PATRIOTS AND PRO-BOERS

Lake County Press, Issue 974, 8 August 1901, Page 2

PATRIOTS AND PRO-BOERS

RUCTIONS AT QUEEN’S HALL. YOUR CORRESPONDENT’S SEARCH FOR LOCAL COLOR. [From the Evening Star’s Correspondent.j LONDON, June 21. An’ the sticks they all wint whackin’ An’ the skulls, fai'x, they wuz crackin' Whin “Labby” took the flure at Queen’s Hall meeting. “Never again!’’ That’s what I said as, with sorely damaged hat, my tie under one ear, my collar dangling over ray shoulder, and my best Sunday frock coat minus one tail, I extricated myself from a seething mass of humanity in the neighborhood of Queen’s Hall last Wednesday evening. Those words I emphatically endorsed as in a kindly tailor's cheval glass I surveyed the wreck of one who had been quite a respectable journalist, even for these cleanshirt days of the craft, a bare hour before. The thing reflected had no element of re* spectability about it. It looked like one of those creatures which may sometimes be seen escorted by a posse of police from the neighborhood of “Jimmy’s” at 1 a.m., or the remains of a football umpire, it had a clearly-defined “ mouse ” on the left eye, a beautifully-variegated bump the size of a pigeon’s egg on its forehead, a purple weal extending diagonally across its face, and one ear was several sizes too big for its fellow. The whole seemed to have been lodging for a night in a dust-bin. In a dreamy sort of way I pitied the poor thing, for though It was leallv Me I was hardly cognisant of the fact till a burly constable came up and said not unkindly: “You’d best be gittin’ ’ome. Gosh ! but they giv you a doin’.” He spoke for once, at any rate, real solid truth. They had given .ne a doin’,” and as the memories of that night of bliss crowd upon me to-day I once more ejaculate “Never again!” I went to Queen’s Hall for the purpose of listening to an address by Mr Sauer, one of the South African gentleman who have been stumping England “agin the war.” I was told that there was to be “ great fun,” and the friend who assured me of this fact likewise gave me a ticket of admission, without which, he told me, 1 hadn’t a dog’s chance of getting into He hall. So, being anxious to describe a proBoer meeting for you, with plenty of “ local color,” I greedily accepted the piece of pasteboard which was to be the “ Open Sesame” to a front seat and a good view of all there was to be seen. The “ local color ” I obtained, but I can’t transmit it to you, as it happens to be firmly fixed round my left optic and other parts of my face. But I will try to tell you what happened. About half-past five I passed Queen’s Hall just to see what sort of a meeting it was likely to be. There was then a little crowd in the neighborhood, but no symptoms of the “ fun ” promised. An hour later the side doors of the hall were opened to admit the “ stewards ” of the meeting, and a wise man would have taken their general appearance as a hint that it would probably not be good for him to be there. They were a tough lot, and some two or three score of medical students being also in evidence was a further strong hint to clear. “ Where ‘ medicals ’ gather trouble is sure to follow ” is a maxim one should keep in one’s mind in London. So far, however, there was no sign of rowdyism, for the medicos only serenaded the procession of “ stewards ’’ with snatches of patriotic songs, alternated by cheers for “Bobs.” Kitchener, “8.P.,” and Chamberlain, and cat-calls for Kruger and company. The gathering thickened as seven o’clock approached, and a fresh lot of constables reinforced those already trying to keep order in the ever-growing throng. The steady procession of “ stewards ” went on until at least 700 were installed in the hall. Then the ticket-holders were admitted, but we found to our chagrin that nearly all the best seats had already been taken by the “ stewards ” and their friends. The meeting, indeed, was “ packed,” and I question whether a dozen of the public who had no tickets succeeded in obtaining admission. Many tried, but the “ stewards ” had provided themselves with bludgeons, and—well —most people took their polite hints to quit. All parts of the hall were strongly garrisoned by the “ stewards,” whose badge of office was a piece of purple ribbon, and whose “ authority ” was usually a stout walking stick cut down to about eighteen or twenty inches, the shortening, of course, being at the expense of the ferrule end. Ructions began early. One of the ticketless few made his wav into the stalls. As he was indiscreet enough to cheer Lord Kitchener when the rest of the assemblage persisted in hooting the British commander, the latter’s solitary sympathiser was set upon by about a dozen of the purple insignia brigade, who literally dragged him out of the hall. From that time forward the “chucking out ” process was always in progress from some part or other of the hall. About a dozen students succeeded in making their wav into the top gallery, where they proceeded to sing snatches of patriotic songs, winding up with three hearty groans for Kruger. Immediately the whole house was on its feet calling for vengeance on the daring students. Amid considerable uproar and cries of “ Chuck them out fully a score of “stewards” made their way to the gallery. One of the students was caught by'the throat and dragged from his seat. A companion was treated similarly. Both made some show of resistance, for which they were handled brutally, being treated to what is known as the “Frog’s march ” in their progress towards the door. The “ chuckers-out ” had barely finished their task in the gallery when they were called upon to reinforce a threatened point on the ground floor. The crowd outside, maddened at being denied admission, set to work to batter down one of the entrance doors. They succeeded in forcing the door, and, elated *at their success, the wraththl opponents of packed meetings rushed along the corridor with the intention of making their way .into the gallery. But at this point the' stewards massed, bringing their bludgeons into play, beat back the invasion. damaged hats and torn collars remaining to mark the scene of the fracas. From this onward the bludgeon brigade were kept busy. The door leading to *he platform, on which were Mr Sauer and his supporters, was next threatened. There was an immediate rush of “ stewards ” to the scene, only to discover that they had been called thither by false alarms. A few seconds later there was a crash of glass in the upper gallery. A couple of the balcony windows had been smashed, and several of the occupants of the gallery itself were protesting vigorously against the tone of Mr Sauer’s speech. One of these was a soldier in khaki, who was wearing several war decorations. He consented to leave the gallery, but as he proceeded towards the exit door he was subjected to rough handling. Resenting his treatment, he was set upon and flung into the street. Following himi went a youth, who was brutally maltreated before being finally ejected. Meanwhile some young fellows in my rear neighborhood -ad been “ losing their wool,” and foolishly commenced to cheer whenever the names Chamberlain, Salisbury, Kitchener, etc., were mentioned by the speakers. This did not please the “ stewards,” and very soon they were “chucked out.” The brutality 'of the “ chuckers out ” raised my gorge, and I half rose in my seat to protest. My move- I ment was observed, and before 1 knew where I was a dozen hands were on me.

Out of the seat they jerked me, and with punch and push my passage to the door was accelerated. A stinging blow on the ear deprived me of what little self-restraint was left to me. With an effort I wrenched myself free, and, turning upon the ruffians, let fly blindly at the ugly mug nearest to hand. I got home one blow, and flatter myself that the recipient felt it. But next second I was in the grip again, and, sick from punches and half-dazed by a blow from a stick, my dishevelled body was thrown into the street. The crowd there was angry and lacking’ in discrimination, for they actually took poor me for a proBoer, and I should have fared badly indeed but- for the intervention of a posse of police. As it was I had more than enough of man-handling, and with more swiftness than dignity sought refuge in a quiet street hard by, there to repair as far as possible damages physical and intellectual before trekking homeward. As for speakers and their speeches, they may be passed over, for the former were Messrs Lnbouchere and Sauer, and their utterances were of the usual pro-Boer character. The resolution resultant was as follows:—“ That this meeting of the citizens of London assembled in Queen’s Hall condemns the South African policy of the Government as contrary to the highest interests and noblest traditions of the British people, protests against the continuance of an unjust and desolating war, and demands that such terms of peace shall be offered to the Boers of the two Republics as a brave and freedom-loving people could honorably accept.” But this was not strong enough for the meeting, and an amendment, including in the terms complete independence for tne Boers, was carried without dissent. The probable dissenters had all been “ chucked,” so the unanimity of the meeting was not particularly marvellous.