Charles Bradlaugh: a Record of His Life and Work, Volume 1 (of 2): With an Account of his Parliamentary Struggle, Politics and Teachings. Seventh EditionRobertson, J. M. (John Mackinnon)
History
Charles Bradlaugh: a Record of His Life and Work, Volume 1 (of 2): With an Account of his Parliamentary Struggle, Politics and Teachings. Seventh Edition
Robertson, J. M. (John Mackinnon)
Bradlaugh, Charles, 1833-1891
"Did you see a man in a cab with several policemen?--Yes. I saw a man
being driven along in a cab with three policemen in the cab, a man
with no shirt on; he was without his shirt, he was trying to look out,
and I saw a policeman strike him over the temple with his truncheon.
"There were three policemen in the cab?--Yes.
"Mr Stuart Wortley: A man without a shirt?--Yes.
"Mr Mitchell: Did you see anybody attacked?--Yes, I saw a rush made
out on to the greensward. I went forward, and I saw four or five
policemen striking a short man: his hat was knocked with a truncheon,
and he held up his hands and said, 'For God's sake, do not hit
me--take me!'
"Did they continue to hit him?--Yes; I ran forward, and put one
truncheon back with my gloved hand, and I said, 'The next man that
strikes I will knock him down!'
"What did they do then?--Then they left off striking him, and they put
him between two policemen, and I suppose he was taken away in custody.
"They found that you were rather a strongish man?--They would.
"Were you attacked by the police?--I was standing on the grass just
after that, and they made another sortie out from the roadway, and
ordered the people to move on, and they moved as fast as they could.
One of them came up to me, and began to push me with his truncheon,
upon which I said to him: 'Do not do that, friend; you have no right
to do it, and I am stronger than you are.' He then beckoned to two
others, who came up, and I took hold of two of the truncheons, one in
each hand, and I said to the centre one: 'If you attempt to touch me,
I will take one of those truncheons, and knock you down with it.' I
took the two truncheons, and I wrested them, and I showed them that I
could do it.
"Did they then leave you alone?--Yes; the people that came behind me
picked me up and carried me up about 100 yards back, cheering me.
"Mr Stuart Wortley.--Did they take you off your legs?--Yes, and I
thought it was the police behind for a moment.
"Mr Mitchell.--You were in the Park for three hours?--Yes.
"How were the people behaving?--I never saw a large assemblage of
people behaving so well.
"You were with your father-in-law, were you not?--Yes, I was.
"What time in the day was this particular occurrence?--About
half-an-hour before I left.
"Mr Henderson.--The people gathered round you?--Yes. I did not want to
be a self-constituted leader, and immediately I could I got away from
the press and came away. I left about half-past six, a few minutes
after or a few minutes before.
"Mr Stuart Wortley.--Had the excitement in the Park increased a good
deal at that time?--Yes; I felt excited by seeing men, unable to
defend themselves, knocked about.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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