The Sun.
London, England, 1830-08-30 00:00:00

RIOT AT KIDDERMINSTER.

Owing to a dispute between the weavers and one
of the carpet manufacturers, the town of Kidder-
minster beume on Tuesday evening the scene of
riot and disorder, attended with destruction of the
property of many of the inhabitants. About half-
past seven the Magistrates, considering the excite-
ment which had manifested itself in the afternoon
had subsided, retired to their own residences, but
immediately afterwards the populace) consisting of
both sexes, assembled in great numbers opposite the
house of Mr. 'William Cooper, earpet-manufacturer,
in Mill.-street, and immediately demolished the win-
dows, doors, shutters, &e., together with the furni-
ture in the front rooms. The houses of Mr. Brin-
ton, solicitor, and Mr. Russell, coal-merchant, ad-
joining, shared the same fa►e, as did those of Mr.
Lea, and Mr. Henry Brimon, carpet manufacturers,
and Messrs. Best, woolatapiers, the families of
each being subject to much personal risk from the
attack. The mob increased every moment in number
and strength, and having assembled near the Black
Horse-inn, the bailiff (George Custanee, Esq.), at-
tended by the Town Clerk, attempted to read the
Riot Act, but was prevented by the populace, who
assailed them with stones, and drove them into the
inn, the windows of which were instantly destroyed,
as well as the furniture in the house.

The houses of. Mr. Gough, sen., in Mill-street,
and Mr. Dobson, in Church-street, carpet-manufac-
turers, were also treated in the same manner, as
were also the Town-hall, and the houses of Messrs.
Boycott and Son, and Mr. John Gough, draper, in
High-street, the latter of whose books of accounts,
and stock of goods of very considerable value, were
pillaged and taken away by the mob, and great part
of the stock was strewed about the streets, and c11.,-
covered in a state unfit for use.

It is much to be lamented that these outrages
have occurred, as it is well known that the persons
engages► in the carpet trade are better paid than any
body of mechanics in the kingdom. Two of the
magistrates residing out of town, the attempts made
by the bailiff to quell the disturbance proved in-
effectual, until the arrival of William Boycott, Esq.
one of the magistrates, from his house in the country
at half-past ten o'clock, when, with the assistance
of some of the 'principal inhabitants, the mob vvas
dispersed, and the remaining part of Mr. Gough's
stock was secured.

The inhabitants met on the following, day (Wed-
nesday) for the purpose of determining upon the
most efficient measures for punishing the offenders
(some of whom are in custody), and preventing a
repetition of the outrage, and it was unanimously
agreed to raise a fund for defraying the necessary
expence of rewarding those who may render in-
formation, and prosecuting the rioters. Many of the
most respectable inhabitants agreed to patrol the
streets, night and day, for the protection of their
property. Applications have been mode to the
proper authorities for a permanest military force,
and for the aid of the police; and a large reward
will be offered for the discovery of the persons who
may be implicated. The property destroyed and
stolen is supposed to have been worth neatly 3,0001.

PLAN FOR EXTENSIVRPLUNDER

DEFEATED.

A desperate plan Wll9 laid by a gang of thieves
for robbing the premises of Mr. Cleland, who keeps
an extensive shawl warehouse at No. 19, Ludgate-
bill. The property with which, if the wit hail
succeeded, 'they might have decamped, amounts, it
is understood, to between 3,0001. and 4,0001.; and
is of so light and portable a nature, that the ware.
house, might by a few active fellows, have been
cleared of it in less than a quarter of an hou4 It
is only to be regretted that the chief officers of the
city police were not put in possession of the sus-
picions of the master of the establishment .at an
early hour, for if that had been done, thinAs would
have been no doubt so managed that all concerned
;11 the enterprise would have been apprehended in
the actual commission of the robbery. The circum-
stances are as follow

As the whole of Mr. Cleland's family do not re-
side at Ludgate-41W, it wits thought advisable to let
two rooms in the house, which are not occupied by
as inmates. Bills were accordingly exhibited, and
in the course of last week a man end a woman, who
appeared to be his wife, called to look at the lodg..
ings. After having attentively examined the rooms,
they descended to the coal-cellar, about which they
were very inquisitive, and, !win viewed it scru-
pulously, talked of terms, but were not satisfied with
Mr. Clehand's proposal. They then left the house,
without giving reason to suppose that they would
renew the negotiation. The coal-cellar is, as may
be supposed, just below the kitchen railing, and
there is close to it a dust-bin, well adapted for the
concealment of a robber. On the Monday follow.
ing, at about two o'clock, a man called at the ware-
house to look at some goods, and spoke as if he
was likely to become a purchustr. As the ware.
house in which thet,lt iwlsare deposited is up one pair
of stairs, the shopman, when the bell is rung, opens
the door by pulling a string attached to the latch to
save himself the trouble of going down. I he pretended
customer entered by this process, but not alone. lie
had with him a companion, who walked softly down
stairs, and betook himself to the dust-bin, where he
covered himself up, and patiently waited in expects.
tion of three taps, which were to summon him at
midnight to open the door for hi. accomplices. The
pretended customer went up to the warehouse, arid
after looking over some anklet; retired, and closed
the door with abang after film.' His comrade,
however, had not exercised sufficient motion in
groping Os way below stairs. One of the establish.
meat thought ho heard en unusual movement, sod it
creaking of the cellar door, but it was thought, no-
thing of for some time. Mr. Cleland, however,
mentioned the circumstance to two or three friends,
and they recommended his immediate application to
Mr. Cope, the Marshal. It was half-past ten at
night before the Marshal was inforined of what was
by that time very strait* suspected. He asked
Mr. Cleland whether he had informed any one of
his suspicions—to this Mr. Cleland replied in the
negative; but he said that he had, as he ap-
proached the Mansion-house, perceived a person who
had lived with him 44 porter following him. Thia'
intelligence prevented the execution of a plan, by
which the conviction of the gang would have been
insured. The Marshal conjectured that the porter
was one of the gang, and that he would, as a *flitter
of course, inform the accomplices of the visit to so
MIIIIIOII4 a place, as the Mansion-house, and he ad.
wised, under those circumstances, that the cellar
should be searched. This was done between eleven
and twelve o'clock, and an ill-looking ruffian was
found in the dust-bin, provided with a phosphorous
box, a centre-bit, and other thieves' tools. While
Mr. Cope WAS searching for this adventurer, nen.
'haw and Ridgley, two active officers of the night
patrol, kept a -look out in the neighbourhood. At
about half-past one o'clock- they saw a maw move up
to the door of the house and gently rap wish his
knuckles, looking round at the same time with an
inquisitive eye. As he tapped in vain, he left the
spot and walked down Ludgate hill, followed at a
distance by the two officers, who observed him
go up to a hackney-coach that, stood on the
Britlge4trect stand, and tap at the door of it ;
the coach-window was immediately let down, and a
men appeared ; and after exchanging a few
words with his visitor, quitted the coach, and walked
up Ludgate hill with him. The moment he reached
the door of Mr. Cleland's house he tapped at it with
his knuckles. Not receiving any answer, he scraped
his shoes over the iron-grating, and stamped upon
it as if he fancied that his accomplice within had
fallen asleep. The officers then rushed upon hiM,
but he knocked them both
down, and took to his
heels. They however soon overtook him, and
placed in safe custody. In the scuffle the ruffian's
hat dropped off, and from it fell two screw-drivers,
a centre-bit, and a phosphorus box. His companion
succeeded in getting away in the confusion.
The two prisoners were taken to the Compter,

where they said their names were George • Smith
and John Wilson. It is said that they haie been
both in the Penitentittry. It was afterwards thought
necessary to apprehend Thomas Phillips, the person
who had on a former occasion acted as porter to the
concern, and whom Mr. Cleland believed he sawfol,
lowing him on his way to the Mansion-house, to
give information to Mr. Cope.

EXTRAORDINARY CONDUCT OF A

CLI4:RGYAIAN:

On Sunday, the al inst. great indignation was
created, by the refusal of the Vicar of Dean, near
Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire, to bury a corpse, tin-
der the following circumstances :—lt appears that
his Reverence has latterly felt it rather irksome to
himself personally to inter at the regular hour
hitherto observed on Sundays, namely, immediately
after the afternoon service, though his residence is
not one hundred yards from the church; and on
Sunday, the 15th instant, he gave out from the pul-
pit, that he should alter the time to two o'clock,
that is between the two services. His vicarage is
very extensive, and consequently this intention only
became known to a few, who resided near to and
frequented the parish church. Last week three
men were killed in a coal-pit, belonging to the trus-
tees of the late Duke of Bridgewater, and it was
intended that the funerals should be celebrated all
at one place and at one time. It not being known
that the time was altered, of course five o'clock was
appointed, and the friends end relatives summoned
to attend at that hour. One of the deceased be-
longed to the " Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows," and the brethren, as is usual on the death of
a member, held themselves in readiness to conduct
his remains to the grave, with the usual ceremonial
of the order! On Saturday Hight a message was
sent from the clergyman to the friends of the de-
ceased men, that if the corpses were not at the
church for interment at two o'clock, the Vicar
would not bury them, nor yet allow any other
minister to do it. This mandate was obeyed by
the friends of two of the deceased; but the friends
of the third, he who belonged to the Odd Fel-
lows, not having sufficient time to inform the
persons who were invited to pay the last tribute of
respect to him, of the alteration in the time, adhered
to the original hour, conceiving that no real impedi-
ment would be thrown in their way, because it was
the hour for burial which had always been observed
within the memory ..of the oldest inhabitant. In
consequence of the body, therefore, not arriving at
the same time as the other two, the Vicar ordered
the grave to be filled tip; and then went and
preached a sermon on the necessity of being cleansed
from the lepiosTof sin and pride, that they might
appear in the bright healthiness of Christian charity
and humility 1 The corpse arrived at 2.5 minutes
after four o'clock, before the conclusion of the re-
gular services of the day. Several applications were
medal() the Vicar to inter the eorp.e, or allow it to
be interred by the Curate but he turned a deaf ear
to all their entreaties. About one thousand people
were assembled, who loudly expressed their indigna-
tion at his conduct ; and if the friends of the de-
ceased would have consented, they would have
buried him in spite of the Vicar.
Seeing popular feeling so much against him, he
made a proposal to find a guard to watch the body,
if they would leave it in the church all night, and
be would perform the funeral rights over it the next
day. This was rejected, and the body was con-
veyed to the Independent Methodists' Chapel, in
Bolton (a distance of two miles), where it was in-
terred, and the service performed by one of the
e‘ Unpaid" Ministers of that body. The conduct of
the Vicar is about to be &Omitted to a competent
tribunal, the Order of Odd Fellows having pledged
themselves to bear all the expense. A riot was ex-
pected, but all was very peaceable; a county Ma-
gistrate (Capt. Kettly), however, remained on the
ground the whole of the time.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.

Abraham Cohen, a Polish Jew, was charged by
Mrs. Corbet, who keeps a haberdasher's shop, with
haying tricked her out of 3s. by sleight of hand.
The Jew, who pleaded innocence of the English
language as well us of the offence, went into the plain-
tiff's shop, and purchased a handkerchief, for which
he paid with a sovereign. In receiving the change
he endeavoured to confuse Mrs. Corbet, by desiring
that small silver should be substituted for the large,
which in the first instance she had placed in his
hand, and he contrived to hold three of the shillings
in the wrinkles of the palm, without at till closing
his fingers. Finding that in the dealing she proved
to be 3s. minus, Mrs. Corbet accused her customer,
who looked quite unconscious of offence, of the rob-
bery, but perceiving that she was too sharp for him,
he dexterously placed two shillings on a distant part
of the counter, and slipped the third into his pocket,
where it appeared he had plenty of silver of his own.
The whole process appeared like magic, but the
shopkeeper knew how many shillings her customer
was welded to, and no sleight of hand could blind
her memory as to the amount of the change.
The LORD MAYOK said, that foreign knaves were
very much in the habit of practising tricks of the
kind, although they were not very perfect in their
knowledge of the English language.—(A laugh.)
Mrs. Corbet said, that there was something about
the prisoner which she did not like, but she Made
allowances for him considering that he was a solitary
and unprotected foreigner.
The Jew vowed to God (with the aid of an in-
terpreter) that he had acted honestly, and detained
no money but what he was entitled to. lie was, he
said, no more than six weeks in this country, and
could of course as yet know nothing but what was
honest.—( Laughter.)
An officer found in the pocket of the prisoner an
old turban, such as was worn by the Turks who
were in the habit of imposing stained willow-wood
upon the public as rhubarb. This tallied with the
account given of himself by the Jew, who said he
Was a rhubarb-merchant.

The LonD Mayon observed, that there was so
much gullibility amongst the public, that they would
swallow willow-wood or any other wood if the fel-
low who sold it would only clap an old bandage of
cloth round his head, and walk about with naked
legs gabbling any sort of nonsense.—(A laugh.)
Mr. Hobler asked the prisoner how it happened
that he had changed the sovereign when he had
plenty of silver in his pocket.
The prisoner was. not at all disconcerted at this
question. Ile stated that a gentleman had purchased
39. worth of rhubarb from him, and paid him with
the sovereign; and that afterwards it occur-
red to him that the gold might be copper,
whereupon ho went into the *hop to buy a hand-
kerchief, which, by-the-by he wanted, as a pick-
ppeket had just etolen his own.
It was here asserted that the Jew had a much
more extensive knowledge of the English language
than he pretended to have; for when a gentleman
mentioned to him that the lady had been tricked by
him, he said, " Tricked ! No, your a liar to
say so."—(Laughter.)
The Loup MAYOR—WeII, my friend, this sort
of work will not do here. If you don't give back
to this lady the silver of which you have robbed
her, you shall go to Newgate ?
The prieoner was evidently terrified at this threat.
It .was obvious that he considered the clean per-
formance of the trick deserved home reward; hut
taking out a shilling he handed it to Mrs. Corbet,
saying he would pay a shilling at any time to keep
out of so virked a place.
Mrs. Corbet having stated that the shilling made
it all square between her and the Jew, the latter
was about to march off, but the Lord Mayor would
sot part with him until he paid the expences in-
curred by bringing the case before his Lordship,
GUILDHALL.
Mr. Miller, the overseer's assistant in St. Se-
pulehrtes, supplied to Sir Junm PERRINO and 14
Alderman SCROLEY Oil Saturday, hit r.
to pass a to

the Saffron-hill liberty of St. Andrew's, Holborn,
on the ground that although its mother was a mar-
ried woman, it was illegitimate, and therefme i s
legal settlement was the place of its birth, the afore.
said liberty. He said the mother was n German
woman told had married an Englishman, but she had
separated from him to cohabit with- a person now in
good circumstances at Brentford, anti the child in
question was the issue of that intimacy, which con-
tinued for three years. He knew that the law did
not permit a woman to bastardize her issue, and
that her direct evidence upon such a subject could
not be received; but still she was not deemed ab-
solutely incompetent to be a witness. Her testi-
mony was admissible to a certain extent, if the truth
of it could be clearly established by collateral evi-
dence. He would read, from minutes of his own,
what the woman could state, and he would point
out in what particulars her statements could be cor-
roborated, if the overseers of the Saffron-hill liberty
chose to take the case to the sessions,
The Aldermen appealed to Mr. Payne for his
opinion, and he said the case must rest on other
evidence than that of the wife.
In answer to questions from the Magistrate the
woman said the child was nearly seven years old,
and the father had given her only 10s. towards its
maintenance during the last three years. She had
not seen her husband for eleven years, and he hail.
been in America for the last seven years. She did
not mention her own name nor that of the repot. d
lather.

The Aldermen titer consulting together, said the
applicant must bring as full and conclusive evidence
before them, us a foundation for the order of re-
moval, us would be neces.ary to sustain the order
a, the Sessions. They would not act on the evi-
dence of the wife alone, even with the assurance
that it could be entirely corroborated.
Mr. Miler said he would collect the evidence
they required, and produce it on an early day.