The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-29 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 29, 1863.

Disgraceful Proceedings near Guildford,

GUIMPORD, Monday Evening.—A riotous disturbance
took place last night, resulting in serious injury to upwards
of 30 persons, at a small village a mile from Guildford,
known ns St. Catherine's, being at the feet of a high hill on
the Guildford and Portsmouth road. on the summit of which
is situated the ruined church of St. Catherine. It appears
that on the 4th October will recur the annual fair of the vil-
lage, and that on that day (Sunday), by virtue of the old
charter, the landlords of the village "publics" are allowed
to draw beer even during prohibited hours. The Sunday
before the fair is known as" Tap-up Sunday," and a similar
privilege is recorded. The village usually turns out in great
numbers, and some little licence is taken by them in throw-
ing chestnuts at passers-by, which generally creates a good
deal of merriment among the rustics, and has been good-
naturedly borne by these who have been thus dealt with.
This year the larking has been carried on in a most inordi-
nate manner. Yesterday being Tap-up Sunday upwards of
400 young fellows, many of them being low characters from
Guildford, assembled in the village, lining the road on either
side in formidable phalanx ; and when any peaceably in-
clined passenger approached they allowed him or her to get
into their midst; they then closed in and inflicted both insult
and injury. Mr. Piggott, dyer, and his wife, were driving
through the village and were seriously hurt, Mrs. Piggott
having her bonnet torn from ber head. Mr. Bailey, of the
County Magistrates' Clerk's Office, and his daughter were
compelled to go through a very heavy shower of missiles,
and the young lady is still suffering from the effects of her
fright. Mr. Ellis, of Farncomba, near Godalming, and two
other gentlemen who were in company with him, were
roughly handled, one having received some bad wounds on
his leg from kicks, and the other having their hats corn-
pletelysmashcd and their coats torn to shreds. Miss Chartres,
of Brighton, Miss Smythe, and several other ladies were
rudely assaulted, one of them having her eye nearly cut out
by a stone whilst turning round to appeal to her assailants
to desist, and the others either losing their shawls or other
articles of wearing apparel. Things got worse toward even-
ing. Several members of the county constabulary force
made their appearance on the scene; but this was only the
signal for a still more riotous demonstration than before;
and it was considered advisable, even for the public safety,
to leave the mob to their own curse, and to prevent them
having further victims by placing the police at convenient
distances from the village and cautioning passengers against
going on the turnpike road, and inducing them to pursue,
for their own personal safety's sake, their journey by the
river bank instead, though more circuitous. Several fugi-
tives from the insults of the mob were pursued, however,
notwithstanding this precautionary measure; and more
than one case occurred in which persons who were pursued
down the lane from St. Catherine's-hill were forcibly pushed
into the water. At nightfall nothing could restrain the fury
of the crowd. Mr. Shrubb, a resident on the Portsmouth-
road, was incautious enough to appeal to the better sense of
the roughs, if they had any; but he was at once hushed by
the loud groans they set up, and assailed with a shower of
stones. They next proceeded to his residence, pulled up
the whole of the palings of his property, and conveyed it
to the top of St. Catherine's, whence they WE nt to the cut-
ting between the two tunnels on the London and South-
Western line of railway, where they carried off all the
wooden railings they could get at, and afterwards lighted a
huge bonfire, which was seen at a long distance on the sur-
rounding hills of the county, Much other injury was done
to both person and property, which has not as yet been
officially reported. Tho county constabulary, under Mr.
Superintendent Parr, are diligently making every inquiry
so as to bring the ringleaders of the disturbance to justice,
and we have just heard that two or three men have been
taken into custody, Should not the chief promoters of these
disgraceful transactions be committed, it is feared that the
usual demonstrations in this town on the coming anniver-
sary of Gunpowder Plot will assume a still snore riotous
aspect than they have hitherto been wont.