During this my third half-year there were some races by the officers on
Woolwich Common, to which the cadets were given leave to go, and a tent
was provided for us, in which we had some light refreshment, such as
beer and bread and cheese. Now between what is usually termed the
"louts" and the schoolboys in any good school in any part of England
there seems a natural antagonism, and fights not unusually take place,
brought on as much by the insult of the lout as by the natural
pugnaciousness of the English well-bred boy. In former times at
Woolwich this feeling of antagonism was by no means extinct, for as the
cadets marched down the Common to the Arsenal, or out in the country, it
was generally found that a number of louts would assemble and hoot them,
mewing like cats and calling out "puss"--the term cadet being probably
assumed by the unwashed to be an extension of "cat."
To English boys such proceedings were most offensive and irritating, and
more than once the louts had experienced somewhat rough treatment at the
hands of cadets whom they had hooted and mocked in the manner described,
and once or twice there had been kind of rough-and-tumble fights on the
Common between the louts and the cadets.
On the evening after the races, several cadets were in their tent and
were laughing and talking, when some louts assembled outside, and
commenced imitating the laughter and then calling, "Puss! puss!" Such a
challenge was not long in being accepted by the cadets, who suddenly
dashed out of the tent and charged about twenty louts, who were
assembled within a dozen yards of us. On the party of cadets rushing
out (of which I was one) the louts took to their heels, but their clumsy
efforts to run were useless, and we soon closed with them, when they
turned and showed fight. I soon found myself engaged with a
heavy-fisted big youth, who had as much idea of fighting as an ox, but
who was heavy and strong. I had plenty to do to guard his blows, and
shortly sent him sprawling, when two other louts came on me at once. I
dodged and struck for some time, but should soon have got the worst of
the fight if D'Arcy had not come to my aid, when the two bolted, as had
most of the others.
Seeing the enemy in full retreat we gave up the pursuit and returned to
our tent, and had just commenced to pack up the things we had used, when
some stones were hurled at the tent, and some came in by the door. On
looking out we saw that, instead of twenty louts who had at first
appeared, there were now above a hundred, some of them being full-grown
men. They were shouting at us, and mewing, and calling on us to come
out. As there were not two dozen cadets in our tent, it was decided
that I, being a fast runner, should run to the cadets' barracks and call
for reinforcements. This was a service of some danger, for we were
almost surrounded by the enemy; but it was agreed upon to threaten a
charge in the front of the tent, and when the enemy assembled there to
resist us, I was to creep under the canvas and make a dash to the lodge.
The plan succeeded very well. All the louts gathered in front of our
tent, and I had crept out and was on my legs and well away before I was
seen; then, however, there was a yell, and shouts of "Catch him?"
"Stop him!" whilst about a dozen men and boys gave chase to me.
The distance from the tent to the lodge was about 300 yards, and as I
had about thirty yards' start of my pursuers, I knew that I could easily
win my race and reach the lodge, provided it had been a matter of fair
running; but the shouts of my pursuers attracted the attention of some
other louts who were between me and the lodge, and who I saw were trying
to intercept me. I made straight at them, however, and, when close,
charged at the biggest. As I expected, he gave way and tried to trip me
up. By giving a jump I avoided his leg, continued my course, and
entered the Academy grounds in safety.
The news that there was a row had spread over the Academy, and fifty or
sixty cadets were already provided with sticks or belts, and had
assembled at the back of the Academy, ready to go to the rescue. I
joined these, and we all immediately started to the rescue, and arrived
only just in time, for the louts, finding they were about ten to one,
had got very plucky, and were going to pull the tent down.
We charged down on the enemy, who, seeing our numbers were nearly equal
to their own, turned and ran. We gave chase, and, overtaking some of
them, administered a good thrashing.
By this time a body of police had come on the scene, and seeming to
think it their duty to protect the louts, at once seized two or three of
the smallest cadets, and were going to carry them off, when "To the
rescue!" was shouted, and we charged on the police. The Peelers drew
their truncheons and used them freely, but we were too many for them,
and succeeded in recovering the prisoners. Not wishing to have a row
with the police, who, we considered, ought to have protected us, we
retreated rapidly to the enclosure of the Academy, and dispersed to our
various rooms.
In about ten minutes after our entrance a check-roll was called by the
officer on duty, and we were all confined to barracks in consequence of
the row.
It happened that the senior under-officer had been in the tent from the
first commencement of the row, and on entering the Academy he had at
once reported to the officer on duty what had happened, and had told him
the provocation had been given by the louts. He also said that we could
scarcely avoid doing what we had done. Shortly after we had entered the
grounds an inspector of police, who had received from his men their
account of the row, came to the officer on duty and said several of his
men had been seriously hurt, and that they wished for an opportunity of
recognising the ringleaders of the party. To give this opportunity, a
parade of the whole cadet company was ordered for the following morning
at half-past eleven.
We were none of us aware of the importance of the row till we saw in the
papers of the following morning a paragraph headed: "Disgraceful Riot at
Woolwich by the Gentlemen Cadets!" We then read how the cadets had been
drinking in a tent, and had suddenly commenced an unprovoked attack on
some boys and women, had pelted them with stones, and had then assaulted
and seriously injured the police who had endeavoured to protect the
people. "It was hoped," the article continued, "that the cadets would
receive such punishment as their disgraceful conduct deserved."
We were all very angry at this paragraph in the papers, because we knew
how much the outside public is led by such statements, and as they had
no means of judging of the truth of the report, they would probably
believe what was asserted.
On the following morning, at half-past eleven, the whole of the cadets
fell in on parade, and with them, and scattered here and there, were
twenty-five cadets of the practical class, all of whom had been in study
at the Arsenal during the row. The police assembled on the right of the
line, and slowly examined each cadet, with a view to swearing to his
identity. The first cadet selected was one of the practical class, who
had a slightly black eye, which he had received from a blow by a
racket-ball. He was fallen out, and took his station on the right of
the line. Two other cadets, who had been well in the thick of the
fight, were next picked out, then another cadet of the practical class.
Altogether, twenty-five cadets were picked out as ringleaders, and sworn
to individually by the police as those who had struck them and had taken
part in the row.
We all now saw the plot that our captain had laid for the police. He
suspected they were trying to make out a case against us, and so
sprinkled the practical class among the others. The police, having
declared that they recognised each of the cadets selected as those who
had struck them, had committed themselves, for if they had made such a
mistake in identity in five cases, which could be proved, it cast doubt
upon the evidence in other cases, which were of a doubtful nature.
We were all confined to barracks for a week after this row, and were
daily expecting some cadets would be discharged, but finally it ended in
the police withdrawing their charge, in consequence, as we heard, of
their mistakes relative to the practical class having become known to
them.