The Sun.
London, England, 1839-08-08 00:00:00

RIOTS.

WEDNESDA
At the sitting of the Court this morniag,Y EVENING,
John Drinkworth, James Rhodes, Eleazer Hughes, and
Thomas Salter, who stood indicted for a riot at Birming-
ham on the evening of the 4th of July last, were placed at
the bar.
Mr. MILLER, who appeared cn behalf of Salter and
Hughes (also indicted for an assault on the police) .sdid
that he had an humble application to make to the Court
on their behalf. It having been decided by his Lordship
and the Jury, that the meeting of persons amongst whom
they were was an illegal assemblage, they were anxious
to express their contrition for the offence, and to make
every attonement in their power by pleading guilty, and
throwing themselves upon the clemency of the Court.
Mr. liatouv, on the part of the Crown, said he had no
objection that the clemency of the Court should be ex-
tended to Salter, and he thought the ends of justice
would be answered by passing upon'him a nominal sentence.
He would say nothing- as to Hughes,
but leave the
matter for their Lordships' consideration.
The two other prisoners, Drink worth and James Rhodes,
then withdrew their plea of not guilty, and pleaded guilty.
The four prisoners were then ordered to be removed
from the Bar.
John Smith, William Cliff, fed Thomas King, were
then placed at the liar upon an indictment which charged
them with a riot at Birmingham on the 4th of July.
The prisoners, who had previously pleaded not guilty,
withdrew their pleas and pleaded guilty.
Mr. BALGUY said lie had no wish to press for punish-
ment upon the prisoners Smith and Clift, and would re-
commend to the Court to inflict upon them merely a
nominal punishment, as he believed they had not been
guilty of actual violence. But he would leave the ease
of King in his Lordship's hands, as he had a bayonet in
his possession and stones in his pocket.
King said he had taken the
.bayonet for his own de-
fence.

Several witnesses were called, who gave Clift, King,
Hughes, and S-ilter, good characters.
The prisoners were then removed.
ACQUITTAL AND DISCHARGE OF DR, TAYLOR.
Dr. John Taylor was then placed at the Bar charged
with a riot at Birmingham on the 4th of July.
Mr. BALGUY said in the exercise of the discretion vested
in him, he should offer no evidence in the case of John
Taylor.
The Jury then returned a verdict of acquittal, and Mr.
Taylor withdrew from the Bar.
John Ingram, a boy of about twelve years old, was then
I indicted for a riot at Birmingham on the 4th of July.
Mr. BALGUY declined
to offer any evidence, and the
Jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty, and the prisoner
was ordered to be discharged.
Edward Browne, one of the Birmingham Delegates,
was then placed at the bar, charged upon three indict-
ments with using seditious and inflammatory language, and
also fur a misdemeanour.
Mr. MILLER said the prisoner had been indicted for two
different transactions, one of which occurred on the 21st of
March, and the other on the 15th May. Three indict-
ments had been returned against him by the Grand Jury,
two of which referred to the two days in question, and the
other to something that had occurred on the sth of May.
With respect to that indictment he would be entitled to
traverse, as he was not committed on it, and he could
know nothing of the depositions until the indictment had
been read to the Court. His application was, that the
prisoner might be permitted to traverse all these indict-
ment till the next Assizes.
Mr. BALGUY had bad no objection to the application.
Mr. MILLER hoped the bail would not be excessive.
Tie prisoner
family.risone
rwas a householder of Birmingham, and had
a large
After some discussion between the Counsel on both sides
Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE fixed the bail at SOL personal
thensb indicted
to
plead for
a surety,aridtwdocmolelaattse.ral securities; of 40/. each, in each
of the three indictments.
George
to
MILLER
thei
L;
Ealkt sth
of
Baker
July.
Mr. ce
r prisoner h n Tallow
guilty. Be had, it appeared, struggled very hard when
apprehended, and one of the police constables was slightly
hurt, and in endeavouring to secure him necessarily used
such a degree of violence as severely punished the prisoner.
nr Tallowwcre l:
He understood Tatlow was for some time insensible, and
his right arm was so much injured that he had been since
unable to use it.
Mr. BALGUY could not interfere on behalf of the pri-
soner Tatlow. He would leave his case to the decision
of the Court.
George Julian Harney, one of the Delegates of the
General Convention, who was out on bail, was then called
and surrendered. The prisoner was indicted for using se-
ditious and inflammatory langucge.
Mr. MILLER said the prisoner wished to traverse, as
be had an undoubted right to do, till the next Assizes.
Mr. Justice LITTI.EDSLE directed that the bail should
be, as in the former case, SOL personal surety, and two col-
lateral sureties in 401. each.
Mr. MILLER would only trouble the Court with one
more application—it was that Dr. Taylor, who had just
been acquitted, should be discharged.
Mr. BALGUY said Dr. Taylor had been at liberty for
some time.
Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE said as soon as the verdic't was
returned, he had given directions that he should be dis-
charged.
George Baiter was then indicted for a riot at Birming-
ham on the sth July.
Mr. BALGUY having briefly stated the case,
John Allen, of the Metropolitan Police, deposed that he
was on duty in the Bull-ring on the sth of July. There
-tits a large concourse of people in it, and there was much
riot and tumult. I was stationed in front of the public
office to keep it clear. L saw the prisoner Baker at the
bottom of Moore-street holding up his hands anldtToaohdekdrlseloismisi-
ing the mob. He told them not to run away from the
dDierrasgwoo,Les,atbuthtattotitsenddri:irrg ttohethmeoirbeaowuanytr.y.
into custody and searched him, and found upon him the
dagger I now produce. There was a cork on the point
for 4 sheath, and be said some one had put it into his
pocket.

Cross-examined by the prisoner.—.I want to ask the
witness whether I was drunk or sober ?
Witness.—You were sober. It was about half-past
eight in the evening. The prisoner was about three yards
from the end Of Moore-street, when he addressed the mob.
I found the dagger in his left hand trowsers pocket. He
did not abuse me nor show the dagger to me.
Prisoner—My Lord, he swears that when he took me
it was half-past eight, now it was only half-past six.
Witness__ It was half-past eight to the best of my
knowledge. I went on duty at seven.
Cross-examined by the Looter-1 was 30 or 40 yards
from the Public Office, and was about three yards from
the prisoner when I heard him speak.
Wm. Charles Alston, Magistrate of the borough and
county of Warwick, examined by mit. HILL. 1 passed
through the Bull-ring in the morning, and also in the
' evening of the sth, about 8 o'clock, or a quarter to 8.
The Bull-ring inure particularly seemed to be in a very
disturbed state. The people were distributed about every
part of the Bull-ring, and there might be from 1,000 to
2,000. There was nothing going forward in the way of
business. The shops, or at least part of them, were
closed. I can not say I saw any of them open. I did not
report what I had seen till some time after, but reports
were made by the magistrates themselves, who had been to
see the state of the Bull-ring-. They were under great
apprehension of a repetition of what occurred, and in
about an hour they ordered the Bull-ring to be cleared by
the military and police. I went myself into the Bull-ring
ebout 20 minutes past 9. The Bull-ring seemed to be
not riotous, but in a crowded state. Before I went into
the Bull-ring there had been a consultation of the Magis-
trates, and it was determined to road the riot act.
Prisoner declined to ask the witness any questions.
The prisoner, when called on for his defence, said—My
Lord, I had business near the new church, and then in
Colemore-street. I went down Bull-street, which leads
from Colemore-street to the Bull-ring. I saw a great
number of people pushing about. I passed through the
crowd, and went to the corner of Moore-street, where I
saw a few people, about eight or ten, standing together.
I knew a few of them by sight, and they knew toe by sight
also. They said, " Where are you going ?" I said lam
going home. They said, " Don't go yet." I said I must
go ; I have some boys to instruct at seven o'clock, and
moreover the town is in a curious state, and I shan't stop,
I then lifted up my hands, and put them on two persons'
shoulders to whom I was talking, and said, " You may
stand your ground, but I won't." I then went up Moore-
street to go home. I was collared by two policemen. That
was 100 yards from the corner of Moore-street, near the
public office. I was then taken into the chain.room, and
I was desired to strip. When I unbuttoned my
coat the instrument was found hanging down here (point-
ing to the inside of the skirt of his coat), not in
my pocket, my Lord. I took it out myself end laid it on

_ . . .
the table. Hall, the officer, was present, and he picked it
up and asked me how I came possessed of it. I said it
was not mine ; "it don't belong to me—sume one has
put it about my person." Witness then took it from
from Hall, the officer, and Hall desired him to take care
of it. That is all, my Lord.
Mr. Justice.LITTLEDALE then summedluptoathye Jureyn
chargedi.
stpirlli6 theyone r were only to con
night he be
Having stated what the prisoner had said in hii defence,
he observed that even if they did not believe the .tate_
merits of the prisoner, still it did nut appear that there
had been sufficient evidence given to show that there had
sbed eenr that
ar
withiowt.ith
oAvvolhjteilr(7houirgbvehn
offences, still
charged, namely. the taking
part in a riot, and of that it appeared to him they had not
sufficient evidence.
The Jury immediately acquitted the Prisoner.
James Pomeroy was indicted for a riot at Birmingham
on the sth of July.
Mr. BALGUY stated the case, and said he was happy to
July,
at night. The
ththeeßiot,inform them that the present was the last case on the part
letnheavenues were densely
of the Government which he should feel it his duty to lay
before them. Having stated the factsyo,fttohehacvaese
fol-
lowing witnesses were examined
Charles James Alston—l found it necessary from the
crowded. state
afdd. 1 partrh Bull-ring The noise sn oi aboutse clear,ha oati half-past
.b
tumult mse t tunshl t was so great that I could
hardly make myself heard. There was a great deal of
shouting and hooting. I went to the police-office where 1
found a division of the military; I took them to the streets
in the neighbourhood of the Bull-ring, for the
purpose of
dispersing the people. The crowd did not disperse. They
shouted and threw stones. Immediately after throwing
stones they ran away, and when we retired they returned,
and that state of things continued till one o'clock in the
morning.
Cross-examined by the Prisoner—lt vra3
night that I read the Riot Act. Some of on Tuesday
the military and
police were there at the time. At least two thousand per-
sons must have been there collected. I read the Riot Act
Church: -1-saw-Tfs
linifeirthroliiniat the time I read the Riot Act; I saw,
on the right-head of...St...Mar.in's I-.