BELFAST NEWSLETTER MARCH 20 1879:

POLICE INTELLIGENCE:
     Custody Court-Yesterday ( Before C.D.Clifford Lloyd, Esq., R.M., and J.C.O’Donnell, Esq., R.M.)
     ASSAULTING THE POLICE – Bernard M’Meehan was brought up in custody of Sub-Constable Niblock, charged with being drunk and disorderly on the Old Lodge Road the previous day.
     Sub-Constable Niblock said he arrested the prisoner for being drunk and disorderly, and boohing(?)the police. When passing the end of Millfield he called out: ‘Was there no one to take notice of him?’. After he had gone a few perches down North Street he thre himself down and kicked the constable, who had to get two civilians to assist him. About two perches down further down the street he again threw himself down, and assaulted another constable who came to Niblock’s assistance.
     His Worship sentenced him to one month’s imprisonment for being drunk, and two months for each assault.

     STONE THROWING IN SMITHFIELD: - Two young men names Wm. H Smith, and Patrick Mallon, and a woman named Mary M’Cullough, better know in the area as ‘Home Rule Mary’, were brought up in custody of Sub Constable Magowan, charged with being drunk and disorderly in Millfield, and using party expressions.
     Sub Constable Magowan said that Smith and M’Cullough were drunk in Millfield. Passing the end of Brown Street where a crowd had collected, who had been throwing stones at another crowd in Brown Street, they shouted for Home Rule and in consequence were arrested. When arrested the crowd in Millfield followed them and and stoned the police until they got to Divis Street Barracks. Mallon appeared to be the leader of the crowd, and took up several stones which he put in his pockets, and afterwards threw at the police.
     His Worship ordered Smith to be arrested for fourteen days; M’Cullough, against whom there were thirty-three convictions, for one month, and Mallon, who, he said, had appeared to be the ringleader of a mob that took it on them to stone the police in the execution of their duty, for six months.

PARTY EXPRESSIONS: - A man named John Donnelly was brought up in custody of Head Constable Collins charged with being drunk and using party expressions in Ballymacarrett, the previous evening. Head Constable Collins said that the prisoner was drunk at the Bridge End, Ballymacarrett, and was cursing King William at the top of his voice. His Worship ordered him to be imprisoned for one month with hard labour.

THE SMITHFIELD RIOT: - Bernard M’Anulty was brought up in custody charged with riotous conduct in Smithfield on Monday morning last.
Mr M’Lean prosecuted.
     Mr Thomas Hamilton, R.M., said that on Monday morning as the crowd was attempting to force their way past the police in West Street, a small party came down the street with a band and flag. Those in front were driven back a short distance , and the party were allowed to pass through the line of police into Smithfield. The mob in Smithfield attempted to force their way through the police, who were stoned by the people in West street and from the houses. Mr Gardiner, S.I., came down West Street with the mounted police and drove the mob back into Smithfield. They were then driven back by furious volleys of stones, many of which struck the men and horses. Mr Gardiner reformed his men two or three times and charged the mob into Smithfield, the stone throwing continuing all the time. Several of the men under Mr Fulton , S.I., were struck with large stones, and witness was twice struck. A constable was standing near him when two pistol shots were fired by the mob, and that constable he subsequently saw with a bullet wound in his arm, which witness believed he received at the time. The Riot Act having been read, the police were ordered to fire single shots at the ring-leaders, who were then engaged in stone-throwing. The rioting was at that time very serious, and he conceived that the lives of the men were more or less in danger. After the third shot was fired, orders were given to cease firing. So far as he saw no person was injured by the firing.
     Prisoner- Did you see me there?
     Mr Hamilton- No, I can’t say that I did.
     Prisoner- Well, I saw you there; and you did your duty well, both to the police and the people.( Laughter.)
    Mr Hamilton- I am much obliged to you.(Laughter)
    Constable James Corbally said that the stones used by the mob were very large. He saw the prisoner in the mob, and told him he knew his name, and had his eye on him. He was in the front rank of the procession, and endeavouring to force his way through the police.
    Prisoner – Did you see me doing anything?
    Witness – I saw you trying to force your way through the police.
    Sub Constable Wm. Hughes also identified the prisoner, having seen him in the front of the party.
    The prisoner was returned for trial at the assizes.

RIOT IN MILLFIELD:- Two boys, named John Sullivan and Edward Havelin, were charged with riot in Millfield as the procession was returning on Monday evening.(*The rest of the article describes similar scenes as above).

    EMBEZZLEMENT: - A respectable- looking man named James Magee, who had been for some time the manager of the Belfast Working Men’s Institute, was charged with the embezzlement of £11 0s 6d, the property of the trustees of the institute.
    Mr Harper prosecuted.
    The prisoner pleaded guilty, and stated that there had been a great deal of sickness in his family, and that three deaths had occurred in the last year. He had taken the money as a loan, with the intention or repaying it, and when he found that he was unable to do so he surrendered himself. It was because of this tribulation in his family that he had taken the money.
    The prisoner was sentenced to six calendar months imprisonments.

    THE CASE OF THE STABBING IN NORTH STREET: - A little boy names John M’Cracken was brought up in custody of Acting Constable Slowey, charged with stabbing another boy named Henry Kane, in North Street, the previous evening.
    From the evidence of a boy named Albert M’Cullough, it appeared that the prisoner was in North Street and went to Brown Square, from which he returned with several other boys, one of whom stabbed Kane.
    Two other boys were examined, and said that they heard the prisoner say to the boy who inflicted the wound:’ That’s the way to do it’. One of the them stated, in addition, that he saw the prisoner give something - what he could not say – to the other boy.
    His Worship remanded the prisoner for a week.

    STONING THE POLICE:- A man named Edward Quinn, and Nancy Quinn, his wife, were brought up in custody of Sub ConstableThompson, charged with stone-throwing in Kent Street the previous day.
    After hearing the evidence, his Worship sentenced Edward Quinn to be imprisoned for two months and the other prisoner for one month.
    John Martin was brought up in custody of Sub Constable Christy, charged with throwing stones at the police at the head of North Street, the previous evening.
Sub Constable Christy said that in consequence of the news of the boy being stabbed spreading through the neighbourhood, large crowds collected in the streets in the vicinity, and it required the greatest efforts on the part of the police to prevent a collision. Stones were thrown at the police by a crowd which they had several times dispersed, and in which the prisoner was arrested.
    His Worship said that others had that day got six months imprisonment for the same offence, but in a more aggravated form. He would be imprisoned for two months.


SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE:
Wind- N.E.
ARRIVED AT THIS PORT ON THE 19TH INST.

The Mercury ss, Harvie, from Bordeaux, via Dublin; general cargo; to order; J.C.Pinkerton, agent.
The Bertha ss., M’Gregor, from Dunkirk,; general cargo; to order; Henry Gowan, agent.
The Scotia, Howells, from Carnarvon, with slates.

ARRIVAL OF COAL-LADEN VESSELS:
The Mary Jane, from Maryport; the Storm Nymph and Thomas Connolly, from Whitehaven; the Black Diamond ss.,from Troon; the Lizzie Gardner ss, from Glasgow.

SAILED FROM THIS PORT ON THE `9TH INST.
The City of Amsterdam ss, Walsh, for Antwerp, via Whitehaven.
The Mercury ss, Harvie, for Bordeaux, via Glasgow.
The Bertha ss, M’Gregor, for Dunkirk via Glasgow,
The barque, Chieftain, Fulton, for Baltimore.
The barque, Exile, Pearce, for Philadelphia.
The John Given and John and Mary , for Ayr.
The Franchise, for Maryport.

ARRIVED:
At New York, March 8, the Frederikke Louise, Espersen(?), from Belfast.
At Glasgow, March 18, the ss Marquis of Lorne, Browning, from Cadiz, via Belfast.
At Queenstown, March 18, the Aden, from New York, for Newry.

SAILED:
From Leghorn, March 18, the Angeline, Bricquet, for Belfast.
From Fortress Monroe, March 3, the Beethoven, Smith, for Londonderry.
From Fortress Monroe, March 3, the Noel Knowlton, for Belfast.
From Fortress Monroe, March 3, the Onni, Dalhberg, for Belfast.
From Fortress Monroe, March 5, the barque, Village Belle, Wright, for Londonderry.
From Baltimore, March 4, the barque Cyprus, Parker, for Londonderry.
From New York, March 18, the Star of Italy, Shaw, of Belfast, for London.

CLEARED:
From Baltimore, March 3, the barque Mary J. Baker, Sproul, for Belfast.

PASSED:
East of the Lizard, March 18, the ss City of Rotterdam, Jeffares, from Belfast, via Barrow.

CASUALTY:
Havre, March 15.- The wreck of the Hattie Goudey has grounded on one of the banks innSt. Saveur Bay, to the east of Honfleur. Pieces of the wreck continues to be landed, as also such portion of the cargo as can be got out.


Submitted by: Brian

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