Shootings In Lune Street

Introduction

This is a Pantoum inspired by this incredibly powerful statue in Lune Street, Preston where four strikers were killed and three injured by the military while protesting wage cuts.

Here are details of the strike:

The four men who died were:

• John Mercer, aged 27 of Ribbleton Lane, a handloom weaver. Mercer had a ball shot through his right arm, through his fifth rib and through his chest and out of the left side of the spine.
• William Lancaster, aged 25 of Blackburn. He was wounded by a musket ball entering his chest and passing under the fourth rib on the left side.
• George Sowerbutts, aged 19 of Chandler Street, a weaver at Gardner's Mill. He died from his injuries on Sunday evening.
• Bernard McNamara, aged 17 of Birk Street, a cotton stripper employed at Oxendale's Mill, was shot through the right side of the belly, from which the bowels protruded to a great extent. He died on Monday afternoon at about 1.30pm.

Those injured included:

• William Pilling aged 21, a steam loom operator, was struck by a bullet in the knee and taken to the Dispensary on Fishergate where his leg was amputated.
• James Roberts, aged 20, a steam loom operator, was struck in the hand which was amputated.
• Bryan Hodgson a shoemaker from St Peter's Square, was shot in the back and had a bullet lodged in his spine. Despite this, he survived and lived until 1878.

I don't know if any songs have been written about this, by Dick Gaughan's "Pound A Week Rise" is appropriate.

Shootings In Lune Street

🖤☮️⚒️☠️⚔️☮️🖤

Four Men Are Dead, And Three Others Were Shot

Protesting For A Fair Wage And Treatment

But Those In Power Didn't Car A Jot

So They Took To The Streets, Desperate Men

⚒️☠️⚔️

Protesting For A Fair Wage And Treatment

They Only Looked For What Was Fair And Right

So They Took To The Streets, Desperate Men

Owners And Politicians Made Them Fight

⚒️☠️⚔️

They Only Looked For What Was Fair And Right

The Money Called In The Military

Owners And Politicians Made Them Fight,

Had Them Shot As The Rich Drank Their Sherry

⚒️☠️⚔️

The Money Called In The Military

Four Men Are Dead, And Three Others Were Shot

Had Them Shot As The Rich Drank Their Sherry

But Those In Power Didn't Car A Jot

🖤☮️⚒️☠️⚔️☮️🖤