LATE ENGLISH NEWS. IRISH AFFAIRS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2218, 25 September 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

LATE ENGLISH NEWS. IRISH AFFAIRS.

Belfast, August 2. At the Belfast Police Court to-day,, Colonel Forbes, who received a wound on Saturday night, presiding, Thomas Stevens was charged with stone-throwing and thereby breaking the jaw of a girl and permanently injuring her, find was remanded. Patrick O'Neill, who belonged to ' Che- Catholic partjr which attacked some Protestants ou the Central Railway bridge on Saturday; was fined 20s for stone-throwing. Five others were fined for stone-throwing, and <t7r castts were adjourned. Five other prisoners were charged with being; members ,of a stone-throwing mob, whioh assaulted the police on the Shankhill-road on Saturday night. They were sentenced, to two months' imprisonment each. Notioe of appeal was given. Seven others were sentenced to four months' imprisonment. Robert Bradshaw,, in whose possession some tumblers were found, and who was proved to have been connected with the mob that wrecked a Ror.aan Catholic publichouse, was sentenced to four months' imprisonment. The Rev. Dr. Kane issued an address to-day ' to the Urangemen, congratulating them upon having kept entirely clear of the present riots, and condemned the violence of the police. In a discussion which took place at a meeting of the Belfast - Corporation today, complaint was made regarding the proclamation of the town without the Mayor-having been consulted. Alderman T k ,Haslett described it as setting aside the constitutional authorities of the town, and completely ignoring the position which the Mayor! occupied as chief magistrate of the town. The action of the Government in the matter was strongly condemed by many other members. To-night i several parts of the town were again in a very excited state, and the military and the police were called out in large numbers. The thoroughfare that presented the most disturbed appearance was York-street, and at various points .strong forces both of cavalry and infantry were posted. At the lower end of York-street is the terminus of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway, and here a large crowd assembled awaiting the return.of the members of the confraternity of St. Joseph who had been out of town on their usual excursion. Among the assemblage awaiting them were both Roman Catholics and Protestants, and as it was a band conected with a Protestant excursion which was attacked on Saturday night, the magistrates dreaded that an attack would be made to-night on the Catholic excursionists. At the terminus both cavalry and infantry were drawn up awaiting the train. When it arrived some of the excursionists got upon jaunting cars, some went into the tramears, and the remainder mixed with those who had been awaiting them. Some hooting and groaning took place, and this was followed by stone-throwing. Great excitement prevailed. The constables used their staves freely, and the military came to the assistance of the police. The disorder, however, continued, and one or two houses were attacked and wrecked. The police were vigorously stoned, and after a time they fired a few shots, but no serious results were reported. At 9 o'clock the disorder had ceased, but Yorkstreet was still crowded with excited throngs. In York-street and the thoroughfares adjoining shots were again fired by the police with fatal effect: A young man named George Williamson was wounded in the chest and died while being conveyed to Dr. Ganlt's surgery. A man named Thompson, a tailor, was shot while the police were facing a riotous mob at Mr Edward Sharman's publichouse in Little George-street. The premises of Mr Stephen M'Kenna, publij can, in the same street, were wrecked and looted. Two detectives were severely beaten and one was stabbed in the face. August 3. About six o'clock this evening, when the Protestant workers in Combe's foundry were coming from their work the)' were violently attacked by Nationalists. The police charged the mob, driving them up North Howard -street and into Conw ay -street. Here stones were thrown at the police, and after some hot work the' officer in charge of the district, Inspector Scott, there being no magistrate present, ordered his men to fire, which they did, wounding three persons in the crowd. The latter— young men — were taken to a surgery, where the pellets were extracted. The wounds are not dangerous. Some rioting has occurred in another part of the town, but it was not serious. August 4. There was a great deal of excitement at Belfast to-day, but up to this evening there had been no serious rioting. Several persons, charged with stonethrowing and other offences, were brought before the magistrates to : day, and two months' imprisonment was the sentence in the majority of the cases. A meeting was held this evening to consider the action of the police, and to devise means for the protection of life and property. A verdict that " Death was caused by buckshot wouuds " was returned to-night at an inquest on Edward Black, previously described as George Williams, who was shot on Monday evening. Joseph and John Walker, father and son, were to-day committed for trial, charged with the murder of Head Constable Gardiner and Private Hughes, of the West Surry Regiment, on the night of July 14. A later telegram says :— There has been a renewal to-night of the rioting in the Shankhill district, and the police in more than one place have been obliged to fire. Some sbipworkers from . the Queen's Island came into contact with the constabulary. They threw Iron nuts ; a great deal of disturbance ensued, and the police fired, but no fatality resulted. Further up the Shankhill-road the constabulary also fired. There is much excitement to-night in the Shankhill-road and the Falls-road district.