RIOTS IN BELFAST.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8894, 14 August 1907, Page 2

RIOTS IN BELFAST.

Pross Association.—Copyright. London, August 13

There has been renewed rioting at Belfast worse than on Sunday. Cullingtree police barracks wore wrecked and a number of police stoned and badly injured. The Riot Act was read and the military, who throughout showed great selfrestraint and patience, were compelled to charge 40 times and fired twice on tho mob, killing a man and woman. Stones and bottles thrown by tho rioters and bayonet charges and the bullets of the troops wounded hundreds, some seriously. The hospitais aro full and many oflscers and soldiers have been maimed.

Fearful Scenes

London, August 13 Matters were so desperate in Belfast that Captain "Welsh, military magistrate, ordered tile foremost infantry lino to present arms. As the rifles were raised to the shoulder tho entire mob bore down upon tho troops. Tbo order to fire was then given. The soldiers fired low down, and several rioters fell dead or wounded, including a boy. Awful shrieks and groans followed the vollev, and tho rioters lied. Twice there was a brief renewal of .the action, which led to a second volley, as the troops were nearly overwhelmed. Lark-in (Labour leader) and several priests throughout vainly appealed to the rioters to desist, and fin illy the riot subsided at midnight. The district was in darkness, as tho lamps were extinguished. Further details from Belfast state that for hours the soldiers and constables were subjected to a bombardment with paving stones and other missiles from two to three thousand frenzied people. . The women carried aprons lull ot stones ana other missiles to upper windows and joined in the fray. The troops, in pursuing the rioters, used the butt ends of their rifles. From the houses men hurled stones in showers, which came back thrown by the troops. Mobs of maddened men and women were rushing in all directions cursing the military. Captain Welsh, the military magistrate, called upon tho crowd to disperse, but stones and groans were the only responso, and eventually the order was given for the troops to fire. The Times and Telegraph agree that tho soldiery themselves, many of whom wore wounded, became infuriated and chaiged down the streets with fixed bayonets and yelling. , , , No sooner had tho cavalry cleared tho thoroughfares than tho mobs returned or surged up and down tho side streets where tho tactics wcro I repeated. When 3000 maddened people were iu poscsssion of Fulls Road the soldiers and the mob were fighting hand to hand and tho troops wcro driven bach The position of the Belfast strikers has been strengthened, inasmuch as they share tho strike benefits ot the General Federation of Trados Unions, consisting of a regular weekly'payment to each striker, independently of any money voted by individual trades unions within tho Federation. Tho third death from wounds has occurred in Belfast. Mpuy houses were completely wrecked and several streets previously paved with stones wero entirely torn up.