The Sun.
London, England, 1835-05-29 00:00:00

SOUTH STAFFORD ELECTION.

(FROM A MORNING CONTEMPORARY.)
WOLVERHAMPTON, THURSDAY, 6 O'CLOCK, P.M.
Information reached Lichfield this morning of a serious
affray having occurred at this place last night, in which seve-
ral of the townspeople were wounded. lam glad to find the
riots did not produce the loss of human life. But some of
the gun-shot wounds have been very severe, and in one case
amputation from above the knee has already taken place. The
man is still in a dangerous state. I have not heard that any
of the military (a party of the Ist Dragoon Guards) have
been seriously hurt ; but they were, I understand, most severely
pelted by the crowd. One of them had his horse killed under
him. On my arrival here to-day I found that a number of
gentlemen, friends of Colonel Anson, were assembled at the
Peacock Inn, for thd purpose of receiving the evidence of
several persons who witnessed the proceedings of the previous
evening, in order to transmit it to the Secretary of State for
the Home Department.
Mr. ROAF in the Chair.

Mr. Henry Walker—l can speak as to the state of the
town from 12 to 4. During the whole day I saw nothing
beyond the common excitement earl election.

The CHAIRMAN—I think I may take this as the general
impression, that there was no disposition to riot up to the
close of fho
Several gentlemen answered in the affirmative; they saw
no tendency to riot amongst the people.
Mr. Deveraux—l am not a partizan, I took no part in the
election ; I had no vote ; I can state the town was perfectly
quiet up to the close of the poll.
(It was here suggested that all who were to give evidence
should withdraw, and be examined separately.)
Mr. Griffin—l had occasion to go to the Swan (Goodrieke's
hotel) on business. To my suffirise I was informed by a gen-
tleman there that the Riot Act was about to be read, and the
military about to be called out. I expressed my surprise, and
inquired for the necessity of their being called out. I was
then told that some stones had been thrown, and some few
panes of glass broken. I then said that was a very insufficient
cause for the Riot Act to be read and the military called out,
as I considered the people perfectly peaceable and quiet, ex-
cepting the usual shouting and hooting common on those oc-
casions. I heard the bugle then sounded, and the military
began to muster. I immediately went to Col. Anson's com-
mittee through part of the crowd. I met with no molestation
on my way. I went to inform them of the state of things, and
to request some of them to address the people, informing them
of what was about to take place. I then went up the street
with Mr. M'Mahone, and observed that the military were
clearing the streets with drawn sabres.
Mr. Simkiss—l am a surgeon. I was returning home. It
was shortly before seven o'clock. On coming into the market-
place I heard the sound of a trumpet. I enquired the cause,
and the answer was that they were going to read the Riot Act.
I asked what occasion ?—" Where is the riot? I see no dis-
turbance." The reply was, that the windows of the Swan had
been broken, and Mr. Parke bad been insulted. I looked, and
saw all the windows of the Swan crowded with gentlemen,
and the Rev. Mr. Clare in the balcony, reading what I un-
derstood to be the Riot Act. I then saw the soldiers charge
the people in the market-place most violently, and with drawn
swords. They rushed on with such violence, that two of the
horses fell, and their riders were thrown. One of the horses
was killed. I saw him lying dead soon after. I saw no act
of violence whatever on the part of the people. They ran ie
all directions. The soldiers then galloped after them to the
church-yard. The gates were small, and the horses could not
get through, and they then fired on the people in the church-
yard. I heard and saw several shots fired.
Mr. Coleman, surgeon—l leas called in professionally to
attend a boy of 16 years old, named Adam Key, last night,
about a little after 8 o'cock. It was a gun-shot wound, the
ball went through under the tendon achillis. He may bs, lamed
for life. The second case I was called to was that of a boy
of 11 years old, named Barton, who was shot in the leg, frac-
turing both bones, and rupturing the anterior tibial artery.
The third case was that of a young man named Pinson, about
20 years old. He had a gun-shot wound in the arm. The
fourth case was that of an apprentice of Mr. Westwood, a
still-yard maker. He had a gun-shot wound, the ball passing
through the centre of the knee joint, and the joint so much in-
jured as to require immediate amputation to save life. Each
of the parties described to me that they received their wounds
from the soldiers. I have not attended any sabre wounds, but
Mr. Gill, another surgeon, informed me that he attended one
sabre and one gun-shot wound, both slight. I saw no violence on
the part of the people. I saw one soldier get a glass of
brandy and water in the market-place, from one whom I be-
lieve to be a partizan of Goodiicke. This was during the fire.
Witness said he did not wish to name the party. He had a
constable's staff in his hand. (Witness withdrew.)
Mr. Simkiss recalled—On arriving at the Swan-gate I saw
a soldier on horseback, and a person handing him some liquor.
I went round among the people to address them for two hours,
and during that time I saw no act of violence.
Mr. Hales, a factor—l was in the first floor of a house in
Queen-street, at the window, about eight o'clock. I saw the
soldiers charging down the street. They were striking the
people with the flat sides of their swords, and several thrust
at them and struck at them with their points. I heard the
door of a yard open and shut again. I heard a soldier say
" There's a nest of d—d scoundrels here, we will fire through
the door." He spoke to five or six other soldiers on horse-
back, v,ho drew up on the opposite side of the street. He said
something. I saw them deliberately sheath their sabres, and
handle their fire-arms. Conceiving from their manner tha
they were going to fire, I said " There has been no breach of
the peace committed here—fire at your peril." One of the
soldiers (the same who beat the man) said 4‘ there's a nest c
scoundrels in the yard, and we will unkennel them," or some-
thing to that effect. I then told him not to fire, and they put
up their fire-arms, drew their swords, and went off. Two of
the soldiers came back, and one said " I have a good
mind to fire through that door yet." I again warned them of
the consequences, and they went off. I omitted to say that
I stated to the soldiers—" Surely persons may go in and out
to their own houses without molestation."
Anne Deakon—My husband is a carrier. About ten mi-
nutes before ten last night I was going to bed, and my house
was locked up ; my husband had been at home since eight
o'clock. I heard a shot go off. The ball passed through the
door; my brother-in-law and his wife were up in the room
when the ball passed through.
Evan Evans, the brother of the last witness—l and my wife
were in the room below when the ball came in. My wife had
' been stooping, and had she not been, it must have passed
right through her head.
There were other witnesses examined, but I did not wait.
. I-next went to the hotel of Sir F. Goodricke's friends, where
I saw the high constable and one or two gentlemen, who 1 be-
_


lieve had been on Sir Francis's committee: From them I
learned, that- immediately after the close of the poll a large
crowd of the persons xif the lowest description had assembled
in front. of the Swan Trin, and commenced hooting and shouting,
and rough handling any of Sir F, Goodrieke's voters who came
in their way. They contirnled in this state, but increasing in
numbers until nearly Z o'clock, when their disposition to vio-
lence became so :nanifest, that serious fears were entertained
for the safet; of the Swan and other houses of Sir F. Good-
ricke's in the town. The military had been already brought
into the town, and applications were made to the high con-
stable and to the magistrates to permit the soldiers to act in
dispersing the mob. The high constable refused, not consi-
dering himself justified in using them until the last extremity.
At length applications were made to the Rev. Mr. Clare and
other magistrates to take immediate steps to disperse the
crowd. The reverend gentleman came to the balcony in front
of the Swan, where he was received with violent hootings and
bissings. He earnestly implored the crowd to separate. His
appeal was in vain, and he was answered by a discharge of
stones, some of which struck him and other gentlemen in the
balcony, and others destroyed a couple of squares of glass in
the Swan. Mr. Clare again addressed the mob but to the
same effect as before. At length he said that he should do his
duty, and that however reluctantly, he must take steps to put
the law in force. He should read the Riot Act, and he once
more warned them of the consequence of not dispersing when
required to do so after that Act was read. He then read the
Riot Act, and the military, who were already in attendance,
received immediate orders to clear the market-place. The
dragoons immediately dashed in amongst the crowd, calling on
them to disperse, and striking with the flats of their swords all
such as showed any disposition to refuse obedience. The
people set up a tremendous hooting and hissing, and com-
menced pelting the soldiers with stones, many of them got in
the churchward where they formed a sort of barricade where
the horsemen could not come at them, and from behind which
they pelted the troops without intermission. It was here the
soldiers in their own defence commenced firing (with what ef-
fect you have already learned). Such was the violent conduct
of the people after the first charge of the military that they
collected stones wherever they could be found, and forming
themselves in groups in places where the cavalry could not ride
at them, they pelted them wherever any appeared. In one
street (Queen-street) they formed a barricade by tying some
carts together, and here also they were violent in their pelting.
The rioting on the part of the people continued so long that
another detachment of the military was sent for, and arrived at
midnight, but by that time order had been restored.
I have now given the two accounts as I got them, leaving it
to others to judge where the truth lies ; but at which ever side
it may lie, I presume the matter cannot rest here. l'he affair
has produced the most tremendous excitement throughout the
populous districts of this county, and it is possible may lead to
more serious results elsewhere. I send an extract of a placard
issued by Colonel Anson's friends :--
"In this division of the county, still they clearly see the
means by which it may be surmounted. It is, however,
essential that no public disturbances should give the
enemy an excuse for misrepresentation or violence, and
most earnestly do the Committee beg the friends of the Colo-
nel not to allow any provocation either from soldiers or others
to incite them to riot.

" Measures are now in progress for securing a satisfactory
inquiry into the painful events of last evening, and if the peo-
ple will but let the business be where it is, justice will cer-
tainly be obtained.

" The Committee, therefore, entreat their friends to avoid
the streets this evening—to keep their children and appren-
tices at home—and to stand prepared to adopt such constitu-
tional and regular measures as will recover the representation
of the county—in other words, make it a representation of
public opinion, instead of the representation of a Tory club."

BIRMINGHAM POLITICAL COI)NCIL

On Wednesday evening the Council of the Birmingham
Political Union, met at the Public Office in Moor-street, for
the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of re-
organizing that once truly formidable body. Although the
meeting was intended to be confined to the members of the
Council, yet such was the interest felt by the working classes,
that at half-past seven, the appointed hour, the large room was
completely filled. At eight o'clock, the members of the Coun-
cil arrived, and were received with every possible demonstra-
tion of popular applause. G. F. Muntz, Esq. was called to
the chair, amidst the most rapturous cheering, and proceeded
to read the notice of Mr. George Edmonds, the Secretary,
calling the meeting. After the lapse of a few minutes, Mr.
Edmonds addressed those assembled. He had called the
Council together in compli"nce with a requisition signed by
between 2 and 3000 persons, who, aware of the difficult situa-
tion in which the country was then placed, wished to have
the advice and assistance of their old friends.—( Loud
bursts of applause.) He considered he would not
have discharged his duty as Secretary to the Body, if he
did not comply with so numerous and deserving a requisition.
It was one thing, however, to call the Council together, and
another to decide upon the propriety of those gentlemen re-
suming their labours. Upon that point, as yet, he would give
no opinion, but leave it with the Council, whose immediate
business it then was to discuss the question.
The Meeting was then addressed by Messrs. HADLEY,
BOULTREA, EMES, and others of the Council, all of whom
expressed their willingness to resume their labours the moment
011. mnmhnra C 41— raiz. cu4g,,=..-.40 fiords LO enable
-them to carry on the necessary arrangements with spirit and
efficiency. It was eventually resolved, that previous to any
steps being taken, the Council should communicate the rest: ft
of that night's proceeding, and every other information con-
nected with the subject, to Thomas Attwood, Esq., M. 13.,
who, as yet, had not been apprised of the intended movements,
and who had, consequently, not expressed any opinion upon
the matter.

The meeting was then adjourned until Wednesday evening
next, when deputations from various sectional rooms in the
town are to meet the Council in open meeting at the public
office, and detail the amount of subscriptions, &c. The utmost
enthusiasm prevailed throughout the evening, and one deter-
mined spirit of resistance to Toryism actuated all present.
There is to he a meeting on Monday next at the Town
Hall—it will be a meeting, and such a one as perhaps never
was before held in Birmingham within the walls of any build-
ing. At this meeting there will be no division of sentiment.
The present state of the country in every sense of the word
will be the only question. The High Bailiff, Paul Moon
James, Esq., calls the meeting in compliance with the requi-
sition, embracing the names of nearly all the respectability
talent, and liberality of the town. The Conservatives, by
their private tea party meetings, have called for it.

The publication of TuE SUN NEWSPAPER commenced this day
at 16 minutes past 3 o'clock.