MOB'S NIGHT MARCH.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1936, 19 December 1913, Page 7

MOB'S NIGHT MARCH.

TO TJIE PRISON GATES.

SYMPATHY FOR CONDEMNED MURDERER. Jll'GE DEMONSTRATION ON DAY OF EXECUTION. By. Telesr&ph—l'rsss Associalion—CopSTiGli-t' London, Deconmer-17. ■■■ '.. Ernest Kelly been hanged at Manchester, for murdering -a. man .named Bardslev, a bookseller, at Oldham, :on July 28. '■ ■; Several hundred Oldham women and youths marched to Manchester as a,' pro-' test against the Homo Secretary's (Mr: Reginald M'Kemia) refusal, to allow an appeal. Tho sympathy for Kelly was due " to. tho fact that. Edward Hilton, his accomplice, was reprieved.

Mr. M'Konua explained that Hilton was under eighteen and mentally'defective.-

."Times"—-Sydney "Sun" Special Cables.

(Rec. December 18, G p.m.)

London, December 17

■ Extraordinary scenes were witnessed at Oldham over Kelly's execution, The Government's decision declining a- reprieve was given out from the Town Hall late at night to a waiting crowd of ten thousand., groaning with disappointment and anger. "To Manchester and rescue Kelly!" someone shouted.

Tho cry was taken up everywhere, and tho crowd trudged through the dreary suburbs, arriving at Manchester in tho early morning, the clatter of tneir clogs being heard half a mile away. Carrying three liiill-flaros, 1 stolen en route, and armed with sticks, crowbars, and stones, they clattered through the streets to Straiigeway's Gaol, breaking two miles of street lamps and tho windows of tho fire station and the tramway cars.

On arrival at tho gaol they found a hundred policemen on guard at the gates of the gaol. Tho police apparently understood the crude senso of justice which brought Oldham's young people to Manchester. A boy of fifteen walked up to tho walls between the ranks of_ tho police, and read tho notice proclaiming that Kelly was to bo hanged that morning. He repeated tho news to the _ crowd, which gradually worked itself into- an angry mood. "A rescue might bo possible!" shouted someone. • "Lot's get him out!"

Six hundred police had. in the meantime, arrived in taxi-cabs, and the crowd was driven quietly through the streets of Manchester.

Five constables were, slightly injured. Tho crowd, as it moved along, shouted out cheers for Kelly and execrations on the Government, and then started singing ragtime ditties. Their number was reinforced at daylight by many of Ihe Manchester people, and by 8 o'clock there were ten thousand near the prison .

At three minutes past the. hour tho prison bc-ll tolled, and the people, muttering "He's gone!" took off their hats.