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were complied with, but the really small fore e available for service in a riot, and to allow for proper reliefs, made it inadvisable to detach too many for this special service. Sikhs and foreigners alike behaved splendidly and with remarkable moderation. Captain-Superintend- ent Boisragon, with Messrs. McEnen and Fenton (cadets) were hard at work all day at headquarters, disposing their compact force to best advantage. At the Volunteer head- | quarters small arms and ammunition were served out to foreigners who asked for them, while the supply lasted, but later the issue was confined to present members of the S. V. C. and many young foreigners were disappointed.
POLICE PICKED OUT.
The police have been the central object of attack all through the agitation and very early in the day determined attacks were made on the Hongkow and Louza stations. At Hongkow the attack was easily beaten off, in great part by the judicious employment of a hose, and without casualty. The Louza affair was more serious; the fine building,was set on fire by the raging mob, and in spite of the efforts of police, reinforced by members of the Fire Brigade, became a complete wreck. The mob began by breaking down the surrounding wall, and using the bricks as weapons of attack. A large body forced themselves intó a small room at the side of the Charge-room, and obtaining possession set the place on fire. Incendiaries also got to work in two other parts of the ground floor, which was burnt out. The upper premises occupied by the sergeants and their families were not so badly damaged. All the prisoners except four in the cells were released. In the struggle that ensued three foreigners were injured, so badly that they had to be removed to hospital, An Inspector lost his thumb. The police in the anxiety to do nothing further to infuriate the mob were not supplied with ball ammunition at first, and the well meaning but unhappy precaution, was perhaps a reason that the riot was not quelled at once.
Seemingly encouraged by this success the mob turned their attention to the annexe of the Hotel Metropole which was also set on fire. Chairs and tables were tumbled into the street and what escaped the flames was deliberately amashed.
THE PUNISHMENT.
Bluejackets and volunteers interposed and shots were fired with the result that about seven Chinese were killed or wounded. The crowd then dispersed and the bodies were later remov- ed to the Central Police Station.
Prior to this one Chinese had been shot dead in the Maloo outside Messrs. Gande & Co's premises. The incident occurred as a party of Volunteers were marching up the Maloo. One of them was struck by a stone and fired into the crowd with fatal effect. The crowd disappeared. The body lay by the roadside for an hour or more, an object of grim curiosity to the passing natives. In the morning also an attack was made on a gunsmith's shop in Nanking Road, the object being apparently to gain possession of the arms and ammunition. The shop was stripped. One Chinese was killed in the struggle here. Other incidents recorded are the hustling of the Rev. W. A. Cornaby, the well-known sinologue and Chinese Editor on the Szechuen Road Bridge, by men who stole his watch; and an attack on Dr. Jackson. While a squad from "A" Company were patrolling the Malco during the afternoon a native advanced brandishing a naked sword. The foreign officer in charge shot him mortally. Riosha coolies refused their fares with some persistence. Lady Florence Boyle and her maid arriving by steamer could get no coolies until some marines came to their assistance and escorted them to the British Consulate. For a short time in the early afternoon the centre of excitement moved towards the Bund. Large crowds collected and natives swarmed over the lawns and established themselves in the seati reserved for foreigners. There was, however, no turbulence, and the patrols which were strengthened for a time were reduced again.
PARENTAL FEARS.
•
Two teachers on their way to the Public School were molested, and when the trouble began to grow serious, the Head-master (Mr. Lanning) decided to suspend lessons and the children were escorted home in parties, greatly to the relief of parents, who had been
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
tele phoning enquiries as to their safety. Con siderable anxiety was felt by those residing in the Bubbling Well and Sinza districts for their wives and families, especially about noon when communication had practically ceased for a while. Arrangements were, however, made for the reception of those for whom special apprehension was felt at the Country Club, and a strong guard from "A" company, which bad assisted in breaking up the trouble in Nanking Road, was ordered on to the Club and remained on duty there for the remainder of the day and night, with | reliefs. It was a remarkable sight in the afternoon, children, and anxious mothers, and some anxious fathers also. The guard had with them one of the maxim guns. The Italian detachment went on to the Italian consulate, where other refugees were received. At night the Italians undertook the patrol of Bubbling Well Road. The Artillery were on duty during the morning at the gunshed, but were not called out till 5 p.m. when, as the senior unit of the corps, they took up all night patrol duty. The Light Horse and Mounted Infantry were also out on patrol duty at night.
FRENCH SETTLEMENT IMMUNE, Although no rioting took place in the French Settlement, the French Volunteers were called out at night to keep a watch on the native city | and the approaches from that side to the International Settlement. A report was current that a body of Pootung rowdies were to make a descent on the Settlement about midnight, and a smart look out was kept for the invaders, but up to the time of going to press nothing had been heard of them. Two Shanghailanders, who were over on the Pootung side in the afternoon, reported everything quiet in that neighbourhood, though a guard of bluejackets had been posted for precaution at the Interna- tional Cotton Mill. Work proceeded there as usual. Admiral Sah's fleet of Chinese cruisers were specially guarding the Pootung side during the day and night.
ALL QUIET BY NIGHT.
With nightfall the Settlement returned to a quiet which seemed all the more profound by contrast with the noise and excitement of day. The Taotai had sent out illuminated proclamations on lantern poles exhorting the the people to return to their homes, and the Municipal Council also had out manifestoes. Except for a stray ricsha-coolie here and there the streets were deserted by Chinese and the patrols had the thoroughfares to themselves. The Fire Brigade who had been in uniform all day in case of need, had by comparison with some recent days, a very easy time. The Municipal Electric Light Station was guarded at night by thirty five marines. During the morning many of the foreign shops in Nanking Road put up their shut- ters, and practically all the native shops, including those doing business with foreigners, were closed. It was explained in many instances that the closing was done under compulsion, that the shop keepers were afraid to keep their stores open lest worse befall. In the afternoon the Tactai issued a proclamation calling on the shopkeepers to reopen their shops. Indeed he himself appeared accompanied by other officials in the Maloo and made a personal call on the shopkeepers to reopen "for the present." He enforced his arguments by the statement that foreigners had already killed several Chinese and it was useless to persist in the rioting.
AN UGLY report.
[December 30, 190,
no
A
Road between 9.30 and 11 a.m. There was a disturbance near the Fire Engine station, a great mob surrounding four or five English police and four Sikh policemen. There were Chinese police present. The mob were throw- ing stones at the foreigners and police. foreigner who was apparently a Spaniard attempted to force his way through, by firing a ninechambere i revolver in the air. The mob continued to throw stones at him and the foreigner then fired into the mob several times, bringing down several killed and wound- ed. The police did not fire, but used their batons and clubbed the mob who were armed with bamboo sticks. The police were unable to get hold of those who fell; they were taken away by their Chinese friends. About 5 p.m. four Chinese officials on horseback in Hongkew were exhorting the people to keep quiet.
A spectator in Nanking Road supplied inter- esting particulars. He was near the Town Hall at about 8.30 a.m. A small crowd of natives went to the proprietor of a chow ́shop and ordered him to close up at once. There was a disturbance and two Chinese police sergeants came along and took the ringleader towards the Louza police station; a foreign gentleman and a constable helped. The crowd meantime had grown very rapidly and practically filled the roadway. Every foreigner passing by was held up. Ricshas were overturned. A foreign lady was hustled and her cloak torn off. A motor car belonging to Mr. G. D. Pitzipios, the British Vice-Consul, came along; the crowd seized it, maltreated the occupants, turned the car over and set it on fire; it was burnt completely up in the middle of the roadway. Several foreigners on bicycles were stopped and their machines thrown into the bonfire. A lady was among the cyclists stopped. Then the mob turned their attention to the Town Hall, which they stoned, smashing the windows. A body of police, with arms, arrived and were greeted with a volley of stones. They fired two rounds cf blank cartridge without producing any effect on the mob and then fired a round of ball cartridge killing three men. Three of the Sikhs had themselves been injured. Sergeant Robinson was out on the head, and Mr. Stewart who only lately left the Force, and happened to be present, was very badly wounded. P. C. Timmins was also slightly hurt. The injured men were taken into the Town Hall. A squad. of British bluejuckets now came up the Maloo and cleared the way. They halted first at the Town Hall and then proceeded to the Horse Bazaar: a small detachment of volunteers followed, and then more marines. After these
& body from the Italian Marco Polo with a howitzer, and the Maloo was completely cleared from Chekiang Road to the Horse Bazaar, several rounds (of blank ammunition apparently) being fired down the side alleys. This informant made his way along to the International Bicycle Company's premises to secure some more effective firearms than his small pocket pistol, but the shop was already in the hands of the mob who were on the same quest. One of the crowd was shot by him, and carried away by the Chinese.
came
FIRST IMPRESSIONS,
"
crniser
the
The editorial remarks first made were to the effect that the weakness of the British Minister in ordering the surrender of the prisoners had ben inisconstrued that it was a case of giving an inch to those who would at once assume it safe to take an ell. The riot (in which no better class Chinese participated) was deliber. A very ugly report reached the office of our ately planned and prepared outside contemporary, on what appeared to be good Settlement, and salt smugglers, rowdies, and authority, the authority at all events of one who loafers, men of whom the countryside is full, speaks Chinese fluently and was in touch with joined, we are assured, by Chinese soldiers in what was being said upon the streets. Accord-mufti, have been paid to come into the Settle- ing to this report, as many as 1,500 Chinese soldiers in the pay of certain officials, but out of uniform had been sent among the people during the morning and were the real ringleaders in urging the closing of shops. It was only when it was seen that the foreign element was too strong that an attempt was made to withdraw from this hostile attitude. One official had been seen during the morning inciting the pecple.
FOREIGN GUERILLAS.
Apparently there were "eyewitnesses" who enjoyed the excitement, and were eager to re- count their experiences. One of the most vivid glimpses is the tale of what one saw in Hanbury
i
ment and make a disturbance.. It is not yet known who distributed the placards on Sunday ordering the Chinese to close their shops, but there is good reason to believe that the parties really responsible are the heads of the boycott movement. The mob was reinforced by the members of the beggars' guild, whose chief aim was, of course, loot; and Chinese state that the first victims were Chinese shopkeepers who had not entirely closed their shops. For, owing to the representations made by the guilds, and especially the bankers' guild, who did everything they could to prevent a breach of the pesce, the shopkeepers in many cases opened their shops as usual, and only closed them when the riot began.
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