The brewing interest, and the publicans, held a meeting in Trafalgar Square. It was to have been a mass meeting, and indeed it was largely attended, though not so largely as was anticipated by the originators. A counter temperance demonstration was organised, and in the result the brewers' meeting was completely spoilt and broken up. Now with this counter demonstration Mr. Charrington had nothing whatever to do--as it happened. His name, however, was so widely identified with the Temperance cause, that the opposition had no doubt in their own minds that their meeting had been disturbed by him. They determined, therefore, to "get even" with him, and the method selected was to smash up everything at the next meeting in the hall. Mr. Charrington had issued invitations for six o'clock, but at four-thirty the Mile End Waste was alive with a huge crowd, numbering among its members some of the most sinister-looking ruffians in London. They were there with a definite and avowed purpose of retaliation. In a lane by the side of the hall, so seriously was the situation viewed, a hundred and fifty mounted police were waiting. The crowd clamoured for admission, and surged forward, making the most violent efforts to enter at different points. In the event, the people became so numerous and threatening, that the authorities of the hall were simply compelled to throw the doors open and admit them. The hall was filled in an incredibly short space of time, and it was filled by the worst elements in the crowd--the hired bullies who were to wreak the vengeance of the liquor lords upon Mr. Charrington and his supporters. Each man of this crowd had been provided with a bottle of whisky, and many of them had bludgeons in addition. A great rush was made to the platform, and a yelling fury of drunken men endeavoured to storm it, the stewards literally fighting for their lives to protect it. I am informed that the _mêlée_ passed description, and that many of those who were in it had to be removed to the nearest hospital that night. The police rushed in and linked arms three deep to hold the assailed platform, upon which Mr. Charrington was sitting, calmly surveying the tumult. Even after some semblance of order was restored by the police--that is to say, after the actual fight ceased--the subsequent proceedings were all in dumb show. Huge blackboards were produced, resolutions written upon them, and declared carried with drunken roars of approval. Sir Wilfrid Lawson was to have spoken at this meeting, but he remained in a committee room, and was not allowed to show his face at all, as the resentment of the crowd was specially directed against him--though not more so than against Mr. Charrington. When the whole affair was over, many credible witnesses saw the hired bullies being paid half-a-crown each at the entrance of the hall, by men with bags of silver coin, who had organised this disgraceful riot.