Vancouver Riots.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 15, 12 October 1907, Page 15

Vancouver Riots.

HINDUS CLEARED OUT. ' Vancouver files contain an account 'of the riot which occurred .at Boilingham,. in the United States, on September (■4. It appears that. owing, to Hindus having replaced whites, in mills in the city, 500 white labourers began a-crusado against them, with the result ; that l 700 ofthe Hindus were driven out of the ni. 's and from the town. . For five hours tho Hindus 'were terrorised, and left in' streams, some walking north, others training out. 1 It' is expected , that'the whole Hindus polony';.will: migrate as : soon, as they, re- , ceive their pay from the mills. • Trouble was expected for some time, chiefly ow;ing:to"the number of whites whom the •blacks. wero'. oilsting, ■ but also' to the ! alleged fiict ■ that 'they;! were 'becoming :insolent;*; and " obnoxioiis to white women. i - ;.The ; moi) raided the.mills'wliere the Indians were working,...and_ battered ■down, tho.-.vifjoprqf/ofn,j lodging-houses.. : Dragging 'ithjaitaliens'nironv thflißoheds,' the mob escorted them I ':to' -tlie' city: ,limits,'with orders'to keep moving. All 'the Indian /lodging-houses in ; Holly : Street were cleaned' but, -and the 'hlack men began to flock towards the Can- . adia'n. line.', .Police were, unable to check : the, mob,; whicli swept along the water, front, . visiting,; mill. after-.mill. The white ; employees, in-every, case joined 'tho mob, and the Hindus were hustled 'into the streets, and were, at the.suggestion of the police,. taken to gaol. 'After the''first' outbreak,' few' of the iOrientals were beaten;' butall wer6 ; dragged' out until the' last mill was cleared, 'about threeo'clock ,in the : morning, .when ,the crowd,dispersed._ ,: ' I■•-; JAPANESE : CHASE' WHITES. :1 ASIATICS AHMED TO THE. TEETH.. | : In the course of'conversation with the officers and passengers on the Vancouver mail .steamer. Aorangi, it was learned by. Brisbane, papers that the general .belief in .Vancouver was that the . recent: anti-Japanese and Chinese iriots.at that' place were precipitated by the action of the American citizens at IBellingham, in moving on the Hindus; IFor many months, Japanese and Chinese'had 1 been pouring into the city,'and Itaking.work at half tho price asked'for 'By the whites, who were! greatly, in-, censed. The Mongolians also entered into every description of business, and Iwere under-selling their, white competitors to such an extent that things were looking gloomy for the latter.' On the night when the bitter feeling '.culminated in ; a; sudden outburst of Ifury, a large' number' of' lumber-men and labourers were in town. A big meeting was'held at a. city hall to protest, anil. pass resolutions: urging the Government to, take _steps ! to restrict the importation of Asiatics and Orient- 1 als, The hall, howover,'could not contain the crowds, and overflow meetings were held in the street. When these' meetings ' terminated those who took part inarched through! the streets carrying;flags.and banners. On. reaching the Asiatic, .quarter of the city the roughor element in the procession took control, and in a few minutes ;windows were smashed on all sides, and the 'Chinese were scuttling into; their houses, where they remained. 'Tho crowd continued their march of destruction, and did not leave a pane, of glass intact in tho whole of that part of:the'city. , : Japanese' merchants ,and,coolies, enraged,- rushed > iiito_ tho streets armed .with every, description of , weapon, from tomahawks to broken jugs, and chased the whites, out-of sight. r Early the-following day, overy pistol and rifle and cartridge in the placo was .bought:up by the Asiatics, who walked about armed to tho tooth. Both sides made- preparations for a big fight on the next night, but the police, who were reinforced, barricaded .the streets and put an end to every attempt to open hostilities. The fooling among the . better class is . that , tho outburst wap simply a, sudden show of temper on the part of the white'workmen, and roally .no indication of tho presence of anysorious racial feeling.