While a strong body of police were returning about five o╒clock this evening from duty at a meeting near the Custom-house they were followed by a crowd numbering several hundred. At the junction of Queen╒s Square and Princess-street a number of half-drunken roughs pouring out of the closing public-houses began groaning and boohing at the constables. The conduct of the crowd also became threatening. Head Constable Fogerty, who was in charge of about forty police, ordered his men to drive back the crowd with drawn batons. The constables did so, and made one arrest. While the prisoner was being rushed along Princess-street towards the central police office the crowd reassembled. The groaning and boohing continued. Again the police charged the mob with drawn batons, which were used freely on the heads and bodies of the crowd. During this charge Head Constable Fogerty made another arrest. The mob, which by this time had greatly increased in numbers, was quite undaunted, and began again to close in upon the police, when the ranks of the latter were suddenly reinforced, and for the third time batons were drawn and the Square cleared.
LATER
It appears that when the disturbance broke out the policemen were very roughly treated, being pelted vigorously with stones and other missiles. Word was sent to Brickfields Barracks, and a strong police detachment hurried to help their comrades. The mob was beaten back, two arrests being made, but the stone-throwers rushing through the side streets returned to the attack. The police patrol waggon arriving on the scene, the attention of the mob was directed towards it. The uniformed driver whipped up his horses and galloped in the direction of the central police station with two prisoners. At the corner of Grosvenor Road and Leeson-street another section of the mob attempted to stop the waggon, and failing in this threw volleys of stones after it.
Meanwhile three other arrests had been made, and amid threatening shouts and showers of broken metal and paving-stones efforts were made to rescue the prisoners. The constables stood their ground until additional reinforcements arrived from Roden-street and Springfield Road barracks. The sight of about a hundred constables coming at the double from two opposite directions had the desired effect on the mob, the members of which rushed helter-skelter in all directions.
As evening wore on the whole of the Falls and Shankhill Road districts were in a very excited state. The military, both cavalry and infantry, have been called out, as the Falls district of the city is in a very disturbed state.
Twenty police constables are reported to have been seriously injured in the Grosvenor Road riot. Heavy rain is falling, but it does not seem to produce much effect in the temper or conduct of the mob.
CAVALRY CHARGE THE MOB.
A Belfast correspondent of the Press Association says:╤ Rioting broke out afresh to-night in Belfast and as a result of the extraordinary scenes which occurred, the military were hastily mobilised and marched to the affected locality, which lies between the Grosvenor and Falls Roads ╤ a district mainly occupied by Nationalists. How the trouble arose cannot be ascertained, but several quarrels took place in the course of the afternoon. Towards evening the rows became general and the police found it necessary to interfere. Their interference was the signal for some wild scenes, and repeated baton charges were necessary to restrain the infuriated mob, which numbered several thousand. The rowdies resorted to the throwing of bricks and stones. Windows were smashed and a score of constables were struck. Seven of the injured men were removed to the infirmary.
Towards night, fearing a panic, the authorities summoned the military, and in a short time the Dragoon Guards dashed at a gallop amongst the rioters, followed at the double by detachments of the Essex and Cameron Highlanders. The presence of the military quelled the disturbance, but at a late hour they still formed a cordon round the disturbed area. The scene has not been paralleled since the famous riots of 1886, and but for the arrival of the military this portion of the city would have fallen a prey to the infuriated mob.
