MAIL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 1050, 18 November 1903, Page 4

MAIL NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct, 27. A despatch from Armeatiers, 'France, dated October 13th, says ,Tuesday was a day given up to riot, pillage, and incendiarism, as the result of the weavers’ str ke. In the

morning, nothing foretold the serious events which were to follow, hut at noon, the strikers, not receiving fu.filment of their demands from the employers, broke out in the wildest excesses. A mob of COHO gathered in the great square, and urged the troops stationed , there to throw down their arms, shouting “ Down .with patriotism.” The rioters then spread through the principal streets, breaking the windows of stores and dragging out the huge display-rolls of linen, which they stretched across the streets, with the object of impeding the advance of cavalry. They wrecked the shops, sacked the houses of those obnoxious to the ringleaders and attacked two banks, where they succeeded in stealing a few hundred uollars from the tills. One gang set fire to a large quantity of linen in the cellar of a factory. Others broke the windows of houses, and threw burning straw inside* The troops Were hampered by obstructions thrown in their way by the rioters, and were for a long time unable to disperse the mob. Finally, a determined charge by the Lancers restored temporary quiet. After dark the •rioters tore up the sewer gratings, and stretched wire across the streets Women brought piles of empty bottles for use as missies, while the hoys swarmed up the lamp-posts and extinguished the lights. In spite of the efforts of the soldiers, the mob then proceeded to sack the houses, dragging out the furniture, saturating it with kerosene, and setting fire to it in the streets. One big factory and two homes of employers were fired, the local brigade being inadequate to cope with the conflagrations. An urgent appeal was sent to ehe neighboring town of Lille, which sent a steam-pump and reinforcement of firemen. The strikers placed barricades on all the streets, and set lire to the factory. The cavalry charged along the streets, in spite of the obstructions and wounded a number of people. By midnight, however, the police had gaiEed the upper hand and dispersed the mob. The authorities hope to punish the ungleaders. As a result of the intervention of the Prefect, the strike

leaders decided to submit the employers’ terms to a referendum of the workmen.