A MILITARY RIOT ABOUT A KISS.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 9, 1 December 1877, Page 4

A MILITARY RIOT ABOUT A KISS.

A serious disturbance occurred at Southsca, England, recently. As is usual on Easter Monday, the common was crowded with soldiers aad sailors engaged in various holiday sports. At one corner a great number were playing at kiss in the. ring, and during the game a soldier belonging to the first battalion of the Sixtieth Rifles, happened to kiss a girl with whom a marine artilleryman was keeping company. A fight ensued then between the two soldiers. A second rifleman interfered for the protection of his colleague, whereupon three other artillerymen took part in the aflray. The marine artillerymen at first largely outnumbered the riflemen, but a number of the latter soon came to the rescue from the Clarence Barracks, where they were quartered. The fight then became general, and waist-belts being freely used, some serious wounds were inflicted upon the heads and faces of the belligerents. The efforts of the police being unavailing, strong pickets of the Rifles and the Twenty-first Fusilo?rs were brought to the ground, by whon several captures were made and p;ace was restored. An artilleryman *;ceived a bayonet wound in the head while endeavouring to rescue a compaiion from the custody of the pickets.