The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-04-14 00:00:00

DISTRESSING AFFAIR at GREENOCK.

E From Ths Glasgow Herald of Monday, April 10 )

" Perhaps there is not a more loyal limn its.
Britain than Greenock; and on well establodietl is
this character, that very seldom are any military
quartered there. Warn with the utmost asttntali...
meal, therefore, that yesterday morning we reached
the accounts that a mob in Greenock had amide
vrantnn attack ttpim the' Port Glasgow volarifeeio,
.aid afterwards broke the gaol, and liberated mime
Radical prisoners. The fatal consequences of this
attack have been the death of mine men by the fire
of the volunteers, and fifteen wounded. The
particulars are amply detailed in the following
letters received in Glattow last night mud this
morning. These letters all .gree in representing
that the outrage did not originate in polities% feel-
ing, in so far at least as respected the inhabitants of
Greenock.

" We have got uo account of this business from
Port Glasgow. but we have heard that the volun-
teers acted with the greatest forbearance so long as
the 'treatment they met with was endurable, and
that the (Avers were all in the rear of the party,
endeavouring by every means in their power to
wake the 'nub desist.

" GREENOCK, SUNDAY MORNING,
Eight o'Clock.

•' I wrote you a rcyburried-lities last night, men-
tioning the dreadful riot which occurred here yes-
terday afternoon. 1.0)41 now endeavour to give a
more particular account of it. A rumour had gone
j broad in the mottling that a putty of Radical
prisoners were to lie brought to our prison in the
vouttie of the afternoon, and about four o'clock
rowds begins to collect in the streets leading to-
wards Itridewell.

" About five o'clock the Prisoners arrived, es-
corted by the Port Glasgow volunteers, with a drum
and fife playing. 1 saw them pass, slid every per-
son appeared quiet, and merely collected from
curiosity ; however, after safely lodging their pri-
mmer', the volunteers prepared to move homewards,
,elien the crowd began to press hard upon them,
laughing and hissing. Mr. Deuniston. the Magis-
trate, went down the street endeavouring to preserve
order, but without avail. Ou getting to the Tontine
they began throwing stones, and on their reaching
Rue-end, after several of the volunteers had been
hurts.o few shot. were fired, which only increased
the fay of the mob; they were then obliged to fire
in good earnest, and a running fire was kept until
they got fairly out of Csrtsdyke. 1 mentioned in
inypst that a slumber of the wounded had been
sent to the hospital, of these four are since
thud, and two mortally wounded ; the others
were all severely and dangerously wounded; mid
from all the accounts I have been able to col-
lect, I think the killed and wounded amount
to about twenty. I hear there are five dead in
town, besides the four iu the hospital. The crowd
tore down the iron railings in front of some of the
louses for the weapons ; and an immense number
:awed in this way, as also with swords and guns,
preceded by a piper, set off to attack Port fiias-
gow ; lint after reaching Mr. Gemmill's gate.
they returned, having learnt that an express
I. id been sent to Port Glasgow to put them on
their guard. In the course of the night detach-
ments of hussars and infantry arrived ; by which
time, however, the streets were quite clear; and
although they are now crowded, every thing appears
pe, frilly quiet, and 1 trust it is all over. I forgot
to titeotom, that the mob broke open the prison.
and liberated the Radical prisoners, but no others."
•NOTIIIIII LETTER.
" GREENOCK, APRIL 9, 1820.

•
U You will no doubt this morning have ht•ard of
the unfortunate outrage in this town yesterday af-
ternoon and last night, and that too perhaps much
exag4erated ; I therefore write this to give you the
particulars as correctly as I can collect. Yesterday,
'siren the mail-coach cattle in, the guard reported
that t 6 Radicals were to be sent here from Paisley,
trader an escort of the Port Glasgow volunteers, to
he lodged in our gaol, and that they would pro-
bably arrive about four to five o'clock. There not
heirg any armed fo►ce in town, and kriowitig the
disnlfected disposition of tunny of the lower creases,
and a great many persons appearing in the streets,
apparently strangers, caused an apprehension
amongst many of us that there might be some dis-
turbance should the prisoners come. The Magis-
trates were applied to on the subject, who replied
that it could not be true, otherwise they would
have intimation from the authorities in Paisley to
pru•.irte accommodation for them, and be pre-
pared to receive them ; that not being the case, ,
they did not believe the account, especially as
at different times of late they had the same
rumour*, which turned out to be unfounded.
They, therefore, thought no moreabout the matter,
and all went home to dinner at the usual hour of
tour o'clock. Before five o'clock the Port Glas-
gow volunteers entered the town with drums
and fifes, escorting a cart with five Radicals
in it, who were immediately lodged in gaol. The
sound of the drums and fifes naturally drew toge-
ther a large concourse in the streets. Mr. Dennis-
ton, one of the Magistrates, happened to come by
chance into the square, and went to the gaol, when
some persons (sold to be strangers) threw itorne
stories at the volunteers, who fired two shots in the
a:r with intention of iotimidation; this, however,
had }he contrary effect, and co Mr. Deoniorou re.
wonstrating with the crowd, he was ins.ricti, and
with difficulty rescued from amongst them. The
volunteers theft marched off, and gut the length of
Rae-erids when the mob began pelting them with.
%tulle., by which several were severely cut. Thus
roi.milerl a file of them faced round and fired

gst the crowd, when several people fell. This,
i3i,tead of repelling the multitude, exasperated them
inure. They continued attacking the volunteers,
oust the volunteers continued firing in their own
defense. till they got through Curt's-dyke, by
which firing Milli resistance a ~umber of people
were killed and wounded. By this time the Jus.
ta..l. of the Peace, stud others of the respectable in.
liabitents. came t•. the spot, and used every means to
apprise the fury of the mob, and they became quiet

for h. little.
The special constables (the only defence we
have in the plat) were ordered to assemble at seven
u'cl.,..k. bat the people getting from their work,
rod infuriated with the accounts if so minty peo.

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