The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-08 00:00:00

iVESTMINSTER.

Five persons, who were thus described ia the police
sheet—Charles Tothill, aged 20, clerk, no residence ;
John White, aged 18, no trade, 18, Noble-street, City ;
John Read, aged 36, turner, 44, Hatfield-street, New
Cut ; John Pendegrast, aged 20, labourer, Orchard•
street, Westminster ; and John Connell,. aged 21, la-
bourer, 7, Evans's-court, Ludgate-hill, were charged
with having formed a portion of a mob of several hun-
dred persons, who created a riot and broke a great
number of street lamps and windows on the previous
evening.
The circumstances of the case will be best gleaned
from the following account of the evidence yesterday
adduced :

Sergeant Gray, 10 C, said—l was on duty at half-past
seven o'clock last night in Trafalgar-square in plebs
clothes. I received information that the mob had gone
from there down Pall-mall. I followed down Pall-malt
into St. James's Park, thence down James-street into
York-street, and in nearly the whole line of that road
almost all the gas lamps and a great many windows is
the shops and houses were broken. When I came tia
the Broadway, Westminster, I found a mob of from 600
to 800 people, many of them armed with sticks and
bludgeons. I saw the prisoners Tothill and White, who
had each sticks, and they jumped up as they came to
the gas-lamps and broke them. When they came opp
site the Westminster Sessions-house the prisoner W rote,
who had on the pair of epaulettes produced (resembling
those worn by the privates in the Guards), cried out—
" Halt! To arms! Let's have arms!" The whole of
the mob then proceeded onwards, and three lamps were
broken afterwards. I then took White into custody.
He had put his epaulettes into his pocket in the confu•
sion before I apprehended him. When I took White,
he said, Oh, let me go; I'm only a poor fellow."
Mr. BRODERIP—That was the man that had just
before been summoning them to arms
,? Witness—Yes,
sir. The three priseners, Tothill, White, and Read,
were the most active in the riot from the Broadway,
Westminster, up to the Sessions-house, in the Broad
Sanctuary.
Robert Checkley, 184 C, after confirming the first
portion of the previous witness's testimony, said—l saw
the prisoner Read break several lamps by throwing
stones at them ; he likewise had a bundle under his
arm, containing a loaf of bread, and a short stick in his
, hand. Bakers' shops were attacked and robbed, as I
understood. When the mob got nearly up to Westmin-
ster Abbey, an alarm of " Police" was given, and then
the prisoner Read threw a stick through a lamp, and
ran across to the opposite side, when I took him into
custody. I saw the other prisoners White and Tothill
there. I saw the latter break several lamps with the
stick produced. White also broke several with a stick
and some stones. I saw White wearing the epaulettes
produced in Tothill-street. I was close by his side. He
was walking at the head of the mob.
Mr. Moran, an inspector of the B division of police,
said—Between eight and nine o'clock last evening I
went with a body of police to suppress a riot in Tothill-
street. When we got to the Broad Sanctuary we were
met by some hundreds of men, hallooing and shouting.
I distinctly heard the gas-lamps being broken, and saw
glass flying about. The inspector then confirmed the
evidence against Tothill, whom he knocked down and
took a stout limb of a tree from. The mob were very
violent.

Alfred John Fenn, 82 B, gave confirmatory testimony.
John Marshall, 60 B. said—At about half-past eight
o'clock last evening I was passing along York-street,
when I saw a mob of several hundred persons. From
70 to 100 of them were carrying large bludgeons,
clothes-props, and other heavy weapons. I saw several
of the mob put the gas out, and break the lamps. They
also broke the shopkeepers' windows, and there was a
decided. riot. I went to the station, and returned,
accompanied by a party of police. e met a large
mob coming up Strutton-ground. They were breaking
the lamps and putting the lights out. I saw Con-
nell brandishing a stick and calling out "Free trader
and he then picked up a stone, when I took him into cus-
tody. The mob followed, and kept calling out "Free
trade I" The stick produced (one with a very heavy
knob) has particles of broken glass on it now. I took
it from the prisoner Connell, who, at the station, said
that he did not stoop for a stone, but for the stick, which
some person had thrown away.
James Buchanan, 150 B, proved that Strutton-ground,
Westminster, was completely filled with the mob, and
there was a decided riot, and the shopkeepers were all
closing their shops. The police endeavoured to disperse
the mob, when they assailed them with brickbats, stones,
and large bars of wood like palings. Pendegrast threw
a large piece of wood at the police, and at the same mo-
ment one of the constables received a severe cut in the
face, from which he bled profusely. They then seized
Pendegrast, when he called out to the rest of the mob
to pelt the police.
A constable named Cochrane proved that Pendegrast
was one of the rioters.

The prisoners, of whom Tothill, White, and Read
were poor, diminutive, miserable-looking men, and the
others had much the appearance of ordinary labourers,
were informed by Mr. BRODERIP that they were at
liberty to put any questions to the witnesses, but de•
dined doing so.
In reply to the charge—
Tothill said—l decline saying anything.
White—l deny wearing the epaulettes.
Read—As I was walking to York-street a baker
threw the bread over the people's heads, and I caught a
loaf. lam only a poor mechanic, so I began to eat the
bread, as I was hungry.
Connell—l decline saying anything at present.
Pendegrast—l have nothing to say.
Mr. BRODERIP observed, that the cases were of by far
too serious a nature for him to deal with summarily, and
he should require White to find two sureties in 60L
each, and himself in 1001.; Tothill and Read two sure-
ties of 401. each, and themselves in 801. each; and Pen-
dergast and Connell two sureties:of 301. each, and them-
selves in 601, to appear at the next sessions for the
county of Middlesex.
The whole of the witnesses were then bound over to
prosecute for the riot, &c.
William Jones and William Lewer, two youths, the
eldest of whom did not appear to exceed 17, were
charged with being concerned with a number of others
in creating a riot and breaking windows; also with as.-
saulting the police.
John Green, 78 B, said that at about twelve on the
previous night the prisoners and about 100 men came
down Grosvenor-place, threw atones, and broke a great
number of windows, and amongst them some of very
handsome plate-glass, at Lady Wyndham's. They were
calling out "Down with the crushers" (police). Jones
threw a stone at witness, and hit him on the breast.
Lewer then struck witness with a stone on the hat, and
also threw a large piece of garden-pot at him, which
went through a lamp. Witness drew his staff, but it was
immediately broken in two by one of the mob, and he
received several violent blows on his head. The mob
was very riotous and violent. With the assistance of a
police-sergeant he' took the prisoners into custody.
Jones, in defence, said he was merely walking down
Grosvenor-place, when the policeman stopped him and
said he was one of the crowd, and Lewer said that he
was suddenly struck with a truncheon without doing
anything.
The prisoners were also ordered to find bail, two
sureties of 301. each, and themselves in 601, to appear at
the sessions.

The whole of the prisoners were committed to prison
in default of finding bail.

DESTRUCTION OF THE CROWN TAVERN, K.
SlNGTON.—Yesterday morning, at an early hour, a fire
occurred in High-street, Kensington. It appeared that
Mr. White, the landlord of the Crown Tavern, was
awuke by hearing an alarm of fire in the street, and upon
opening rips bedroom door he found flames mounting the
staircase. He immediately aroused his family and do-
mestics, but so fiercly was the fire burning that none of
them were able to get down the stairs. Fortunately Mr.
White procured a rope, by means of which he lowered
his family and servants out of one of the back windows,
and eventually he succeeced in effecting his own escape.
but not until the flames had penetrated the room in
which he was standing. Upon the arrival of the fire-
men they found that it was useless to attempt to save any
portion of Mr. White's property, they therefore exerted
themselves to cut off the further progress of the flames.
Nearly three hours elapsed before the Ram's were ex-
tinguished, by which time the tavern was totally de-
stroyed, and the premises severally occupied by Mr •
Allen, carpenter, Mr. Turpin, working eutler, Mr.
Worthington, Mr. King, and Mr. Berdon, who were
also partially demolished. With two exceptions, the
sufferers were insured. The origin of the outbreak 111
unknowr.

ItIR7'EIS.
On the 3d inst., at Ilambledon Rectory, Bucks, the wife of
the Rev. W. H. Ridley, of a daughter.
On the 4th inst., 'in Queen-square, the lady of Charles
Rivington, Esq., of a son.

MARRIED.
On the 4th inst., at St. Pancras Church, Mr. James W•
Tookey, of Brecknock-crescent, to Mrs. Maria Ann Knapp, of
Upper Berkeley-street, Portman-square.

DIED.
On the 8d inst., at Gaddesby, LeicesterchiM C°l°l2Bl
Cheney, C. 8., aged 70.

London: Printed and Published bv BILIRDO YOLrs: G, at
No. 112, Strand, Printer, at 7'he, Sun Office, No. 112,
Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the county oi
_ _

Middlesex, Wednesday, March 1, 1143.