The Sun.
London, England, 1839-09-17 00:00:00

BIRMINGHAM RIOTS.

WEDNESDAY.
The examination of witnesses was resumed this day.
In the absence of Mr. Alderman Sturge, Mr. Coun-
cillor Clowes was called to the Chair.
Samuel Baggot, of Green-street, Deritend, brass-
-4 founder, examined :—I work for Messrs. Stock and
Sharpe, in Temple-street, and have a wife and four chil-
dren. I usually-left work at seven o'clock in the evening,
and passed down High-street and the Bull-zing in my
way home. I have on these occasions seen the people
collecting round Nelson's Monument to hear the news-
papers read ; they were always quiet, and the thorough-
fare was free. When coming to my work from dinner,
I saw on one or two occasions, prior to the arrival of
the London police, a considerable crowd round the Mo-
nument, consisting of 500 or 600 persons. They were
waiting for the reader coming ; they were per-
fectly quiet on these occasions. The numbers on the
footpath on the Market Hall side of High-street was
such as to occasion passengers to cross over to get past.
The crowd offered no insult to passengers. I did not
observe any meeting in the middle of the day after the
London police came, and those held in the evening
were much less numerous, sometimes under a score of
persons. I did not pass up or down the Bullring on
the jaight of the fire. On the following morning, the
15th of July, I was coming up Digbeth to my work,
about nine o'clock, when at the corner of Park-street, I
saw the soldiers and police there stationed, who pre-
vented any one passing up the Bull-ring. 1 went
.along St. Martin's-lane, and when I arrived at the cor-
ner of Jamaica-row and Edgbaston-street, I asked
one of the London pollee, who was there standing,
if I could pass up Spiceall-street, he asked me " where
I wanted to go." I said, "to my work ;" and he
asked, " where do you work ?" I told him in Temple-
street ; he then said. " go along Edgbaston-street, and
you will be safe." I accordingly went, but had not
proceeded many yards, when, at the corner of Glouces-
ter-street, three of the London police issued out of
Gloucester-street, one of them knocked me down with
his staff. I was at the time walking quickly along.
Neither of the policemen said any thing to me beforel
received the blow, nor Ito them. There was no crowd
or disturbance in the street or near it, and nothing more
than the ordinary traffic going on. Just as I was get-
tiug up again, one of the other policemen, whose num-
ber I observed to be 74, struck me with his staff upon
the shoulder several times, the blows fractured the
bone, and severely bruised my back. I was also struck
whilst on the ground. They then left me, without
saying a word to me from first to last, I was too badly
hurt to speak to them. Some women came and
helped me up, and I went home. Mr. Cox, surgeon,
attended me, and lam now under his hands. I have
not been able to do any work since, and am not now
able to lift up my arm. Mr. Cox says it will be
a long time before I can use it, if ever. I went to
the Public Office on the following Thursday, to make
a complaint to the Magistrates. Whilst I was wait-
ing, a man came into the office to snake a similar com-
plaint, his arm was in a sling, and he said it had been
broken by the police on the night of the fire, at the
bottom of Moor-street. Some of the Birmingham street-
keepers, who were at the office doors, said he had no
business there that night, and it was well it was no worse.
Another man was in attendance with a like complaint,
but we all concluded, after what we had heard from
the street-keepers, that it would he of no use to state
our cases to the Magistrates, and so left the office with-
out doing so. I never attended any of the Bull-ring
or Holloway-head meetings.
. Samuel Spragg, of No. 4, Islington, examined.—l
am warehouseman to Mr. John Cornforth, of Dart-
mouth-street, wiremaker. On the night of the 15th of
July I left the warehouse about half-past eight, and
went round by Great Barr-street to pay some money
to my club. I left there at half-past nine, and pro-
ceeded up Digbeth in my road home. When about the
end of Park-street I could see the fires in Nigh-street,
and there appeared to be about three hundred or four
hundred people between Park-street and the fires. It
was now about a quarter to ten. To avoid the crowd
I passed along St. Martin's-lane, instead of going
up the Bull-ring. When at the corner of Jamaica-row
I saw many persons opposite Mr. Scudamore's, throw-
ing brick ends, stones; and pieces of iron railing at Mr.
Scudamore's house. Fearing to proceed further in
that direction, I turned back, with the intention of going
down Moat-lane, and so by way of Smithfield. When
I got as far as e Horseshoe-gateway, in St. Martin's-
lane, I was met by a party of the Dragoons and Rifle-
men, with some of the London police is their rear. I
stepped back into the gateway to avoid them, and get
out of danger. The soldiers passed. When the police
approached, three of them came into the gateway, and
one of them struck me upon the head with his cutlass.
The blow stunned me and knocked me down.
My hat was cut through, and a wound about two
inches long was inflicted upon my head, which bled co-
piously. Whilst down I was also struck several times;
one blow from a cutlass cut my hand near the wrist,
and broke the bone. I also received a blow of some
kind upon my belly, which caused an abscess, which my
surgeon, Mr. Sanders, says may be the occasion of a
rupture, unless I wear a truss. I was also severely
bruised upon my back, from my shoulder to my loins,
and upon my right arm. I have not been able to do
any work since, and am still under the surgeon's care.
I did not say a word to the police before I was struck,
nor they to me. I have not complained to the Magis-
trates, as I conceived it would be of no use. I never
attended any public meeting of any sort in my life.