The Rioting at Leicester.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5581, 31 March 1886, Page 3

The Rioting at Leicester.

FACTORY HANDS ON STRIKE. [Per Brindisi Mail — Forwarded by tie Star's London Correspondent.] Our London correspondent sends us tie following details of the rioting at Leicester, as they appeared in the fifth edition of tie London Evening Standard of Feb. 12 : — Up to a late hour last night a great riot was proceeding at Leicester, thousands of excited people attacking the principal hosiery factories, where the hands sre on strike against a reduction of wages. T.he riot commenced late in the afternoon, when a mob of several thousand people attacked the large warehouse of M.* Councillor Eowley, breaking every sieet of "loss with large stones. The nicb quite overpowered the police, and the stones greatly damaged the delicate machinery in the factory. The nub proceeded first to one factory aid then to another, doing the utmost possible damage. In Churchgate the mob Attacked several factories. Not a single sheet of glass was left undestroyed in Whirf street and King Btreet. In King streo; a handsome factory, just completed, lad every window smashed to atoms, and the machinery injured. The police rallied as quickly as possible and chargei the mob, but were not able effectually t< doal with i them on account of their num>ers. The police succeeded, with groat dfficulty, in ■ apprehending four men, all sloe hands, . and who, therefore, had nothing to do with i the strike.

In Butt-close lane the windows of Messrs Jeaning and Co. were destroyed; a few doora away in Blake street, Messrs Hart's factory windows were treated in similar fashion, and the damage done here i 8 very Berious. On the Welford-road, where some of the chief factories are situated, the damage done is very serious. Some of the factories have as many as fifty windows facing the street, and each window contains twenty-four panes of glass, the whole of which are destroyed. The damage caused by riots at Leicester last night is greater than at first reported, and over a dozen large factories have been cleared of their windows. The rioters again assembled this morning, and quickly gathering at particular points, the police were again unable to prevent the windows being smashed. The numbers are so great, and the rioters pass so quickly from one ; part of the town to another, that it is impossible for the police to muster in suffi- ; cient force to preserve order. Information j has been received at the central office • stating that the rioters have assembled at , the largest factory in the town where no j dispute exists, and police reinforcements : have been telegraphed for from Manchester, | Sheffield, Nottingham, and other places. : Four young men have been fined this morning 40b for throwing stones yesterday, : but the ringleaders are not yet appre- j hended. As the aspect of affairs is beginning to be very serious, the military have been telegraphed for. The rioters made a determined attack on the warehouse of Messrs Cooper and Co., but were driven back by men with powerful hose-pipes, aided by the police. The rioters then proceeded to smash the factory windows in Friday street.