The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-09 00:00:00

MARSHAM.

DISGRACEFUL OUTRAGE by POLICEMEN.
This hitherto peaceful and quiet town was, on Friday
evening last, the scene of great riot and disorder, from
the following circumstances, which have been detailed to
us by a correspondent, upon whom we can rely. On
the Thursday evening, some idle boys assembled to
perform what is not an unusual ceremony_in country
towns, te rate statrgr as it is called, in eonseqesence
of supposed ill-treatment and assault, by Swinburne,
the police officer, upon his wife. To say the least
of it, it is a foolish and at the same time a harmless
proceeding, and would doubtlese be more honoured in
the breach than in the observance, Swinburne was, as
might be expected, much annoyed at this proceeding,
and after some altercation with the partie., succeeded
that evening in putting a stop to their sport. On the
following night, about nine o'clock, the accustomed ce-
remonies were resumed, and Swinburne, with a police-
officer from Bedale of the name of Macpherson, whom
Swinburne had brought to the town, immediately set
about with great violence to disperse the persons who
were assembled in the streets, and their manner of
doing so excited general disgust and indignation. These
peace officers had each of them a brace of pistols in
their hands, and, in a state of great excitement, were
presenting them at any person who dared to remon-
strate with them upon their mad career. A young
man who was crossing the street, and taking no part
whatever in the disturbance, was instantly seized by
these fellows, and was about to be dragged to the lock
up, when many respectable bystanders remonstrated
with the officers upon their behaviour, and desired
them to release their prisoner. The only reply given
was a determined threat on the part of these men, that
if any person interfered with them they should have the
contents of the pistols, which, by their own confession,
were loaded. By this time the people were so exasperated
that an outbreak was momentarily expected, which, in
all probability, would have ended in bloodshed. Swin-
burne and Macphersoo were, however, at last prevailed
upon to release their unoffending prisoner, and Messrs,
Jackson and Ascough, the town's constablee, at the re-
quest of the respectable inhabitants of the place, under-
took to quell the riot which at this time had arisen to
a great pitch. They immediately insisted upon Swine
burne and Macpherson going home, assuring them that
if they did not, they would net be answerable for the
consequences, and that the peace of the town would be
soon restored. To this they assented with much diffi-
culty, and in a very short time the persons quietly dis-
persed, and the streets were completely cleared in less
than half an hour. The two police-officers were, how-
ever, determined to hale their revenge that night,
and about eleven o'clock, when all was peaceable, they
proceeded to the house of one Robert Atkinson, who,
the evening before, had taken some part in the pro-
ceedings above alluded to, and with the assistance of
Certain Harcourt's keeper and watcher, succeeded in
ga;nitig an entrance into the house. They immediately
procceecled up stairs, where some females of the family.
were in bed, and dragged Robert Atkioson out of his-
bed and took hies, at that time of the night, to the
lock up. It should be o 5 eked that this person had
never been out of his house that night, and had taken
nn part in the affray whoever, except that on the
Thursday evening he had refused to assist Swinburne
to stop the proceedings of that' evening, for which offence
he had obtained a warrant. These ruffians then pro-
ceeded to the house of a person of the name of Benson,
accompanied by their colleagues, the keeper and watcher,
and there attempted to force an entrance into the house
for the purpose of
this they were unsuccessful,
win-
dow to pieces and fired of their
apprehending one of his sons. In
though they broke the
tphi
set
oglrse
taot
thealarm
inmatesof the pistols several times, to
thareoitighhhotrehowoiod,dopwreosfentingtheir
They remained about the house the house.
the morning.
daygnfoaltlnagptipeilaretwdotoo o'clock
keasien
feeling of disgustOaand indignation the general
rather than diminish, and on hearing that it was the
do
intention of Captain Harcourt to send
keep
tah peace,
number
1
of his labourers as special constables to k
a meeting was immediately called at the eel) 1200
at which all the respectable inhabitants attended,
and it was unanimously resolved that no such step
would
was
at all necessary, but on the contrary, if taken,
lead to a more serious outbreak. Information was seat
to Captain Harcourt that the respectable inhabitants
would be answerable for the peace of the town, and
would undertake to stop the riot and confusion, which,
in their judgment, was solely attributable to the officers.
At this meeting a resolution was also unanimously
adopted to the effect, that Swinburne and his colleagues
were the cause of all the disturbance?, and that he was
wholly unfit to hold the cffice, and that application be
immediately mule to the inspectors for his instant dis-
charge and removal from the town. After this meeting
the teem became as peaceable as possible, and nothing
could more clearly show the good feeling and peaceable
demeanour of the inhabitants, than the readiness with
which all parties co operated in restoring harmony and
quiet. A meeting of the inspectors would be held yes-
terday, when we doubt not the decision come to would
be such as to guard against aoy such turbulent and dis-
graceful proceedings in future.—York Courant.

ZOOLCGICAL SOCIETY.—The last month had
been rich in presents—particularly in two lions and a
lioness, from Sir Thomas Heade, her Majesty's Consul
at Tunis ; and amongst other presents announced were
a green and an Alsace monkey, two golden eagles, an
Australian dog, &c. There were also presented to the
Museum six skins of rare monkeys from Fernando, b;:
G. Knapp, Esq., and 57 specimen; of birds, and three
quadrupeds from Australia, from G. Knapp, Esq.