The Sun.
London, England, 1807-12-05 00:00:00

'DDLESEX ,SESSZONS.

stammesvvems.. . I
Vie cert Pierce, John Pierce,' Elizabeth Lucia • , dud
Lucy Rolph, wdre indl6ted for a, rid and assault at
Sadler's Wells, •on the night of the 15th 06tober
last. The threelrst appeared to take their trial, and
pleaded Not „Guilty ,but the .fourth. had. absconcled;
Mr. CONST, in opening the case on t he part .of tfits
prosecution, regretted the-necessity he felt of calling
the attention of the.Qourt and Jury to one of the most!
melancholy cases that ever appeared in a Cowl of Jus
tice;• namely, the dreadful catastrophe that took place
ditring the
,performance at, Sadler's 'Wells on the night
of the, t 5 th Oa. Althotigh he Waseonvinced that the
Defendant's at the bar had no idea .of being the instru-
ments of so melancholy an event, it became, however;
the duty, as well as. the inclination of the managers of
that Theatre to sift the matter to the bottom, and
make pdblic examples of those who,were the cause
of -so shocking an accident, lipun the night its
question, the three persons at the bar, With another
woman, who had deported herself: very badly, and
had since absconded, bad seated 'themselves in the
pit; and Were extremely riotous during the whole
of the evening. They, began by .annoying and
abusing a young Gontlenian, .whose sforbearneee,
Was very great ;:.but at last the Police Officers were
obliged tci interfere, and they also .were isbused
- their turn, wheil there wag a general 'cry of " flirts,
bins out!" Use OtliCers then v endea mired to take:.
him into Custody, and its the struggle to escao„,'
there was a cryof "-a fight ! a tight !" winch wa, ;us, t
Medi:46ly construed into a ay of " firs.; !" and, way
reiterated through every part of the house; in con-
sequence of which the alarm became so great, •thai;
in the struggle to getout, the fatal catastrophe torsi'
place, Which he thotight it then unnecessary to com-
ment upon. One of the .first objeCts, in -such
metropoliS as this, Was, that places of public toriuse-
ment should be preserved free from'.riot and disor-
der; and he hoped the result of the present prose-
cutioe would be an example to Others in futUre;•
not. to purstie a like improper and perhaps mischiev-
ous condua. - • •

George ,Shuter deposed, that be was in the
back part of the pit, upon the night M qUelition, an 4
about eight o'clock observed 'the three Defendants
quarrelling among. theMselves, but this he after-
wards thought was i‘ sham." They ,wete several
times spoken to by the people about them to desist;''
but they continued this disorderly behavibtir
ten O'clock, when the Constables intertered and to
monstrated with them they, hoWever; bid the
Constables defiance, and derided them. .Tbey t hen
sent tbr some brandy, .which seemed to incrca.e
their inaination fur quarrelling, and teen afterwards
they beeatue so riotous and disorderly; that the Con-
stables were obliged to call assistance to
.take them
out. When in custody, they made light of their
offence ; and upon being told Of the fatal eWecis of '
their conduf, one of. them (V,ficem Pierce) ex-
claimed, they could not hang hini:et all events.,
These facts, with others not necessary to detail:
having been 'already before the public; were fully.
corroborated by Johns lagbes, a boy who 'attended
the Theatre with fruit, and two constables.

Mr. Charles llibdin, the Proprietor of the Theatre;
was also examined, to. shew that everrihing had
been done by the managers and conduators of tl4
Theatre, to prevent the dreadful catastrophe. Upon
his cross-examination,. he admitted, that Wine was
sold at a cheap rate at the Theatre; during the per-
formance ; .but, denied-that any complaint had been,
made to him respeting the officers, of the house
vouding spirituous liquors to the audience, as in that
event 'he should have immediatitly dismissed them'
but he said, he had been told that such pradicsm were
sometimes carried on..

Mr. K Nary, for the Defi;ndants; admitted the
great it-N:0'131101)f securing the persons of the pub-
lie from such accidents as that under consideration,
and agreed in thesame sentiment with him, thit the
Jury should discharge from their minds every pre-
mature prejudice, and look at the case betere them
as if no such event had taken place. The question
which they bad to try. was, according to the wordi
of the indictment, whether these Defendants had
assembled together in a disorderly manlier; with
intent, to breed a riot, to disturb the public
peace, and to injure and assault his ;Majesty's liege
subjects. In order to constitute a riot, it should ap-
pear tbatthree or more persons had been concerned in
it; but in this case; although the evidence went to
spew that the three Defendants had been very tut..
Went and disorderly, yet it did not appear that ties;
cry of ." fire," which was the real cause of the dis-
turbance, did proceed &OM them;k nor did an.,
cry
take place until atter they were in custody ; the
,her pr6-
y
violas intention, therefore, of commitang a riot did
not exist; and in his opinion, although these par-,
ties had condo&ed themselves very impeoperl
did not conceive they ought to be found Guilty
under this indiEtment.

•
.The JUry; after a Short consultation.; found all:
the Defendants Orii/iy. Sentence was not passed.
John Briggs, rib attorney, was intik:led for assault-
ing Mr. John Macdonnell, a stirgoon and apothecary,
in Groat Mary-le-bone•strect.
The Defendant 'went to the bode of the Proseeti-: -
tor to tender 51. as payment in full of, 171. "%ti. ad:
being the amotint of the latter's bill for cetiani.ho-
lusses, nostrums, and medicines; against a 1l iss Nit r;
ray,' one of the frail sisterhood ; and upOti the Poe.'
tor's refining 'to accept it as such, the beleadant
grossly abused' hitn, which irritated .the riatSior so,
attach, that ht retired for his horicw4ha
to
cstise,
the Lawyer'. In the mean tithe the hawyer Seized
the Doe or's professional cane, find shaking it over
his head in "a menacing post are, threatened to I: wok'
him down ; and this ad of the Law canstituted
the assanit..cothplained of.
-The.Defendant was fotind Guilt 1,, and the Court'
ientineed hith to pity a fine of s 4 shillingA and
eilhtpence.
. •

Our new Books of Cookery are become a Lola
more particul-ar thug . fprmetly iv 'their diredior.
one of (hem, in' orde,riug a species of, pudding. be,.
0.
.ins thus—c‘ Take your maid, and send ,4er for a
pfitck of f100r,,, Sec.

. . , • , •.,
At' Ingafestone Fait, in Essex,. on Tueiday anti
Wednesday last, there was 2.141-ger show of Welch
arid Sotch cattle than- has been knot' in for niarty
years : ' the prices were lolyer full 2.5
_per
.cea I. than
at those of the last year, and .imby c4ni,,..ierab!li
crows-wont off titii.QM