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HONGKONG UNDER ARMS.
JAPANESE BOYCOTT MOVEMENT CAUSES A RIOT.
POLICE FIRE ON MOB
MILITARY CALLED OUT.
Intense excitement, mingled with considerable anxiety, prevailed in the western part of Hong. kong on Sunday night and the whole of Monday (Nov 1 and 2), when pre-arranged attacks were made by sympathisers with the Japanese boy. cott movement to loot or wreck all Chinese shops which were trading in Japanese products. The mobs had worked themselves up into a high state of excitement, and were unwilling to obey the commands of the police who strove patiently against the riotous crowd before re- sorting to force. But even the use of clubbed rifles and batons could not quell the spirit Sof the mob who were evidently out for blood, and by their behaviour on Monday brought the ire of the police carbines upon themselves before the Riot Act was read. There can be no doubt that the primary cause of the riot was the selling of boycot ed Japanese goods by Chinese firms, but different reasons are given as to what actually led up to the first attack.
A prominent Chinese gentleman informed us that the riot had its origin in the publication of a paragraph in a Japanese paper stating that the Chinese were tired of the boycott and would raise it on the first day of the 10th moon (October 25th), Following the publication of this paragraph Japanese lanterns, on which were painted fish with their heads where their tails ought to be, are alleged to have been hung before certain Japanese shops in Amoy, and it was this deadly insult which the Chinese could not brook. Even one instance of the kind, our informant men- tioned, would be so a spread over the Empire, and would be sufficient to increase the already strained relations between the peoples of the two Eastern empires.
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BOYCOTTERS FROM CANTON
The Hongkong orowd, it would appear, were incited to action by a number of Chinese boycotters who have arrived at this port from Canton. There can be no doubt that the riot had been well organi-ed and planned. and all the shops marked beforehand where Japanese goods were supposed to be sold. It was at West Point that the first spark of insubordina. tion flashed, and thence it spread city wards to the boundary of the central district, where the most serious rioting took place,
THE START AT WEST POINT.
Early on Sunday morning it was reported to the Police Headquarters by Inspector Robertson that an apparently organised gang of coolies had carried away a large quantity of Japanese goods from a godown in Ko Shing Street. This report resulted in an extra posse of police being despatched to the scene of the trouble. They arrested a large number of the offenders and recovered the goods. Then all was quiet until seven o'ɑlook on Sunday night when a similar occurrence was reported from No. 10, Wai Wah Lane in
THE CENTRAL DISTRICT
where another godown which was broken into, and more Japanese goods were removed by a body of boycotters. The owner of this property hastened to the Central Police Station, and on his reporting the occurrence, another body of police was despatched, but arrived too late. The godown was empty before they were in sight of it. Matters now becoming serious, it was decided to keep these men on duty-in case of further looting, and the police had not long to wait before their services were required. The rioters next turned their attention to what are known as. “ring-throwing" shops, in which
■ legal lottery" is carried on. The first shop surprised was in Queen's Road West, near Fat Hing Street. A number of men rushed in, and it was not long before every article it contained was smashed up. These shops appear to have been a particular object of attack for the mob, who searched for them in all streets in the western part of the city and in every instance drove out the shop hands and destroyed the stock. By this time, about eight o'clock,
as
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE POLICE TURNED OUT EN MASSE,
and dividing themselves into sections, patrolled the western end of the city, Deputy Super- intendent King conducting operations. The streets were now thronged with su excited mob, and it was evident from remarks made by Chinese, which the police overheard, that they kaew very well what was afoot, and that the Japanese boycott movement had assumed serious head. Up till afne o'clock or later, the mob had not become aggressive, but when a squad of police rushed to the assistance of a shopkeeper in Lyndhurst Terrace, near Holly wood Road, and seized a number of rioters
BRICKS AND STONES BEGAN TO FLY. There happened to be a convenient pile of stones near the junction of these streets, and the mob made free use of these, pressing the police hard until assistance arrived and they were dispersed. Detective Bergeant Apple ton secured a ringleader of this mob, and after considerable molestation from his confederates, succeeded in taking him to the Central Station. Detective-Sergeant Terrett remained behind with some half dosen Bikh to protest a ship which the boycotters appeared exceedingly anxious to wreck. For a time the mob threatened to rush the Bergeant, and he was made the target of various missiles, bricks and stones being thrown at him from the street and the verandahs opposite, while
them at
men win were stationed on the verandahs above him attempted to drop flower pots on his head. With his resolver pointed at the rioters, however, Detec ive Terrett kept safe distance until help arrived. In this instance, as in most others, the Chinees showed great antipathy to the Indian police, and every time the Sikhs charged the mob they were driven back by volleys of stones.
Another Sergeant in Des Voeux Road was maofully guarding a shop against a mob, and had been successful in keeping them at bay for & considerable time. But the boycotters were most anxious to enter that shop, and eventually gained admission by a cunning ruse.
A native, apparently out of breath, rushed up to the Sergeant and informed him that a shop in Connaught Road had been broken into. The Sergeant bastened to the scene only to find that he had been hoaxed, and on returning to the shop in Des Vos 1x Boad he found that it had been wrecked by the rioters.
At the Central Police Station a patrol was just moving out when a native reported to the Inspector on duty that the boycotters were about to attack his godown in Connaught Road and carry off his goods. A squad of police was specially directed to that locality, and arrived in time to save the shop. Several other places of business to which the rioters had directed attention were saved from destruction by the prompt intervention of the police, who did splendid duly throughout this trying time. One of their first doings when the riot became serious was to close all the arms abops and place a guard over each.
After midnight things (quistened dowɑ oɔn. aiderably, but the police did not relax thair vigilance. Next morning
RIOTING WAS RENEWED.
Just after the weary patrollers of the previous night arrived at the Central Station early in the morning, a report was received there that another attack was contemplated and the police were ordered out again
From that time on
matters went from bid to waree, and from a boycott of Japanere goods the occurrence developed into a mob riot.
Business was at a standstill in the western district, and as the mob grew more riotous many shops were closed. Armed police patrols were to to be met in all quarters, and in many instances were roughly treated by the rioters, wh sa prin- cipal weapons were bamboos and stones. At two o'clock on Monday afternoon word was sent to the Central Police Station that Queen's Road was filled with a howling mob of rioters who were throwing st des indiscriminately st anybody, and that
THE MILITARY MUST BE CALLED OUT. Fifteen minutes after this Detective In- spector Hanson was informed by telephone that the riot was increading; that the mob had attacked the police, and that one man had been shot, Mattars were now considered too serious for further delay in resorting to the last method
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ĮNöydimbou {9, 1908.
for quelling a disturbance, and word was sent to the General Offoer Commanding requesting that soldiers might be despatched to the doome of the rict.
It was the fight near the International Hotel in which the police were forced to fire: There dense mob had gathered with the intention of looting a shop when Sergeant Cooper, who had with him a Europ an and thres or four Indian constables, charged the rioters with clubbe i rif. The suddenness of their charge and the energy of their blows enabled the police to drive the mob along the road as far as the “Land wo Live in " Hotel. Here, however, the rioters were strengthened by mobe which poured into Queen's Road from each side of East Street, which is generally known as Taipingakan. This solid body of men then rushed the few con- stables, hurling bricks and stones at them which socording to one sightseer, fell as thick as hail - stones upon the heads of the custodians of the pesos. Bergeant Cooper's left arm was badly out and bleeding, but still he and his men boldly faced the mob and tried to drive them back. After another fusillade of stones, however, he saw that it was useless, and ordered
bis mea to fire.
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POLICE FIRE ON THE MOB.
The discharge of the carbines somewhat though they had been greatly surprised, and abated the energy of the mob, who looked as
In all about ten shots gradually fell back, ware fired, and two men were wounded, but not fatally. while a ballet passed through the leg of a One was shot through the buttocks, second man. There happened to be bluejackets baudy when Sergeant Cooper gave the order to fire, and it is stated that one handy man took the rifle out of a fallen Indian con- stable's hauds, and joined forces with the European constables. His bullet is believed to bave found a billet, bat he stated that it was not his fault He almed above the heads of the rioters, bat a falling brick lowered his elevation. The cool courage, of the Europesa polios at this crisis, socording to an onlooker, was a sight worth seeing, and the manner in which they stuck to their duty doubt that the police volley quenched the ardour was highly commendable. There can be no
the time the soldiers arrived all was compara- of the mob, for after this they fall book, zad by
tively quiet.
La
ARRIVAL OF THE MIDDLESEX MAN, When Mr. J. R. Wood, the Polios Al–istrate, and Captain Lyona, Amistant Superintendent of Polic, were observed stan ling outside the Café Weisman and looking anxiously along Queen's Road East, further developments were anticipated. The object of their wait was soon apparent, for a section of the Middlesex Regiment were observed marching westward. The Magistrate and Captain Lyons joined them, marouing_before the soldiery. At Bonham Strand West a halt was called, and here Captain Badeley, Superintendent of Police, and the Hon. Mr. E. A. Irving, B-gistrar-General, who was accompanied by Mr. Ho Kom Tong, put in an appearance. Mr. Wood held the Biot Act in his hand, ready to read it at the first indication of a disturbanos, but the sight of the men la khaki⋅ was enfioiost to keep ordar among the already frightened mob.
PEACEFUL PERSUASION,
Mr. Ho Kom Tɔng was present as inter- preter, and exhorted the mób to return, to ther homes and thus avoid b'oodshed. But ouriosity held both rioters and those who were present simply to "look see,” and soarosly
man took the advice tendered. Manatima. the police continued to soutter the mob in all directions, while the soldiers paraded in different streets. It was not long before a second section of the Middlesex arrived, soon to be followed by a third lot, and the three sheticiss drew up in the form of a triangle st junction of Queen's Boid sad Bɔnkım Strand West. Hire, all was expectation amɔng the Europeans present, who anxiously awaited ceedings and the probable reading of the Rio Aot. Bat nothing happened. The demonstr tion of the soldiers was suffoient for the Quiethess reigned, and the Magistrate retur w the city. The moldiary, however, rom on duty, sad as squads marched up the dif a rests branching off from Queen's Bond" was a 'general scatter of natíven before thani, **