The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-08 00:00:00

THE MOLD RIOTS.

Six prisoners were on 11Ior.day brought before the Mold
magistrates, charged with rioting. The prisoners in cus-
tody are William Griffiths, formerly a collier, but now a
"medical herbalist ;" Benjamin Tatham, gentleman's
servant ; Isaac Jones, collier, Black Diamond (husband of
the woman who was shot through the back, and who died
on Saturday morning) ; John Roberts, driver ; William
Thomas Jones, collier; and Rowland Jones, collier. The
two latter were apprehended while they were asleep in
bed at two o'clock on Monday morning, and were hurried
into conveyances that were in waiting. They had to
dress themselves on their way to the county hall at
Mold ; the object of the police making the arrests at
night being to secure their prisoners without giving the
colliers the opportunity of attempting a rescue. The
court-room was densely crowded, and the greatest excite-
ment was manifested by the public outside in the issue of
the trial. Mr. Taylor, roicitor, Flint, appeared for the
pt isoners Isaac Jones and William Thomas Jones. The
o her iqieeners were nrulefemled.
• Mr. Browne, Chia Constel le of Flintslii re, deposed that
on Wednesday evening last a mob of :theta I,NO colliers
commenced hustling and throwing stones et the police and
soldiers who had in charge the two prisoners committed to
gaol for committing an assault upon Mr. Young, manager
of the Lceswood Green Colliery. The first stone was thrown
by a woman, and immediately afterwards the stone-throw-
ing became general from all directions, the object of the
rioters evidently being to rescue the two prisoners, and
several of his men were struck with' stones and knocked
down. 'The volleys of stones hurled at the military and
police darkened the air, and lie saw several of his men
bleeding from the face and head, the blood streaming down
their uniforms. It was impossible for any of them to
go out and face the mob. If a magistrate had gone out
of the station to read the Riot Act he would certainly have
been murdered. Life was decidedly in great and imminent
danger at that moment in the station. The witness called
upon Captain Blake, the officer in command of the military,
to protect himself and his own men and the constables by
firing into the mob. He refused to do so. The witness
thought it was necessary to have a magistrate's order to
justify firing, and he said to a magistrate, Mr. Clough,
"For God's sake give the order to fire, or we shall be all
murdered !" He then shouted out, as loudly as he could,
" Fire !" The commanding officer even then was very
reluctant to allow his men to fire, although at that
moment his face was covered with blood, and blood was
also streaming from a wound at the back of his head.
Some of the soldiers, who were very severely cut, were
writhing under the pain they were suffering. They
wished to fire, but the captain held them back. One
private who was wounded charged his rifle, and was
about to step towards the station-gate with his rifle
pointed towards the mob, when one of the officers
caught hold of him round the waist and drew him back
off his legs, at the same time crying out, " For God's
sake don't fire !" The stone-throwing all this time was
continued, the mob even coming round to the platform,
and across the line on the opposite side of the railway.
The police and the military were thus surrounded by
the rioters, and he again called upon the officers to fire
on their assailants. Immediately after witness heard the
discharge of a rifle, followed by other shots. The officers
were holding their men back, and using every effort to
check them in firing, cautioning them not to take
human life. They said, " For God's sake, men,
don't fire where there's no necessity for it I"
To the best of his judgment, twelve or fifteen shots
were fired, and then the mob dispersed, and the few
soldiers that were firing were ordered back to the plat-
form. The greatest number of shots were fired from the
yard behind the station. One or two shots were fired
from the station gate. There was no volley firing, only
dropping shots, with long intervals between the firing.
Witness recognised Isaac Jones as being in the crowd in
the courtyard as the escort with the prisoners in charge
were starting for the station, but did not see him throw
stones. lie could not speak to any of the other prisoners.
Sergeant Hughes and several other police officers gave
corroborative evidence, and identified all the prisoners as
having taken part'in the riot.
Captain Blake gave evidence that Ilia men did not fire
until the magistrate ordered them. No blank cartridges
were used.

In cross-examination, Captain Blake said the soldiers
marched to the station with arms trailed. He did not
hear the Riot Act read. Stone throwing was continued
over a quarter of an hour before he had an order to
fire. No blank cartridge was fired. The men fired into
the mob, but not without his order, although they were
irritated.

The witness Price, on being recalled, fenced with many
questions, and at last said he was afraid to give evidence.
He did see Tatham throw one stone. In the case of the
other prisoners, Police-constable Jones, Robert Ellis, and
Sergeant Hughes gave evidence shewing that they were
present. Dr. Williams and Mr. Trubshaw spoke to the
injuries inflicted, the former'having dressed the wounds of
twenty soldiers, and the latter attended the police.
The case occupied the magistrate for seven hours, and
ultimately Mr. Ta,ylorapplicd for an adjournment till Wed-
nesday, in order to obtain evidence for the defence, which was
granted. Mr. Taylor applied for Lail on behalf of Isaac
Jones, Who wanted to see his wife buried, and after-some

consultation the Bench granted it, requiring two sureties
of £5O each, and the prioner in .C5O. The other prisoners
were ordered to find bail in £5O for their reappearance.

LAW' AND POLICE.

THE BLAKELT ORDNANCE CO3IPANY.—In the Equity
Courts, on Monday, the llaster of the Rolls gave judg-
ment in the case of the Blakely Ordnance Company
(Limited). The question was whether the Metropolitan
and Provincial Bank, holding as securities thirty-two
debentures of the Ordnance Company for £250 each, and
two acceptances of that company for £2,000 each, were
entitled to prove for the amount of the securities or the
amount of their claim (£4,000) against the company,
which is now being wound up. His lordship held the bank
was entitled to prove for £4,000 only.
THE WILL OF THE DUKE OF PORTLAND.—On Monday
Vice-Chancellor James gave judgment in the case of
"Topham v. the Duke of Portland." The question at issue
was whether Lady Topham, the sister of the Duke of
Portland, was entitled to a moiety of £50,000,
which her father, the late duke, left to bt
divided between her ladyship and Lady Harriet
Cavendish Bentinck, his other daughter. The
late duke had placed the money in trust for his
daughters, subject to a power of appointment in his son,
the present duke, to whom he confided his wishes. The
presert duke, in the conscientous fulfilment of those
wishes, had involved himself in the past and present liti-
gation by appointing the whole of the property to Lady
Harriet. The Vice-Chancellor remarked that nothing
had occurred to affect the previous decision of the House
of Lords, and that that decision was binding on every
court in the kingdom. Judgment must therefore be for
the plaintiff, Lady Topham, including the costs of the
suit, as she had the costs of the former litigation.

BAKERS' "WEIGHTS.-Two cases respecting the sale of
bread were tried on Monday in the Court of Queen's
Bench. In the first case the question was whether "fancy
bread" must be sold by weight. The baker was convicted
for not doing so, and he appealed. The case was
argued before Justices Lush, Hayes, and Hamm], and
Mr. Justice Hannen dissented from the conviction.
The court affirmed the conviction. In the other case two
bakers appealed against convictions for selling bread
under weight, and these convictions were also affirmed.

AN AWKWALD CASE.—A case of some importance
to persons intending to place money out on mortgage
was heard in the Bail Court on . Monday. The
plaintiff wished the defendant, a solicitor, to find him a
security for £2OO, which Le wanted to put out on mort-
gage. There was a delay ef a few clays, and on the
plaintiff's calling at the defendant's office, he saw his
clerk, who told him to leave the money with him, and
gave him a receipt. This dell: absconded with the money,
and the defendant contended be was not liable for the loss
as be had not given authority for the payment to his
clerk. The jury found a verdict fur th, plaintiff for £230.
CUARGE AGAINST AN ATTO:::EY.—The Court of Com-
mon Pleas on Monday granted a rule caning upon an
attorney to answer the somewhat singular charge of baying •
pretended to negotiate fur the purchase of land for no
other purpose than that of-ultimately obtaining a bribe to
forego his contract. The attorney is said to have been in
the habit of answering advertisements for the sale of land,
and afterwards raising all sorts of vexatious objections to
the vendor's title.

A DramoND BRACELET, —At the Central Criminal
Court, on Monday, a man and a woman were charged
with stealing a diamond bracelet,
value £BOO, from Mint
and noskell's. They drove up in a brougham with
another man, and examined some costly jewellery.• When
1.114 y were) gonethe bracelet was missing. Some amusement
was created by the ehrewdne co:7:11 ifFAcquifre
who attends to the carriages arri''ing at Hunt and Hos-
kell's, ho gave evidence identifying time male prisoner.
attention was drawn to him by a slight failure in his
manners, which induced him to think he was not a gen-
tleman. The man was found guilty-, and was proved to
h
penal servitude. Sentence was deferred.
evme been
The woman was acquitted.

A telegram frem Ireland states that summonres
Lave been issued againbt the Ballyheigue police for firing
on the people. O'llara was wounded.
.'The ringleaders are
recovering. Constable Crowley, wbo had his skull frac-
tured, is slowly improving. D!ltir, WllO enstained a bayonet
wound le the thigh, is cnt.ui danger. . Tho case against the
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