We are indebted to a Chinkiang resident for the following account of the riot and its most probable origin. Some three or four months ago instructives were issued by the Chinkiang Municipal Council to the police to clear certain roads in the Concession, which hnd been taken fies and others. A Sikh constable was wa session of by crowds of pedlars, row-
ordered to tell the crowd to move on" which demand they resisted and a distarbance followed. The interpreter in the American Consulate was on the scene and caught hold of the Sikh and attempted to drag him away by force saying he would bring him before the Council. The Sikh however declined to go. further than the Police Station, and there the Inter-prefer alleged that the Constable had inculted ex ted him. The charge was afterwards investigated by the Council, and though nothing was proved against the constable, who was only carrying out his orders, he was reprimanded, more to appease the Chinese than anything'elsc, This did, however, not appease the Interpreter, and from that time there was a very stra feeling against the Sikhs, the dismissal of all of whom was demanded by the Chinese, which demand the Council refused -of course tv accede to. On last Tuesday it appears a Sikh interfered with crowd of noisy people and told one man in particular to go away. This man afterwards went to the Station and complained that he had been kicked by the Sikh. The Police Surgeon and a Chinese doctor afterwards examined the man, but could find no traces of his having received any violence, and he was sent about his business. A short distance fromthe stationhefell down, it is supposed '"shamming dead", and a crowd of excited Chinese of the lower class and including large numbers of children and women surrounded the man shouting that he was dead and that the Sikh had killed him. A rush was made upon the Station which in less time than it takes to write Was completely invested by the howling and excited mob. The occupants of the Station, consisting of Mr. Nissen, six Sikhs and eight Chinese constables, flew for their lives through the back door, and the mob commenced to demolish the building which was speedily{accumplished, hardly one stone being left standing on another, the crowd pulling the place completely down. The next move was to the residence of some of the Municipal Council, the crowd shouting that they wanted Mr. Gregson and Mr. David. "The occupants of these houses escaped out by the back doors and the crowd smashed windows but did not enter the houses, apparently being told that there were no Europeans inside. In the meantime Mr. Mansfield, the British Consul, had sent to the native authorities to send him assistance, and after some delay four warmed ed on the scene, but they were powerless or unwilling to interfere with the proceedings of the crowd, who after setting fire to Mr, Duff's houses directed their attention to the British Consulate. Mr. Maustield, Mrs. ofanstield, their two children and all the other occupants of the building had barely time to ty when the building was in flames, the rioters piling inflammable stuff on all sides. Not a book or paper was saved, we believe, and the entire building was consumed. ' Mrs. Mansfield had not even time to get her shoes on, and in this plight had to to a place of safety. The next building, the American Consulate, was then attacked, but changing their tactics, the rioters did not set fire to it because it was surrounded by Chinese houses, but contented themselves with stripping it of everything mevable and looting it completely. The native military authorities had by this time bestirred themselves so far as to send down six more unarmed men, who either from fear or inability or sympathy, which seems more likely, did not interfere with the work of destruction, but stood by while the miscreants were busy. In fact itis stated on good authority that some of the braves actually turned their uniforms inside out and joined in the work of demolishing the Toco: and wife and child had to fly in the property of the "foreign devils." General same precipitate manner as the residents in the adjoining consulate, and almost the whole foreign population which is about seventy-ti fight over the hill, the ladies of the community with their children rushing from their "houses in the clothes they stood in and leaving all their property at the mercy of the mob. The crowd then commenced to fire the concession in various places, a row of three uew houses recently built by Mr. Duff, one of which was occupied by Mr. Innocent of the Cza: oms, whose wife was lying dangerouaiy ili inside, was in a blaze ina few wid has been burnt down, 4 large rumper of native soldiers had by this time arrived and some petty mandarins appeared on the scene, but they either could or would do nothing quell the riot, which had now assumed enormous proportions, the streets and Bund of the Concession being densely packed with savage mob amongst whom a foreigner could not appear with safety. Mr. Gregson in passing through from the Consulate was attacked and badly injured with stones. This is we believe the only case of personal injuries toa foreigner, but, it afterwards transpired that Inspec'or Nissen had fallen into the hands of the Chinese and was carried off into the The mob next set fire to two missier houses outside the concession, those of the Rev. Mr. Bryan andthe Rev. Mr, Hunnex which were soon in ashes along with the Baptist Chapel to which they were attached. A large godown belonging to Pbre Chevalier, containing a quantity of valuable property, was also burat lown, and we believe another godown was also destroyed. The Methodist Chapel was looted, and the Customs Club set on fire and looted. The little foreign community after most trying time, in which several ladies had hysterics, reached a place of safety on board the hulk Cadiz, where they remained till the welcome arrival of the steamer Kiengyii, in the evening, offered them a safer shelter.' The mob when they saw the foreigners go on board the. hulk swarmed down to the river side, but the precaution of raising the bridge had been fortunately taken, and they were unable to get on board which they attempted to do several times. The foreigners numbering between fifty and sixty were then transferred to the steamer, which was placed in the kindest manner by the Captain and Officers, at their disposal. They remained on board all night and next day sri attempt was made to get on shore by some of the gentlemen, escorted by Chinese soldiers. and the sailors of the Kianyyx, They succeeded only in bringing back a few valuables from their houses, which did not appear to have suffered in most instances beyond having all their windows broken. The Concession, however, presented a very changed appearance, not a lamp was left standing, the ronds were torn up in places, the railings and trees along the Bund pulled down.
The mob on this occasion presented a much more strong inclination to do violence to foreigners than on the previous day and stones were frequently thrown, In one scute Mr. Bean, we are told, was captured by the mob, and carried a short distance, but he was subsequently recaptured by the sailors and soldiers and put on board again, The crowd had increased in dimensions since the previous day, and the Concession was entirely in their hands, The native officials were going about apparently trying to pacify the rioters, and the Chief Magistrate's chair was smashed and he himself roughly handled.
It seems that while the Consulate was burning about two hundred soldiers appeared on the scene, with fixed byoners, of which they made no further use however than to loosen the bricks for the rioters to throw at the windows of other houses.
As we mentioned yesterday several telegrams from the Consuls were sent to Shanghai for assistance in the shape of a man-of-war.
It was the general opinion that if the native authorities had sent a strong body of soldiers upon the scene at once instead of shiily-shellying after their wonted man. ner, the riot would have been easily repressed in the beginning.
"Strange to say the rioters did not inter-fore with the Custom House people or buildings, and neatly all the Customs' people with their wives and families have remained behind. The rest of the community, with the exception of General Jones, U. 8. Consul, Messrs. Mansfield, H. P. M.'s Consul, Gregson, Starkey, and Ins Jer. went on board the Ngankin when she arri vd.
On Wednesday afternoon the Viceroy's Deputy saw Mr. Mansfield and implored him not to send for a foreign man-of-war, being probably apprehensive for his own and fellow officials' buttons, if not of some sterner fate. We are informed that the high Chinese officials were nearly all away at the time of the riot, and that they have since sent a couple of thousand soldiers to the scene, where they have now little more todo than keep watch over the ruins of the lately flourishing little concession, About the time the Ngankin was leaving Chinkiang, the mob were commencing to burn down a number of Chinese houses belonging to Mr. Chu Vu-chee (of the China' Merchants Company) of which Mr. Starkey is the agent. The crowd piled reeds soaked in kerosene oil against the houses, and set them alight, which
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.