I now come to an incident in Frederick Charrington's splendid work for Temperance which shows, as clearly as anything can show, the enormous stir that his determined opposition to the liquor traffic made in London at the time of which I speak.
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.