THE MILITARY RIOT AT CANTERBURY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1004, 2 March 1883, Page 3

THE MILITARY RIOT AT CANTERBURY.

A serious riot took place on 24th December between the men of the Inniskillings and Buffs, quartered inJCantcrbury. It is stated that “ nearly 200 then were for an hour engaged in a fierce encounter with belts and bayonets. Many were injured, and one man . in the Inniskillings had his head laid open.” Four men injured are now in hospital,.and the broken windows in the barraek square afford further indications of the seriousness of the conflict, which was only quelled by an officer warning the men of the penalty they incurred by reading the Articles of War. The disturbance was stopped most opportunely, for at the time two organised bodies of cavalry men were qn their way .to the infantry square to assist the Inniskillings. The following account is given by a sergeant :—Some Inniskillings and Buffi,meeting in the infantry square, comiupnced an argument which terminated in a fight. The Buffs were reinforced by about 2jo'or 30 then, and the cavalry then turned out in force, numbering about 200. In a short time the square was full, and a fight took place, in which pokers, stones, and brickbats >vete freely >used. The staff of. the militia were at length sent to quell the disturbance, in winch they succeeded. Two sergeants of The "Buffs were somewhat severely injured, qpd several others more or less hurt.' ; .Considerable damage to windows was also occasioned, and the

‘pickets -at nigbt • - were ordered to. be doubled. The Court of Inquiry, after a 'long examination of witnesses, ordered

that the Inniskillings should pay for the fdaraage done in Buff Square. The witnesses denied the allegation that men belonging to other regiments were about to take a part in the disturbances when it stopped. s Thej rumoured death of Sraitli.and Sergeant John- i who received injuries, while endeavouring' to put a stop; to ,the disorderly proceedings. is denied. <■ ; A DRUNKEN HEADSMAN. n; All .Denmark,, says the Copenhagen; correspondent of /the St James Gazette,vyas'thrilled by a general feeling of horror; when the papers brought the details of: the’ execution (if a critnidql in a provincial: .place the previous {day—rdetails which, .painfully remind one bf the disgraceful , manner in’which Sophia Potrowskaya was; executed last year at St..Petersburg. Ac-, cording to the Danish law, criminals con-i demned'to death suffer fhe last penalty of ; the law axe, the.'felbck being placed at some conspicuous place as near as possible to : the place where the murder was committed. ' A man condemned, to 'death was ■ to be. executed, and, as usual, a -Dirge crowd iof people from the . surrounding; district's .had assembled round the .spot,; only one constable being present to keep j order. When the usual formalities'were; gone through, the"criminal laid his head; upon the block.; but thq.aye,andTho hand ; of the executioner, who had been drinking j heavily on the previous day, were uncer-; tain, and the stroke fell heavy ori-both | shoulders, the criminal uttering a cry of j smothered pain. The executioner wrenched I the axe out of the wound, wielded l Again',; and struck the criminal high up on the back of the head ; again he wrenched the j axe out of the wound, and succeeded at i last in {cutting the head off.; The crowd \ rushed to the headless trunk, some to try; to “catch sorrie'* drops of .blood, which the • peasants think has a kind of magical effect to cure certain diseases ;; others to satisfy their morbid curiosity.. In fact, a horrible and disgusting scene took place,' several men and:women fainting. Everyone agrees that such a disgraceful spectacle must never more take place in Denmark, and the Minister of Justice'has - already, with praiseworthy speed, declared . his intention to bring in a short 811 l pro- ; yiding fop execution by means of the guillotine, and within the precincts of a •*®w-isori. ! I KD -'- iU