SERIOUS COLLIERY RIOTS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 410, 25 February 1870, Page 3 (Supplement)

SERIOUS COLLIERY RIOTS.

' The long-contemplatod attack npon tho homes and persons of non-unionists, at the Thornoliffe and Chapel-town Collieries, is now a reality. At the first information received by the polios force a small body of men were at once on the alert. They saw a number of oolliers advancing towards the Tankersloj pit, armed with revolvers and bludgeons. At thitiino information was sent that the rioters wer. also attacking the houses, and the steam "buzzar" was sounded. In a short time afterwards the mob. foil upon the police; and, although the latter wert only about half-a-dozen strong, they aoted with great spirit and energy. The rioters then moved to wards the pit, but Mr. Superintendent Sykes and nine men arrived. The men marched down in line, and thus confronted the whole of the mob The latter, seeing their small numbers, eei upon them. They hooted and howled, threw larg. stones and brick-bats, and fired pistols and revolvers at the police. The little band stood nobly, and at a convenient time Mr. S aperintendent Sykes ordered them to charge tho rioters with thoir cutlasses. They av once obeyed the call, and a terrible encounter was tin result. The stones seriously injured tho police, bui when the effects of the steel were felt the rioterbegan to waver and .fled. The body of rioters who attacked the houses had a more successful careen. They attacked both the front and back part of the row. breaking in the whole of the windows and thu frames. They next entered the dwellings, broke up the furniture, and attempted to set fire to tho whole row. The flames were speedily extinguished, or the whole row would have been burnt down. Besides a number of brutal attacks upon the inmates, the rioters plundered the houses, and carried off £l4 from one, £8 from another, and £2 10s. from a third.