The Sun.
London, England, 1835-06-15 00:00:00

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RIOTS AT WOLVERHAMPTON.

Wolverhampton, Friday Night.
FOURTH DAY.

The "inquiry" was resumed at nine o'clock this morning.
The witnesses to-day were those tendered by Mr. Roat ar:o
his friends, to impugn the conduct of the Magistrates and
the soldiers.
R. Schoolbred deposed to rioting and throwing stones
on the part of the people.
The evidence of T. Matthews and H. Walker was un-
important.
Mr. Simkiss—ls a medical man. The troops wore called
in on Thursday, the 28th. Saw them out. They were
beating the people brutally with the flats of their swords.
Got away as fast as be could.
J. Foster—l saw no violence. Five peace-officers would
have preserved the peace.
The evidence of W. Dalloway, H. Goddard, and T.
Jerons, was unimportant.
R. A. Kettle,--Was employed in bringing up voters.
Saw no obstruction to voters on either side. The soldiers
were furious. The populace good-humoured. Saw six
shots fired. The people had dispersed of themselves, after
Mr. Briscoe had read the Riot Act and before the soldiers
came forward.
A number of witnesses were next examined, but the
purport of their evidence was merely that they did not
see any provocation offered to the soldiers.
R. Wood's testimony went to show that the conduct
of the people was peaceable, while tint of the soldiers
was unnecessarily violent. Witness identified a soldier
whom he saw drunk on the Thurday night, and who
said that he had fired 14 rounds of ball-cartridge at
them.

J. Mowbray—There had been no stones thrown before
the Riot Act was read. Soon after the Riot Act was
read, the soldiers to disperse the crowd in all directions.
Stones were thrown then. They appeared to come from
the churchyard. I saw four horses fall. (Witness de-
scribed sthe places where three of them fell.) There was
no person within ten feet of the horse that died when
he fell. I saw some constables trying to disperse the
crowd ; the crowd were obstinate. This was long after
the soldiers began to act. I can speak to three instances
of brutality on the part of the constables.
Wm. Danks and J. Ward spoke to the peaceable
conduct of the people, and to the violence of the mili-
tary. Mr. G. Wynn confirmed their evidence as re-
garded the people's conduct, as did several other wit-
nesses on both points.
Mr. T. M. Phillips's examination was unimportant.
Mr. R. Fryer, son of the late M. P. for the borough.—
lam a solicitor. I was in Dudley-street, in Mr. Gow's
shop, at nine o'clock on Wednesday. I saw soldiers
stopping people in the street, and preventing them from
proceeding. This was with violence. The violence was in
rudely stopping some servant girls, and preventing them
from going home. I went towards my house at the end of
Lichfield-street, where saw people, about sixty or seventy
persons, running. They consisted of persons of all ages,
and of both sexes.. The soldiers were running after them.
They stopped me and would not let me go to my own house,
which was within twenty yards, and I told them so. At
last, at tho intercession of several neighbours who knew me,
the soldiers did let me pass. I said I would report one of
them. He then raised his carbine and made a rush of his
horse at me, and said " D—n your eyes, you I'll
send the day-light through you." I was alarmed. The
soldier ran his horse at me. To the best of my belief he
snapped his piece at me.
J. Wisedell spoke of having seen persons at the windows of
the Swan put their fingers to their noses in derision of the
people.
Several persons who had been employed in ringing tho
bells at the close of the election were now called. The
general import of their testimony was, that few or no stones
were thrown from the roof of the church before the soldiers
fired ; some of them said they saw the horse fall, and that
that was after the soldiers had commenced firing. One of
the ringers said that he saw several stones thrown by col-
liers in the crowd. They were thrown at the soldiers.
William Clifford and John Pare also spoke to the peace-
abls conduct of the, people on the Tuesday and Wednesday,
and to the soldiers firing without necessity.
CONCLUSION OF THE INQUIRY.
SATURDAY.—FIFTH DAT.
The examination of witnesses was resumed this morning
at 9 o'clock. To detail the particulars of the depositions
would be to repeat in great part those of yesterday. Wo
need not do more than give their names and the tendency
of their evidence. Gibbons, Gregory, and Perry deposed
to the peaceable conduct of the people, and to the violent
conduct of the soldiers.'
Evan Evans spoke to the particulars of the ball that en-
tered his room, from which his wife escaped only by
stooping.
Several other witnesses were then produced in succession,
who all spoke to the peaceable conduct of the people, and
the violent conduct of several of the soldiers.
Thomas Harris produced a precept served on him to act
as a special constable. It was not signed by any magis-
trate. It was not signed at all.
Mrs. Evans, an elderly lady, described the crowd in the
streets at 9 o'clock as one of men, women, and children.
One of the soldiers wrs so drunk, that she feared he would
fall from his horse.
Three other witnesses were then examined, who spoke of
the violence of the troops, and of their having beaten severa
of the town's people without cause.
Benjamin Armstrong, a boy about 17 years old, stated
that he ran into the town-fold near the new hotel. One
soldier fired, and the ball wont through witness's hat. (The
hat was here produced ; the ball must have passed through
in a straight line, as the hole at each side was equally dis-
tant from the crown.)
John Pinson (one of the parties who bad bee wounded)
—Was in the town-fold at the time the previous witness was
struck. When he saw the soldier fire witness received a
ball in his arm. Heard the boy Marriott (whose leg was
amputated) cry out, " I am shot." Some one here remarked,
that the same ball which passed through Armstrong's hat
had struck Pinson's arm.
Sir F. ROE had the two witnesses placed side by side,
and it appeared that the difference in height between the
holes in the hat of one and the wound in the arm of the
other was exactly 19 inches.
Edward Coleman, a surgeon, stated that lie saw a ccn-
stable give a soldier brandy and water. Witness added—
I was present at the opening of the dragoon's horse that was
killed. The witness then described the operation in nearly
the same words as in the account already given. The only
difference was, that this witness said the pericardium con-
tained no coaguluna, which it would be likely to do if the
wound was inflicted during life. He added—l own that I
had some doubt whether the wound had not been inflicted
after death, as none of the great vessels were wounded. if
that wound did not cause the death, I could not state from
any other appearances what the cause was.
*Mr. Pritchard, Mr. 'Wallace, and Mr. G. Edwards, were
next examined, and after describing the wound (in the
terms already given in the certificate), they each gave it as
their decided opinion that that wound was inflicted during
life by a smooth sharp instrument, and was the cause of the
animal's death.
Richard Bennett—Saw the horse fall on Wednesday.
Saw the wound in the side. 'fried to put his finger in, but
could not get it beyond the skin. Heard shots before the
horse fe9. The wound appeared as if inflicted by the rowel
of the spur, or the sharp edge of a stone.
Jesse Sinith--Saw a soldier raise his sword and strike his
horse en the head with the handle of it. The horse put his
head between his legs and fell. The soldier fell with him,
and rolled over.
Mary Whiston—Two soldiers came into her house on
Thursday and searched it, and two persons were with them.
Two other soldiers came after, and demanded entrance. She
said there were already soldiers enough there. One of them
then thrust his sword through the door. One of the sol-
diers in the house said that he would run his sword through
any person be could find there. There were no other per-
sons in the house but the family and a lodger.
Charles Clarke—l am sexton of the old Church. I re-
member the Wednesday of the disturbance. There were
from 100 to 1.50 persons on the roof. I think there were
one hundred and fifty persons on the roof of the nave of
the Church, and some on the tower. I saw no stones
thrown from the Church, but there were sonic from the
Churchyard. I saw places where stones had been dug up
from the yard. It was not so in the morning. Did not see
any persons digging it np.
C. Passman—l was Deputy-Sheriff at one of the polling
booths in St. James's-square. The interruption was so
great that I threatened to step the poTegs There were
several used horribly, pushed and knocked about. They
were throwing dead rooks and stones, and that kind of thing
—I was struck myself. I did not see any one prevented
froth go'ng to the poll. None of the voters applied to me
for protection. I saw no disturbance either day which
could not be suppressei by a civil force. if I had been a
voter for Goodricke I should not have ventured up to the
bcoth.
I'. Giffin.—l was deputy-sheriff at the booth near Bit-
sten-street. I beard, great noise, but I did not see any
interruption to the voting. I had not the least occasion to
call for the aid of the civil power. 'File people about were
perfectly peaceable. I was at the Swan in the evening. I
saw the military arrive, and in half an lionr after I heard the
bugle sound. The conduct of the people was quiet, with no
more than the ordinary excitement.
Here the inquiry was transferred for a short time to the
houses of the three lads who were wounded.
We published Marriott's statement before.
J. Barton (a boy 11 years old) described that he was
shot near the to ;r.-fold. Some folks were running, and the