A. As far as I can remember I got word to go down there; I got very strict orders to avoid a clash if possible and if possible not to use any force, but to keep a mob from collecting. I went down. I spoke to the men before they went, gave them very strict orders. I issued the Riot Act to every officer both in English and French.
Q. Will you name these officers to whom you gave the Riot Act ?
A. To Captain Haighton, my adjutant, Major Good, Captain Rothry, Captain Williamson, Lieutenant Wymperley; and I also had a copy myself. I saw that …
Q. Lieutenant Girouard had a copy of it ?
A. Girouard?
Q. He was not there ?
A. He was not there. Most of the officers can talk French but to make sure we had an interpreter attached to every party. I spoke to the men.
Q. A soldier also ?
A. We have quite a few soldiers who can speak French; but I had French officers with me for interpreters and I had some French drill instructors. And I had been spoken to very strongly about avoiding a clash; if it was avoidable we were to avoid it. I spoke to the men at the time they went out and told them under no consideration were they to load their rifles until they got an order from a senior officer. I started out the Dragoons. The orders they had were just to see that no one congregated on the corners, that there was no mob congregated. They had no fire arms outside of the officers having their revolvers. And I started off small parties patrolling the streets, all under senior officers, with the same orders: under no consideration,
