The National Register.
London, England, 1817-01-27 00:00:00

TRIALS OF THE RIOTERS.

On Monday, the Judges took their scats on the Bench,
when J. Hooper, J. Cashman, It. Gamble, and J. Carpenter,
were indicted for stealing 29 fowling-piece•, value 29J1. the
• property of Mr. A. Beckwith, in his dwelling-Loose, C. Grit=
tin and others being therein, and having been put in fear.
Mr. Gurney stated the case for the prosecution. He *id,
this case differed in nothing front the eases of stealing in
dwelling-houses, above the value of Ins. except that it was
committedlwith more than ordinary s iolence in the face of Inc,
• Mille presence of numbers, by a mob, commanded by lead-
ers, whose orders they received and obeyed. He then de-
tailed the different parts the several prison••rs took in this
transaction, as it was slated in the following evidence :
J. Roberts, apprentice to Mr. Beckwith.--On the 2,1 of
December a young man came into the shop, alums 20 minutes
a'ter 12, who wa+ taken into custody. In a quarter of an
hour about :1 or 100 persons came, and rescued the young
man who had shot Mr. Platt. They broke the windows, and

began to take away the guns and pistols. They then came
into the shop, and took the guns out. Cashman was then.,
k and opened the drawer., and took some steel shut-cliarges.
He also took guns oat of the shop to the amonat of about a
dozen, which he dictrihnted amongst the mob. E. Hone, and
H. Beekwith.l.riyard, and Griffin, were in the sleet at this
time. There Wits a pi,' ol fired at the window, white Cash.
man was in the shop. Witness was alarmed. The mob hail
eolonni- flying. lie thought Gliona broke the w ioducv, but
ie would not be certain.
Cross-examined.—He was always certain of Ca,hinan hav-
ing been in the shop on that day.
Be-examined.---B was a person dressed like a brewer's ser-
vant that first broke the window. There were three or four
persons there so dressed.
G. Lydyard deposed, that lie lives on Snow hill, and is a
hair dresser. On the forenoon of the 20 of December, hear-
ing the report of a pistol, he went to Mr. Beek with's shop,
where he timid abut eight or ten person, abort the door,
which iii a few miautes increa,eo to about 240. They had a
flag, with the wo:111" in,tiee" oa it. They seemed to ask for
their leader, who had shut Mr. Platt ; but the shopman said
be was goae, ulthoogli he was iu fact up stairs. A person
dressed like a drayman broke the cast window with a broom-
stick, and a sailor broke the other. Boys took oat the guns
en the east side, and men took those on the west. Five or six
persons rushed into the shop and seized the gun: in the glass
eases., The sailor and two others Jumped in at the window
he had broken. The shop was nearly rifled. The Bag was
brought into the shop, and lie saw Hooper gave it to amoher
man before the door, and before the mob entered the shop.
He saw Cashman in the shop, holding Mr. Griffio, a neigh-
Wm' of Ali.. Redo% tit's' who hail gone to get handeuffis for
the man who had shut Mr. Platt. lie saw Cashman take
anus twice out of the shop. which he threw out to the mob at
the door. Willies, saw Gamble up:iosite the ',hop before the
windows were Woken. Hi: hail not then any thing in his
1 amt. Shortly after witness saw him in the mils, with a gnu
in his hand. lie could nut speak to Gdnucll or Carpenter.
When they left BeAwith's shalt the mob went towards New-
Ste-street. He was not alarmed for Isiminif or Air, Beck.
property ; but he was for his wife and children.
'.:. Griffin, a perfumer its Skinner-street, was at Mr. Beck-
with's shop on the Yd Ikerinber, where he saw Worrail, the
searching the man who shot Mr. Platt. AVitneSs
went for a pair ; and Oil his return, found a mob
about the shop. Soon after the west window was broken by
Gunnell with a broomstick. Witness was sure he was the
Lau. Hooper and Cashman came iu with a flag in the street,