The Eastbourne Riots.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6750, 3 February 1892, Page 2

The Eastbourne Riots.

Per Monowai at Auckland.) LONDON, Jan. 10. The trouble between the Salvation Armj and the authorities at Eastbourne resulted in a riot of unusual violence on January 3rd. For a long time there has been open war between the Salvation Army and the police. The former assert, the Eastbourne officials have displayed a feeling of religious intolerance in their treatment of the Army, and so determined were the members of that body to maintain what they deemed' their judicial rights that they propose to introduce a Bill into Parliament to repeal or amend the Eastbourne Improvement Act, by which the town officials prevent the Salvationists from holding meetings in the streets. On the day in question the Eastbourne contingent of the Salvation Army was divided into four sections, and stationed in different parts of the town. The police broke up these meetings with some trouble, but in the afternoon sixty of the Army again sallied from the barracks, and proceeded to the beach, followed by.an immense crowd, who menaced them with all manner of ill-treatment. Once upon the beach the Salvationists knelt down on the sands in craver. As they did so they linked arms, the better to repel the assaults of the mob, should the latter take it into their heads to charge. The mob hooted and yelled, and finally made an ugly rush. Some Salvationists were thrown to the ground, but immediately resumed tbeir kneeling position and continued prayer. Several times the rushing was repeated, but the Salvationists paid no more attention than was necessary to avoid being seriously hurt. A number of police were present, and the mob reviled them for not dispersing the Salvationists. As soon as the praying was concluded the Salvotionisls rose to their feet. This seemed the signal for a preconceived attack, for the mob immediately swooped down upon the band, scattering them in wild disorder. Many were atruok, kicked and otherwise ill-treoted. The musical instruments used by the Salvationists seemed specially to excite the ire of the mob, and the persons bearing them were singled out for more than the usual brutal treatment. The mob got possession of the instruments, and after smashing them threw them into the sea. Then a detachment of mounted police charged the crowd. They made no distinction between men and women, and they rode down upon the crowd, trampling the mob, male and female alike, under tbe feet of the horses. Many of the crowd were severely hurt. The Salvationists declare that tbe police,instead of protecting them, deliberately struck them and rode over them. Their clothes were torn and their hats lost. A number of women lost their skirts and jackets in tbe wild rush following tto charge of tbe police, their garments

being torn off in their desperate struggle to escape being trampled on by the horce?. During the melee the standard of the Halva, (ion Army fell into the hands of the enemy. Some of the Salvationists charged to regain their flag, and a fierce fight resulted. Finally the Salvationists regained their standard, and, under a rain of blows, succeeded in getting away from the mob with the flag in their possession. After some little time (he Salvationists, their clothing bedraggled and their faces showing the merles of illtreatment, rallied around their standard, formed in regular lines, and, surrounded by police, marched back to the barracks. Despite this protection they were not safe from attack for the mob several times charged upon them, end the police were almost powerless to prevent injuries being inflicted. Some of the more rabid of the mob got possession of vehicles, and, paying no attention to the police, drove deliberately into the Salvationists’ ranks with the intention of running over them.