The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-07 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THUR SDAY EVENING, JANUARY 7, 1858

"
I:P4Z` 41) rb t

A LORD MAYOR IN TH ; FOURTEENTH
CANTUR Y.

(From the Oily Press)
In the year 1381—the beginning of the reign of
Richard the Second—the kingdom was far from
being in a prosperous state. The working classes,
especially, feeling themselves heavily oppregaed tiy
a poll-tax, which had been imposed the year before,
and which, being farmed by several noblemen, was
exacted by their collectors with great severity, re-
solved to make a general effort to rid themselves of
the hated impost. With this view they chose a
man named Tyler fur their captain ; and such was
the rapidity with which the flame spread, that lie
soon found himself at the heal of nearly a hundred
thousand men, composed chiefly of the pQasants of
Kent and Essex.

SUN OFFICE, Six o' Clock.

TATTERSALLS'—(This Evening.)

There were very few members present, and scarcely
any transactions took place. No change occurred in the
position of the favourites for the Derby or the Two
Thousand Guineas.

CRIMINAL COURT.—(This Day.)

OLD COURT.
MANSLAIIQHTER.

Entering London on the 13th of Junel, they im-
mediately proceeded to the wildest excesses. All
the houses which they could learn were tenanted by
lawyers were, with all speed, laid in ruins, and the
archbishop's palace at Lambeth, with all the stores
of furniture, books, and manuscrip t documents,
mot with the same fate. To help Them in these
destructive outrages, and to augment the force
with which they hoped to pull (I,own the whole
fabric of the State, they had, on thifir first entrance
into Southwark, broke open the two great prisons
of the King's Bench and MarshalFsea, and released
all the prisoners. These prisoners, most of them
hardened villains, all joined the ranks of their
deliverers.

A young man named James Brown, a bricklayer's
labourer, was indicted for the manslaughter of a child
named Jane Coney.

It will be recollected from the report of the circum-
stances, which has already appeared in The Sun, that the
deceased child and some others were playing in• Chec-
quer's-alley, where some buildings were being pulled
down, and in consequence of some of them carrying away
some of the material•, the prisoner, it was alleged,
went to drive them out of the place. In a short
time after the child Jane Coney reached her
home, crying very much, and suffering from
sickness. A boy about 12 years of age, named James
Bell, who happened to be present, said he saw the pri-
g ,ner strike Coney with a strap which bad a buckle on
it, and he was, on the death of the child taking place,
given into custody and charged with manslaughter.
The chief witness against the prisoner was the boy Bell,
who repeated very clearly the evidence he gave before
the police magistrate.
51r. Wright, the surgeon, said—On the 14th of Dec.
I was called to the deceased. I found on the left side of
the temple a wound, and that the child had great dif•
culty in breathing. I could not account for the appear-
ance, except from what I had been told by her mother,
and I thought the sympt ims might have been occasioned
by fright. I attended her for some days ; the child
rallied, but she ultimately died on Wednesday evening,
the 80th Dec. On the following day I made a:post-
mortem examination, and found on the temple on the
right side the wound I have already described. The inside
of the head was perfectly healthy and all brain, until I
came to the left side, and in the middle lobe of the left
side I found a clot of blood about the size of a hen's
egg, and about two ounces of dark-coloured blood
there was some softening from disorganisation.
Every other part of the brain was perfectly
healthy, as were the other parts of the body which I
afterwards examined. I attributed the cause of death
to the clot which interfered so much with the other
functions of the brain, and I believe that death arose
from the blood on the right side, which had caused the
discolouration. These appearances always follow when a
blow has been struck—it is a law in surgery. I know
of no disease that could produce such appearances as the
brain presents. A blow from any instrument would
produce the appearances I have described.
The prisoner, on being called upon for his defence,
said, " I am innocent, and I have witnesses to prove it.
I never struck the blow." He then called the following

We have not space hero minutely to detail all the
calamities which ensued on the 'outburst of popular
fury. Suffice it, that all the richest and most in-
fluential citizens, who did not 15ecure their safety by
flight, were hanged or beheaded. The Flemish
merchants, in particular, were sacrificed in great
numbers. The Temple and the other Inns of Court
were attacked and burnt, irith all that they con-
tained. Many of the mcst ancient and curious re-
cords relating to our national history perished in
these conflagrations. Soont after, the prisons of
Newgate and the Fleet were broken open, and all
the prisoners released—whence a new augmentation
of desperadoes to the desolating crew.
As yet, neither the Government nor the citizens
had made any attempt to resist the rioters. Their
prodigious number, and the terrible excesses by
which they gave demonstration of their temper and
their strength, seem to have struck all powerless
with consternation. At len.gth it was resolved that
an attempt should be made to effect their disper-
sion, and that the King should proceed, for the pur-
pose of holding a conference with the rioters and
their chief, to West Smithfield, where they were
then collected. His Majesty accordingly made his
appearance, attended by William Walworth, Lord
Mayor, and a few other followers. Tyler, who sat
mounted in front of his rabble, as soon as he per-
ceived the King approach put spurs to his horse,
and, dashing forward, did not stop till he had
placed himself close by Richard. " Sir King," he
then said, "seest thou all yonder people ? They
be all at my command, and have sworn to me their
faith and troth to do all that I would have them."
He followed up his speech by indignantly command-
ing one of the King's attendants, Sir John Newton,
to dismount, and remain on foot in his presence ;
and on the knight's refusal drew his dagger
and rushed to stab him—an intention which he was
only prevented from putting into execution by the
King requesting Newton to come down from his
horse. Several efforts were now made by the King
and those with him, to prevail on the haughty re-
bel to oome to terms ; but he only replied to their
remonstrance with scorn and defiance. At last,
incensed at his insolent bearing, the royal atten-
dants called upon his Majesty to have him arrested.
Richard, with some hesitation, pronounced the bold
order, when Walworth immediately advancing,
struck Tyler a blow upon the head which brought
him to the ground. The mob, as soon as they Law
their leader fall, raised a shout of vengeance, and
were preparing to rush against the King and his
friends. One instance, however, of surprise and
indecision still retained them where they stood ;
when Richard, with extraordinary resolution and
presence of mind for one so young, only in his
15th year, rode up to them and exclaimed, " What,
my friends, will you kill your king ? Be not
troubled for the lose of your leader ; I will be your
leader, and all you desire shall be granted." This
address acted upon them like a spell ;_ with wild
acclamations they, one and all, followed their new
captain to St. George's-fields, across the river. No
sooner wero they gone, than Walworth, who had
already acted a bold part, proceeded to raise such
a force as he could among the citizens ; and his
active exertions succeeded in bringing together a
body of a thousand men in arms, and in restoring
peace and order.