The Sun.
London, England, 1833-01-01 00:00:00

WARWICKSHIRE.

EXTRAORDINARY INTERFERENCE of the AIJL
TARY at the POLLING BOOTHS in NUNEATON,

(From the .Birminphain Journal of Sturd.y.)

On the 21st December, some slight disturbance took
place in Nuneaton, commenced, as it is said, by the par-
tisans of Sir E. E. Wilmot and Mr. Dugdale, but no-
thing occurred calculated to excite alarm in the breast of
my rational and unprejudiced person. Sonie of the Ma-
4istrates, however, thought, or professed to think, other-
wise, and the military were accordingly ordered into the

town. The Magistrates in the place were Mr. Inge, the
proposer of Mr. Dugdale, not an acting Magistrate of the
division in which Nuneaton is situate; Colonel Newdi-
4ate, an ardent partisan of Mr. Dugdale, also not an act-
ing. Magistrate in tie division ; Mr. Bracebridge, an acting
Magistrate in the division, aril the proposer of Sir Eird-

'ey Wilmot ; the Rev. Samuel R. Hewing, brother of
one of the candidates, and an acting Magistrate of the
division. Messrs. Bracebridge and Fleming were not
comulted as to the milit.ty being brought into the
town, but Colonel Newdigate and Mr. Inge sent for
them, and it was agreed by the four Magistrates
that Mr. Homing should go to the commanding officer
and request hint to withdraw his men. Those orders were
shortly given by Messrs. Inge and Newdigate, not acting
Magistrates in the division, without the knowledge of
Messrs. Bracebridge and Ileming, and accordingly the
,oldiers made their appearance opposite the booth, at a
-ime the polling was orderly and quietly proceeding, and
uneffending men, women, and children, were cut down
and trampled under the hoofs of the horses. It was at
this moment, we believe, that Mr. Glover, an elector and
freeholder, of the age of 72, received his mortal wound,
and seve...al desperate plunges were made at Lionel Place,
Esq., of Waddington-castle, a gentleman of fortune, res'd-
ing on his own estate in the neighbourhood of Nuneaton.
The statements of a few sufferers will best describe the
disgraceful scene which took place.
James Hales stated, that on the `?lst of December, he
was in the act of putting a horse in a gig, in the Castle-
inn-yard, at Nuneaton, when a soldier rode into the yard,
ind, without any provocation, repeatedly struck at him
(Hales), with a drawn sword, and cut him across the
hand.

William Marsh, of Nuneaton, was returning home,
when he was attacked near the town bridge by a horse
soldier, who struck him over the shoulder with his drawn
-word ; he bad proceeded only a few yards when he was
attacked by another horse soldier, who struck him also
across the shoulder ; he was a third time attacked oppo-
site the Swan Inn by a soldier, who rode up against him
in a most furious manner, and drove him up against the
wall of the inn, in the yard of which be was obliged to
take refuge ; and, with a view to avoid further attacks,
was proceeding by a back way home, but on his way thither
was again attacked near the Nag's Head, and struck with
a sword ; basing reached his own door, he rushed in
hastily, and was stabbed at before he could close the door.
William Hall, of Chilvers Cotton, stated that on the 2lst
December, during the polling of-the voters in Nuneaton,
he was sitting at a table in Mr. Heming's committee-
room, at the Castle Inn, in the Market-place, and nearly
opposite the polling-booths; and so little was he aware
that there was any rioting going on in the Market-place,
that he never rose from the table till he heard the
screams of women and children ; when he went to the
window, and beheld Mr. Perceval, a respectable farmer,
with a deep sabre-cut on the head, supported by two
women; at the same time he saw the dragoons galloping
about the Market-place. Not three minutes previous Mr.
Buchanan, one of Mr. Heming's agents, came from the
polling-booth with a list of the names of voters, and re-
quested, as the booths I and 2 were so quiet, to send over
as fast as possible the voters that were to vote. A short
time after Mr. Bracebridge and Mr. S. B. Heming, two
resident Magistrates, came into Mr. Dempster Heming's
committee-room, and said they believed the Riot Act had
been read, but they only knew it from hearsay.
Henry Astley, butcher, Nuneaton, said, on the 21st he
was standing near the entrance of booth No. 3, when he
saw several horse soldiers approaching from the Coventry-
bridge at a smart trot, with drawn swords, and they pro-
ceeded towards the booths. He observed one of them
pursue a man against Mr. Cradock's wall, and saw the
man drop down to avoid the sabre. One of the soldiers
approached this informant furiously, for what cause he
could not tell ; thought it might be from having on a
Dempster handkerchief. He got behind some of the stalls
in the Market-place, where he was struck at several times
by a soldier with a sword. He saw nothing thrown at
the soldiers. On leaving his situation he was again
attacked by the same soldier, and on returning to his
former situation he was repeatedly struck at by the same
soldier. He was afterwards ridden after by another
soldier and pursued through a narrow passage at the back
of a booth, where he got out of reach. He heard the
soldier say " you." He believes, had he not been
secure there, he might have lost his life. He had not
given any provocation for so wanton an attack. He had
nut heard the Riot Act read.

Robert Johnson saw six or soon soldiers gallop to-

wards the Market-place incl one of them strike with Ii
sword at au ohl man ; the man fell, and the rest of the
soldiers g +Hoped over him. Did not see any attack made
on the soldiers.

Mr. John Astley said that on the 21st he was pro-
ceeding from Mr. D. Heming's committee-room to the
poll, when he unexpectedly met several horse soldiers with
drawn swords. He found it necessary to run hastily to
the back of the booth for safety, finding the soldiers were
cutting at the people. He observed a soldier riding
down the steps of the Market-house, and on wheeling
round made repeated thrusts at the people with his sword
through the iron-railing at the front of the Market-
house. He with many others got into a yard close by,
and believes that had not that been done their lives might
have been lost. The violent conduct of the soldiers en-
raged the people, and some stones atsd dirt were thro !yr)
at them. Ha had not heard of the Riot Act being read,
nor cf any tumultuous proceedings that could have given
rise to the necessity of reading it.
Three other respectable individuals made similar state-
ments ; one of thew was a special constable, who said,
that when the soldier apdroached he showed his ticket,
which the soldier disregarded, and struck at him with his
drawn sword, which cut his hat through and wounded
him on the left side of his head ; be fell from the blow,
and whilst lying on the pound the soldier struck at him
three times with his sword ; the only persons near him
were three or four girls, and there was n!) disturbance.
• Several women, who were quietly sitting in the Mar-
ket-house, were deliberately cut at two or three times by
! the soldiers.

On the morning of the 22d the polling was going on
quietly, when the military made their appearance with
loaded carbines and drawn sabres, and paraded backwsrds
and forwards before the booth. This proceeding intimi-
dating the voters of the Reform candidates from going to
the poll, Mr. Barker, the barrister, and Mr. Lewis, as
agents of Mr. D. Heming, protested against the polling
going on while the military were parading before the
hustings, and called upon the Sheriff for an adjournment.
The request, however, was not acceded to, and though
every thing was peaceable, the military continued parading
before the booth, except when they were employed in bring-
ing up Messrs. Dugdale and Wilmot's voters to the poll.
INQUEST ON THE ELECTOR, KILLED NEAT'. THE POLLING-

BOOTH.

An inquest was hell on Friday at the Queen's Head,
Newton Regis, before Mr. Hunt, of Stafford, Coroner, on
the body of Joseph Glover, an old man upwards of 72
years of age, who was killed at Nuneaton on the 21st De-
cember, after polling for Dempster Heming, Esq.

Seven witnesses were examined who saw the deceased
knocked down, all of whom agreed that at that time the
streets in the neighbourhood were cleared. One witness
was positive that no one was near the old man, when he
fell, except the soldiers, and four witnesses swore most
positively to the fact that the deceased was knocked down
by a blow from the sabre of one of the soldiers. Ssveral
other witnesses said they saw six or seven persons running
before the soldiers, and, to the best of their belief, it was
those persons knocked the deceased down, and not the
soldiers.

The Jury, after about a minute's consultation, returned
a verdict of " Accidental death," to the utter astonish•
meat of most present.
The Jurors we►e, for the ►uo•t part, farm tenants at
will, and nearly all voters in the Tory interest. Several
are tenants of Mr. Inge, one of the Magistrates who IA ought
the military into Nuneaton.

SCOTCH ELECTIONS.

(From the Scotsman.)

TRIUMPH OF REFORM IN PERTHSHIRE.

The great contest in Perthshire, on which the eyes of
the country have been fixed with intense interest, has been
at last decided ; and the result is another splendid victory
to the good cause ! Lord Ormelie has polled fully one
half more vo!es than his opponent ; and the honest voice
of the people has triumphed over intimidation and corrup-
tion. No large county in Scotland was so inveurately
Conservative as Perthshire; and the struggle has necessa-
rily been a hard one; but the victory achieved is final;
and the Tory faction is laid prostrate fur ever. All Scot-
land rejoices in the success of this patriotic and high
spirited young nobleman.