The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-02 00:00:00

RIOT AT WIGAN.

It was briefly announced in The Sun of yester-
day that there had been another riot at Wigan on
Monday evening, and that one person had been
shot, if not killed. Subf—quent inquiries have
shown that the affair was m-ich more set ...oils than
Alight have been inferred from that statement, and
that eight or nine persons were shot, while it still
remains doubtful whether one of them has not re-
ceived fatal injury.
In pursuance of the resolution adopted by the
Master colliers at their meeting on Friday after-
noon, their works were thrown open on Monday
morning,
to give an opportunity of returning to
work to such of the turnouts as we -e disposed to
do so at the old prices ; but at a numerous meet-
ing of the colliers o i strike, held at the Lane Ends,
,AsPllll, it was de .-,errrined not to accept these
terms. The Welsh colliers, who had been brought
to take their places by Mr. Peace, Earl Balcarres's
agent, had been lodged, ever since their arrival, at
the works of Earl Baicarres at Springs-bildge,
Flaigh, nearly two miles f7.-om the centre of
Wigan, but, on being sounded by the managers
of the colliery as to their intentions, 24 of them
expressed fears of violence, and at their owa re-
quest were at once sent back by railway to the prin-
cipality. The remainder, however, signified their
intention of accepting the situations offered them,
and accordingly descended the pits to work. The
greatest indignation was aroused among the turn-
outs when ths fact became known to them, and
threats to be revenged on the " knobsticks," as
they are called, were uttered with little or no at-
6linpt at concealment. As evening approached the
°Pinion became almost universal in the neighbour-
hood that the night would not pass without vio-
lence being committed, and various rumous were in
circulation as to the mode in which vengeance was
to be taken on the men who were at work. Accord-
ing to one report, an attack was to be made on the
coal-mine in which the obnoxious men were en-
gaged, and earth thrown down the shafts in order
to prevent egress, and so bury them alive. Another
account was, that the men would be attacked at the
taw mills, while they were in bed • and a third was,,
flat an assault would be made on the house of Mr.
Peace himself, at Haigh, near the seat of Lord Bal-
carres. It was well known that both places, which
Were about a mile and a quarter distant from one
another, were prepared for such an eventuality, and
that Haigh-hall had also been put in a very com-
Plete state of defence. In the town of Wigan these
tumours did not meet with much credit, the people
Pointing significantly to the soldiers as an assur-
ance of security. Things remained in this position
till about half-past five in the evening. The dark-
ness so patiently awaited by the colliers as a cover to
their movements, and so much feared by the in-
habitants was then fast settling over the town
and neighbourhood, and almost immediately after-
:Wards, a mob of 300 to 390 colliers, mostly youths
Of 18 or 20 years of age, marched through the
town with fifes and a drum. The importance at-
tached to this movement by the autQorities was
aPeedily made manifest in the hurry and bustle
which attended the disposition of the police and
nailitary. The bugle of the 31th Infantry souncl2l
through the streets, and the soldiers were has'ily
mustered, and placed under arms at the Public-
The borough police were assembled in the
,anie building, where the ma3:strats were already
in consultation, and messengers on foot and on
horseback were seen hurrfug to and fro. It was
ascertained that the turnouts who had just marched
-6lnirough the town in d'sorderly procession had
taken the road towe-As the saw-mills, but it was
reported that this movemeit was only a ruse to
cover the real point of attvck, which was to be
Mr. Peace's house. Shortly before seven o'clock,
a servant of Lord Balcarres arrived on horse-
back with a message !:rom Mr. Peace to the authori-
t„,ies at Wigan demanding the aid of the military.
Phis man reported the road to the saw-mills to
be very dangerous, and crowded with riotous
"People, from whom he had received several blows
as he rode through them. The military now
started on the track of the turnouts. What are

called the saw-mills are, in fact, the works gene-
rally of the sawyers, carpenters, and other artizans
employed in preparing t'mber, waggons, r0nw0r....--,
and other materia's for the extensive colliery of the
Earl of Balcarres. Mr. Peace, the manager, has
his offices there, and transacts his principal busi-
ness at the works. The canal forms the left
boundary of the premises, and substantial build-
ings of stone enclose it on the right and fin her
side. At the front entrance a temporary wooden
fence, six or seven feet high, in which is a wooden
door, had been run up to complete the enclosu-2e
on that side. A pile of warehouses across the
centre of the premises, with a gateway in the
Middle, divides them into spacious yards, the first
being about 100 and the second nearly 2C3 yards
in length, the width varying from a few yards
at the entrance to 100 yards along the greater
Portion of the ' place. It appears that early
14 the morning- a note had been received at
th e saw-mills stating that two meetings of
the colliers were to be held, one at Wigan
and the other at Aspull, after which one
Party was to attack the " knobsticks " at the Law
while the other was to find work for the au-
thorities and military at Wigan. Inspector Gillott,
With ten men of the Bolton division of the county
Police, was sent for from Aspull to augment the
tall defensive force of workmen on the premises,
6tbey were stationed in the outer yard. About
&clock in the evening a noise was heard of a
reat number of workmen coming from the d'rec-
nn of Wil,an, and it was soon ascertained that
theyi were armed with heavy sticksand stones. The
f,°"' was about 350 in number. On reaching the
i,"t gates of the saw-mills it appeared evident
hat they had expected to meet a large reinforce:
rent of colliers from Aspull and Blackrod. One o
e leaders said their promised allies were " so__t
aand dared not join them. They passed on
Zsnort distance towards Aspull, but, receiving ro
c•
ession of strength, they stopped, and, a,tar
L short consultation, wheeled about arid at-
tacked the saw-mills by trying to force the
Sates of the outer yaid, assailing them with
• nee and pieces of wood. Stones were alsotonwn at the police inside. As they wel-e unalle
b force an entrance they aaempted to scale the
o,c)atd ing ; but immediately their hands appeared
phe top of this fence the police struck them
th their trancheors and beat them off. Mr.
we.ace was there with four of h:s men, and they,
lth the policemen, Fought w ith the greatest de-
termination. The besiegers seemed equally reso-
huts) and several had to be struck heavily on the
,d, so that the scalp was lacerated, before they
la bdrop. After this Pont' of defence had been
tut drop.
about a quarter of an hour, many of
rioters got to a part of the fence whence they
ea'clannanded the flank and rear of the defenders ;
(me of their huge missiles knocked down a
•ili-,;'-ceman, and rendered him senseless for a few
th-inenls. Another party the assailants were at
byisame time steadily woe,: ig to open a passage
Same
off some of the boards, in which they
r: re at length successful. The police-sergeant
taeadilY refused to use firearms, but said his
fen should stand at the gates as long as they
fo• uldhold them. Mr. Peace, seeing their danger,—
: the mob were maddened by the resistance they had
Perieneed, and yelled and uttered dreadful threats
now advised that they should retire to the inner
„'a• rad, where they would be able to keep their assail-
:lns at, bay more effectually until the soldiery, who had
TeadY been sent for, were at hand. Immediately
after this retreat the mob burst into the yar:i in
tat numbers, and it was taken possession of by
colliers.
200 and 300 men, mostly active young
Cliers• A large fire was burning in the centre,
I,ld this they overturned and commenced kicking
crout, to the serious danger of the surrounding
operty. The police force held the doorway be-
/.een the two yards, and Mr. Peace and his men
jk Up a position in the warehouses of which
gates form the centre, and the windows of
11,,u commanded the spot where the rioters were
bca..,assernbled. One of the men in the ware-
wiTs now fired his gun at them through the
tnitn, w, having first broken the glass with its
pan e, and this inspired them with a momentary
gate, in which they retreated to near the outer
their, Some of the leaders here called out to
'Were'!ompanions that they were " soft" if they
and
arightened at that, and they were rallied,
the inZin advanced about seventy yards towards
ehargetr yard. Four more guns were then dis-
dently at them from the warehouse, which evi-
tellerao.o. k effect, and led to a precipitate and
the 4sight. The mob immediately evacuated
naeg ri'vel.ises, and Sergeant Gillott and his
road, wh"',,eft by a back way, and gained the main
Wards they found the rioters dispersing to-
and no %rrived with cutlasses for the police,
bout c\li
half the command of them himself. In
fronl
wi,alag.-hour afterwards the military arrived
wil,,u)consisting of 150 men, under Captain
Irrat.e, the .„:Tiom were Mr. Joseph Acton, Liramagis-
at (n. Colonel Lindsay, and the Hon.
p aY,sons of Lord Balcarres, arrived from
kiges ai• Utley remained some time on the pre-
to and •
nitlbately a body of 50 soldiers was left
Wel)"ect the thead a place, under Lieutenant Brown
arillgs_brith,s he military were returning over
::00vro.ed;tetec:erade_; which is at a considerable elevation
wtro good. nudiiyanpdeoorvleer.llooookskintgheatsatwhemmi,llsso,
some
eeroef
ek of disapprobation, but those
Vari.4_4dat.,,v.ktostobuilhastly slunk into obscurity under the
130-0-um•-kva.B gs, andhedger,d Wbaotowawsimothswthsuierh-
Pke w ""Uger Nim rdih d • sto
c's, cal the bridge, and acknowledged