The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-02-13 00:00:00

ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

During the delivery of the brief harangues in Hyde.
park, at which they arrived after accomplishing theii
first process of destruction, the mob stopped carriage!
and turned their occupants out of them, and it is
stated that in one instance the coachman was stripped
of his livery and some of the roughs jumped into tits
vehicle. Several of the police who ventured to inter-
fere were pelted with stones, and were obliged to
retreat from the overpowering numbers of the crowd
They then resumed their destructive march, and,
emboldened by the absence of resistance, set out again
to accomplish greater destructicn and pillage than
ever. Rushing madly up the road and through Stan-
hope-gate, they smashed the windows of Lord Manvers's
residence facing Park-lane, and that of Lord Gains-
borough's house et the corner of Tilwy-street and Dean-
street. From here they passed along Dean-street into
South Audley-street, t rowing stones and breaking the
windows of nearly every residence in the former
thoroughfare. In South Auclley-street, where there
are many shops, they completely wrecked nearly
every one from beginning to end, and the damage to
property must amount to a very large sum, while a
large quantity of valuable goods were stolen or de-
stroyed. Soon after the mob had accomplished its
work the street looked as if it had undergone a siege.
Plate glass smashed te atoms was strewn over the
pavements on each side and across the horse road,
while at every other shop boards were being nailed up
to cover the windows. The tradesmen and others
residing in the street were almost terror-stricken by
the approach of the overwhelming crowd, and to
offer any resistance to their violence was alto-
gether useless. There was nothing to be done
but to stand by and see the windows crashing
in and the goods extracted by the marauders. In
several cases the damage is a serious matter for the
tradespeople, and one person keeping a fancy per-
fumer's shop, containing brushes, combs, sponges,
and other articles of considerable value, said that
the loss would almost be the ruin of herself aud hus-
band, as they had only recently set up in business,
and had laid out their money on the stock. The
first shop attacked in South, Audley-street was that
of Mr. Archard, jeweller. The windows were
smashed to atoms, and watches and jewellery, con-
sisting of rings, pins, studs, earrings, and brooches
to the value of ..t3OO or £4OO were torn from their
places and taken away. The large chinaware esta-
bliahrnont of Mr. a vocir, x-yptiumittl, ri.bso suffered, but
the windows were somewhat protected by an iron
palisading in front. Nearly all the windows were
smashed. A baker's shop was next attacked, and
loaves, cakes, and fancy confectionery displayed in
the window were swept away and taken possession
of. Glass shades covering fancy confectionery were
all demolished. Several men entered the shop and
took one of the money tills, which fortunately only
contained a little money. The till was afterwards
found in the streets, minus its contents. Then the
plate-glass windows of a portmanteau shop were
smashed, as also those of a large grocer's shop at the
corner of Chapel-street, kept by Messrs. Allen and
Co. The whole contents of the windows were cleared
out, including bottles of wines and spirits. A china
shop on the opposite side of the street was equally
damaged. Next the mob smashed the windows at
the shop of Messrs. Slack and Co., hatters, throwing
some of the bottles of wine and spirits into the shop
and damaging a good deal of the stock. They took
possession of nearly all the hats displayed in the
windows, threw some of them about the street and
trampled on them, and made off wif,ls others. A
tailor's shop adjoining was similarly treated, and
most of the windows of St. George's Registry office
were shattered, as also were those of the shop
belonging to Messrs. Purdey and Sons, gunmakers.
A report was circulated that the mob had taken
possession of a number of firearms, and this gave
rise to considerable alarm, but fortunately it
proved incorrect. There were no arms exhibited
in the windows, and the mob contented itself
with breaking the windows. The next serious damage
done was at an upholsterer's shop at the corner of
Adams'-rnews, where some valuable silk-covered chairs
exhibited in the window were destroyed, together
with the large plate.plass windows. The mob then
proceeded to the shop of Messrs. Cadbury and Pratt,
poulterers, and entirely cleared out the open windows
of the game and poultry exposed there for sale.
Many of the birds they threw about the street and
scrambled for, and others were thrown into shop
windows that were broken further along the street.
From hese the mob proceeded to a butcher's
and seized several joints. The proprietor, Mr.
Scarlett, in trying to save some of his property,
received a wound on the hand from a meat hook.
The mob next directed its attention to a boot
and shoe shop, treating the windows with similar
destructiveness, and carrying away a large quantity of
boots and shoes. These they employed to attack
other shops as they continued their progress. A per-
fumer's shop a little further on was also wrecked,
and a lady inside narrowly escaped being struck on
the head with a piece of a glass bottle. Crossing
Grosvenor-square, and throwing at the windows of
several large private houses as they passed, the mob
reached North Audley street, and here their work was
as destructive as in South Audley-street. Some of
the shopkeepers, however, were prepared for them
and had put up their shutters. Finally, the mob
gradually dispersed as it moved eastwards.