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. Subsequent inquiries have
shown that the affair was much more serious than
might 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 were disposed to
do so at the old prices ; but at a numerous meet-
ing of the colliers on strike, held at the Lane Ends,
Aspull, it was determined 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 Balcarres at Springs-bridge,
Haigh, nearly two miles from 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 own 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 this fact became known to them, and
threats to be revenged on the ‘..‘ knobsticks," as
they are called, were uttered with little or no at-
tmnpt at concealment. As evening approached the
opinion 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
saw-mills, while they were in bed ; and a third was,
that 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
rumours 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 400 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 authorities was
speedily made manifest •in the hurry and bustle
which attended the disposition of the police and
military. The bugle of the 34th Infantry sounded
through the streets, and the soldiers were hastily
mustered, and placed under arms at the Public-
hall. The borough police were assembled in the
same building, where the magistrates were already
in consultation, and messengers on foot and on
horseback were seen hurrying to and fro. It was
ascertained that the turnouts who had just marched
through the town in disorderly procession had
taken the road towards the saw-mills but it was
reported that this movement was only a ruse to
cover the real point of attack, 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 from Mr. Peace to the authori-
ties at Wigan demanding the aid of the military.
This 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 timber, waggons, ironwork,
and other materials 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 further
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 enclosure
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 203 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
in the morning a note had been received at
the 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 saw
mills, 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
small defensive force of workmen on the premises,
and they were stationed in the outer yard. About
6 o'clock in the evening a noise was heard of a
great number of workmen coming from the direc-
tion of Wigan, and it was soon ascertained that
they were armed with heavy sticksand stones. The
mob was about 350 in number. On reaching the
front gates of the saw-mills it appeared evident
that they had expected to meet a large reinforce-
ment of colliers from Aspull and Bla,ckrod. One of
the leaders said their promised allies were " soft
—," and dared not join them. They passed on
a short distance towards Aspull, but, receiving no
accession of strength, they stopped, and, after
a short consultation, wheeled about and at-
taeked the saw-mills by trying to force the
gates of the outer yard, assailing them with
stones and- pieces of wood. Stones were also
thrown at the police inside. As they were unable
to force an entrance they attempted• to scale the
boarding ; but immediately their hands appeared
on the top of this fence the police struck them
with their truncheons and beat them off. Mr.
Peace was there with four of his men, and they,
with the policemen, fought with the greatest de-
termination. The besiegers seemed equally reso-
lute, and several had to be struck heavily on the
head, so that the scalp was lacerated; before they
would drop. After this point of defence had been
maintained about a quarter of an hour, many of
the rioters got to a part of the fence whence they
commanded the flank and rear of the defenders ;
and one of their huge missiles • knocked down a
policeman, and rendered him senseless for a few
moments. Another party of the assailants were at
the same time steadily working to open a passage
by tearing off some of the boards, in which they
were at length successful. The police-sergeant
steadily refused to use firearms, but said his
men should stand at the gates as long as they
could hold them. Mr. Peace, seeing their danger,—
for the mob were maddened by the resistance they had
experienced, and yelled an d.uttered dreadful threats
—now advised that they should retire to the inner
yard, where they would be able to keep their assail-
ants at bay more effectually until the soldiery, who had
already been sent for, were at hand. Immediately
after this retreat the mob burst into the yard in
great numbers, and it was taken possession of by
between 200 and
.300 men, mostly active young
colliers. A large fire was burning in the centre,
and this they overturned and commenced kicking
about, to the serious danger of the surrounding
property. The police force held the doorway be-
tween the two yards, and Mr. Peace and his men
took up a position in the warehouses of which
these gates form the centre, and the windows of
which commanded the spot where the rioters were
now assembled. One of the men in the ware-
houses now fired his gun at them through the
window, having first broken the glass with its
muzzle, and this inspired them with a momentary
panic, in which they retreated to near the outer
gate. Some of the leaders here called out to
their companions that they were " soft'• if they
were frightened at that, and they were rallied,
and again advanced about seventy yards towards
the inner yard. Four more guns were then dis-
charged at them from the warehouse, which evi-
dently took effect, and led to a precipitate and
general flight. The mob immediately evacuated
the promises, and Sergeant Gillott and his
men now left by a back way, and gained the main
road, where they found the rioters dispersing to-
wards Wigan. Mr. Superintendent Scott soon
afterwards arrived with cutlasses for the police,
and now took the command of them himself. In
about half-an-hour afterwards the military arrived
from Wigan, consisting of 150 men, under Captain
Wilt, with whom were Mr. Joseph Acton, magis-
trate, the Hon. Colonel Lindsay, and the Hon.
Colin Lindsay, sons of Lord Balcarres, arrived from
Haigh-hall. They remained some time on the pre-
mises, and ultimately a body of 50 soldiers was left
to protect the place, under Lieutenant Brown
Westhead. s the military were returning over
Springs-bridge, which is at a considerable elevation
above the canal, and overlooks the saw mills, there
were a good many people looking at them, some of
whom uttered cries of disapprobation, but those
who did so hastily slunk into obscurity under the
shadow of buildings and hedges. What was most sur-
prising to a stranger was the hardihood with which
people who stood. on the bridge, and acknowledged