thrown amongst dry tinder-wood a flame of disorder was ignited which led to far more serious consequences than could have been at first imagined. The exact origin of the disturbance cannot be distinctly traced. It is known that a man, who rejoices in the cognomen of "Jim Crow," whilst under the influence of drink began a quarrel with an Irishman in a public-house, which it was determined should be settled by a fight outside. On the street being reached a crowd speedily collected, and, as a natural consequence much sympathy was expressed with the Englishman: the representative of the Emerald Isle, after being a good deal knocked about, beat a hasty retreat. The feeling which had been rising began to find vent in threats and murmurs of dissatisfaction, which were expressed by the crowd. After some little delay a spontaneous attack was made upon Taylor's Yard, Commercial-street, which has for years past been the locality where the bulk of the Irish population in this district has resided. The yard was soon filled by an excited mob, yelling and making the most hideous noises, but beyond a few windows being broken no further spoliation was done. A great number of the mob then contrived to possens themselves of large sticks, and, armed with these— after a raid en a house in Park-street, from which some of the furniture was taken and broken with the crockery in the street—they made their way to the Sun Inn, Elland-road, kept by an Irishman named Lawler, and which it was stated witthe place where the members of the Brighouse branch of the Land League held their meetings. In passing along Commercial-street the mob presented such an excited and lawless an appearance that many of the shopkeepers took the ptecaution to close their places of business. On Elland-road being reached the mob immediately commenced a deliberate attack on the public-house. Several windows were broken, the door, wkloh had been