George A. Birmingham

“ Bob’s men fired. More infantry came. They deployed along the front of the City Hall. The rifle fire from both ends of the street was rapid and continuous. It was the first time in my life that I had ever been in danger of being killed by a bullet. I confess that for a few minutes I was so nervous that I was unable to give any attention to the fighting going on in front of me. So many rifles were going off at the far end of the street that it seemed certain that not only Bland and I but every one of Bob’s men must necessarily die at once. ”

“ In the meantime Henderson’s soldiers stood up and stopped firing. The volunteers stopped firing too. The soldiers formed in a line. There was silence in the street for a moment, dead silence. I could hear McConkey’s spanner ringing against the iron of his gun. Then Bob Power shouted.
“They’re going to charge us. Up, boys, and come on! We’ll meet them halfway.”
“They’re all gone mad together,” said Bland. “You can’t charge down magazine rifles. It’s impossible.” ”

“ Some of them stumbled and fell; but I do not think that any one was seriously hurt.
“Lord Moyne’s audience,” said Bland. “The corner boys. There’s not an armed man among them.”
I noticed that when he pointed it out to me. The flying men, wild with terror, rushed into the empty trams. For the moment they were safe enough. The dragoons could not get at them without dismounting. They pulled up their horses.
Bob Power gave an order. Rifles cracked all along his line. The men must have emptied their magazines before they stopped firing. ”

“ Some of the best shops in the town lie on either side of this street. A continuous stream of trams passes up and down it, to and from the junction, which is directly under the club windows, and is the centre of the whole Belfast tramway system. It is always pleasant to stand at the reading-room window and watch the very busy and strenuous traffic of this street. As a view point on that particular morning the window was as good as possible. Donegal Place is the chief and most obvious way from the northern and eastern parts of the city to the place where the meeting was to be held. ”

“ That is the sort of thing Clithering would think of doing in an emergency.
“It’s horrible, too horrible,” he said. “Oh God! Bloodshed! Bloodshed!”
“Cheer up,” I said, “I don’t think a single man on either side has been hit yet.”
“I say,” said Bland from the window, “did the soldiers get orders to fire over the people’s heads?”
“Yes,” said Clithering. “Strict orders. The Cabinet was unanimous. The Prime Minister telegraphed this morning.”
“Rather rough on the peaceable inhabitants of the town,” said Bland, “the men who have kept out of the battle. ”

“ I looked out anxiously and saw with a sense of relief that it was Bob’s side which had got the new gun. McConkey and his assistants had turned up from somewhere and were dragging their weapon into position under the window of a large jeweller’s shop on the left flank of Bob’s firing line. This was bad enough. In street fighting at close quarters a gun of this kind is very murderous and ought to do a terrible amount of destruction. But things would have been much worse if the soldiers had had it. ”

“ I said; “but if you ask my opinion I’d say that the police will be wiped out in about ten minutes. They’re a very fine body of men; but there aren’t nearly enough of them. If you really want to stop the meeting you’ll have to get out the soldiers, and even with them—”
“But we want to avoid bloodshed,” said Clithering. “We cannot have the citizens of Belfast shot down by the military. ”

“ Bob’s men returned, sheepishly and dejectedly, to their original posts. Crossan was arguing with McConkey about the condition of the machine gun. The young man who had taken off his coat before the battle picked it up from the ground, brushed it carefully, and put it on. Bob Power walked along the street with a note-book in his hands. He appeared to be writing down the names of the shop-keepers whose windows were broken. He is a young man of active and energetic disposition. ”

“ I suggested—I’m sure you’ll agree with me that the suggestion was wise—in fact I urged very strongly that the troops should be kept out of sight to-day—under arms and ready for emergencies—but out of sight. I am in great hopes that the people will settle down quietly. ”