The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-22 00:00:00

THE COLLIERY DISTURBANCES.

Reports from the neighbourhood of Sheffield speak of
increasing fears that the disturbances among the colliers
will culminate in something still more serious. The latest
news from the district states thrt a messenger had arrived at
the Sheffield Police-stationin hothaste from New Winnings
colliery belonging to Mr. Huntsman. He informed the
Inspector that groups of men were ccngregated around
the pit, and that judging from the various bands of
strangers about the street, an attack on the non-unionists
was intended on their arrival at the pit's mouth. Two bodies
of constabulary were forthwith despatched, each taking a
different route to the colliery. As they approached the various
bands disappeared, and no attempt was made to re
assemble. At ten o'clock the " shift " were taken up, and
escorted to their homes by bodyguards of police, without
molestation. Furtive glances and indications of suppressed
anger, however, proved that the precautions taken were
not unnecessary.

At Broughton-lane affairs have not passed off peace-
ably. About two hundred men assembled at nine o'clock
at night armed with bludgeons, marching and counter-
marching with military precision. The orders to halt,
reform ranks, quick march, were given by a man who ap-
peared to be the commander, in a tone which implied tint
he had studied his part. A few policemen innocentlystood
by watching these evolutions, with nn idea that all was
meant as a hoax. . In a short time about fifty
of the number separated from the rest, and
marched in the direction of Tinsley, followed by
three police-officers. Coming to a row of fifty houses,
belonging to Mr. Huntsman, and occupied by the non-
unionists in his employ, they hurled large stones at the
doors and through the windows of the sleeping inmates,
who were terror stricken, and in several instances severely
injured. The mob dispersed on the arrival of a stronger
• body of police.
On Friday more serious rioting took place. About seven
o'clock in the morning, the houses of the non-unionists
employed at the collieries of Messrs. Newton, Chambers,
and Co., near the Westwood station of the South York-
shire Railway, were attacked by a body of nearly
a thousand colliers, who, not content with destroy-
ing the windows, and woodwork, set three of them
on fire. For some time an attack had been expected,
and a body of police, under Sergeant Greenwood,
had occupied one of the houses. The first intimation re-
ceived of the approaching riot was given by a constable
who had been patrolling Tankersley Park, which is close
to one of the pits, and who informed the
.police-sergeant
that a large body of men were mustering in the park. In-
formation was at once sent to the police-station at Barnsley,
and Sergeant Greenwood with his force of seven men with
drawn cutlasses marched out into the road, and attacked
a large body of men who were coming to the pit buildings.
The Felice were, however, assailed with a shower of stones
which injured two of them seriously. The sergeant went to
the Westwood station, where some hundreds of men had
taken up a position, and with his force of seven constables
was going to attack them when some large stones were
thrown, one of which rendered Tolice-constable Tyler
insensible, whilst another constable named Walker had
five of his teeth knccked out. The mob then retired
into a wood. While the police were engaged in attacking
one portion of the rioters, another body with sticks
and stakes commenced an attack on the row of thirty
houses occupied by the workmen. All the windows and
frames, and a good deal of furniture, were destroyed,
the chairs being broken up and used as weapons. The
inmates hastily barricaded themselves in the upper rooms.
The rioters took all the property they could find. A
silver watch belonging to Sergeant Greenwood was
stolen out of the house occupied by the police, from
which also a prisoner who was handcuffed to a
chair was released. Outside of the houses were
several' large grates with fires, which served to
throw a light dround. The mob carried the grates
into three of the houses, threw the fire on the ground, and
then threw in the sheets, clothes, and bedding. By great
efforts the flames were put out, but not before a good deal
of property was destroyed. A number of the rioters were
going towards the pit when Mr. Superintendent Sykes, of
Barnsley, was seen approaching. He was met with a
shower of stones, several of his men being struck. He at
once ordered them to draw cutlasses, and headed an
attack on the mob, which was about four• hundred
' strong. Several of the rioters were severely cut. A
man named George Gosling, a workman at the Oaks
Colliery, was about' to strike the superintendent with
the piece of a chair, when Mr. Sykes gave him a sharp
blow with the flat part of his sword, disarmed him and
took him into custody. The mob then went into Tan-
kersley Park, where the two bodies, which had hitherto

been separated, joined. The two sections of the police
having also come together, Mr. Sykes ordered the force,
which numbered twenty men, to march in single file,
and he put himself at their head. The rioters immedi-
ately took to their heels, and in a very short time the
police had cleared the ground. The rioters, it appears,
work at the collieries in the neighbourhood of Barnsley,
and there there can be no doubt that the attack had been
well matured, and that the men had regularly appointed
leaders. Some of them are known, and will be appre-
hended at once, while one who is in custody will, it is
expected, be immediately brought before the Barnsley
bench of magistrates.

LORD'S URICKET GROUND.—The committee of the
M.C.C. have determined to enlarge the old cricket ground
at St. John's Wood, so familiar to all players, whether
amateur or professional. On the return of every important
match for years past the necessity for additional space has
been the subject of remark. Adjoining the ground is a nur-
stry garden covering a considerable area, and it is by
the acquisition of a portion of this that the improvement
will be effected. Not only will there be more room ija the
cricket ground itself, but—a matter of immense impor-
tance—a separate and sufficient way of exit will be pro-
vided for the numerous drags, carriages, and equestrians
attracted to the field on such days as those on which the
Universities and Public Schools matches are played.
A. THREATENED DISASTER.—Tho colliery pro-
prietors of North Staffordshire have held a meeting to
consider the best means of dealing with a dangerous accu-
mulation of water in some of the mines of the district
The Government inspector, Mr. Wynne, convened the
1-fleeting by issuing a circular, in which he said that
unless prompt action were taken in the matter the sacri-
fice of property would be serious, and loss of life might
ensue. It seems that since the stoppage of the pumping
engines at the Piimox and Scotia collieries in March last
there has been a gradual rising of water in the
mines of Tunstall and Burslem. For some time
it was kept down by pumping, but several causes have con-
tributed to make it gain ground of late, and the danger is
now becoming serious. A long discusssion took place, after
which the Government inspector was requested to direct
an investigation inta the matter, especially with regard to
the extent of the coal-field affected, and the probable cost
of clearing the water from the whole of the mines. The
meeting was adjourned for a fortnight.