The Sun.
London, England, 1832-01-05 00:00:00

Monday morning saw Patrick Kearney there; he was
coming from a corner house.
At the suggestion of the Lord Chief Justice, the
Learned Counsel went no further into the examina.
tion of this witness.
William Stone—Was one of the turnkeys of the
Bridewell. Was there when it was attacked by the
mob. Saw them coming down the lane before they
entered the gates which closed the passage. After-
wards saw them. The mob forced the gate in
against the witness. ad not see any of the pri-
soner 4 then, but afterwards saw Kearney walking
about in the passage. 'When he saw Kearney, some
part of the mob was quiet, others were rioting.

Cross-examined—Witness never saw any one
take an acti'.e part except those who pushed in the
gate, and those he could not see, as he was on the
other side of it. Could not say whether people
came from curiosity who took no part in the riot.
John Derrick saw the gaol attacked on the Sun-
day in question. Saw James Williams there.
Knew him, as they were both natives of Keynsham.
Can't say what the people were doing, but they
were very busy breaking things, and they had bars
in their hands. Went with the soldiers, but did
not come away with them. There were great
quantities of p,ople there, as well as himself and
Williams. P ironer had something in his hand
about three feet long and an inch square, but whe-
ther wood or iron he could not say. S.tw the pri-
soner standinrr while one side of the door was
broken in ; the other side was not broken, and he
saw the prisoner hammering it, but whether he
broke it of not he could nor say. Prisoner struck
at the top part of the other panel. Saw prisoner
first in the road, and he remained after witness left.
There was a mob outside and inside too. There was
not-e, and hallooing, and whooping, anti knocking of
doors before he went in, but can't say there was any
body making a noise when lie did go in, as the gaol
was all in a flame of fire. Witness saw some of the
prisoners corning out.
Cross-examined—Was a blacksmith ; knew the
use of iron, did not find any useful there. Knew
George Bayley, a farm-labourer, and saw him there.
Witness did not come up to Williams with an iron
bar, and Williams did not advise him not to take it
away. Believed that Bayley was with him while
Williams spoke. Witness had been in custody
for taking some books which he found on
his way home. His master took the books,
gyve them to Mr. Watson, and gave him a hid-
ing, although he told how he got them. Did not
see Williams or Bayley that night. Did not know
any beer house. Knew one near the prison. Could
not swear that he was not in one on the Sunday
night. The reason he could not swear was because
he could not remember. The reason he did not re-
member was not because he was drunk. Witness
lived at Keynsham, and many from that village came
in to see the fires.

James Pitman—Was a blacksmith at Keynsham,
and was at the gaol on the Sunday of the riots.
The mob had broken in when he arrived. He did
not go into the gaol at once, but it rained very hard
about six o'clock, and he went into the entrance to
avoid the storm. Did not go farther than the en-
trance, hut saw the Governor's house on fire.
Knew Williams, and saw him in the yard, with
something in his hand, about three feet long and
three quarters of an inch square. Remained only
about a minute and a half. Saw Williams when he
looked in, and left him standing there. Knew Wil-
liams seven years.
Cross-examined—Saw Williams commit no act
of violence. Had never heard any harm of Wil-
liams, and a good many young men came in to see
the fire, not as rioters, but as he came himself. Nor
did Williams, as far as he knew, come with any
other intent.

William Wason examined—Was an attorney of
Bristol. Remembered the 30th of October; the
Friday after that went to Keynsham. Knew Green,
the constable, who took him to a house where they
found blankets and shoes concealed,—the former
avainst the gable end of the house. There was no
footpath there, except that leading from the garden
of the house. The shoes were found in a brook at
the back of the house.

We cannot pretend to give this witness's evidence,
as he so mouthed his words, that though almost over
him, we could not comprehend one word in ten.]
The house belonged to the prisoner's mother.
Cross-examined—There were only two houses to-
gether. Mr 9. Williams lived in the one, and a man
n imed Widdington in another. Knew her to be
the prisoner's mother, by asking her for her son,
James 'Williams, Believed that a vast deal of pro-
perty was scattered, and that the plunder of Queen-
square had, in several instances, got into the hands
of innocent people.
W. Green examined—Was a constable at Keyn-
sham ; knew Williams, who lived with his mother;
witness went with Mr. Wason to make a search at
\Viliiams's house; found nothing the first time;
saw Williams's mother and children ; went again,
and found three blankets and three shoes ; the
blankets were in an ash-heap. (Produced two of
the blankets, and two of the shoes.)
Stret on, again examined—Looked at the
shoes, arid said they vt ere shoes he had made for the
use cf the prisoners ; had them before the fire, bur
missed 60 or 70 pair after the riot ; the corporation
provided These shoes fur the prisoners.
Sarah Bowles, the matron of the gaol, looked at
the blankets, and believed them to belong to the
eaol. Tliey ,sere there before the riots, and were
los- at that time.

- Si retton, in reply to the prisoner's Counsel,
said that most of the prisoners s,ripped off their
shoes and their prison dresses when they were let
out. They pulled them off in the yard, put them
under their feet, and threw them into the river.
CJuld not say whether some prisoners might not
have walked off in their prison shoes.
Ci arle- Cres-ey saw he prisoner picking pockets,
and linsling and heaping wood against the outer
ples. (A this stage of the proceedings we found
it utterly irrpossiisle to hear the witness for a le,
minor, s, partly owing to his position, and partly to
the noise t at prevailed in Cour., the audience in
whicli was principally composed of special con-
stables). . . .

Dauirl Higr asked if the witness saw him set
the gates on fire.
Cressey—Not at all.
John King, jun. examined—Was opposite the
White Lion-inn, Broad-street, at half-past two
o'clock on Sunday, the 30th of Oct. A mob came
from the Bridewell, through St. John's archway,
with staves, hammers, and bars of iron. Knows

the prisoner Daniel Higgs. Saw him that day at
the head of the mob just described. He had either
a bar of iron or a staff in his hand. The prisoner
(Higgs) was going with the rest of the mob to the
gaol. Saw prisoner with the mob about five or six
minutes. The mob, from first to last, conducted
themselves in the same manner, and when witness
lost sight of them, they went in the direction of
the gaol.
Edward Shirley Bannister—Was a coppersmith

and brazier, and acted with the posse comiliilus dm,
ing the late riots. Apprehended the prisoner Higgs
on the 2d of November. When the prisoner was
brought to the court off Norton-street, where he
said he lived, they did not know him there. An
old lady who was by said he lived in Holmes's-court.
Thomas Watson examined—ln October last was
the night-constable at All Saints' Ward. On the
30th of October was on duty again. Was at the
prison before the gates were broken open. Saw
Mackay (the
prisoner) outside the prison door, aid-
ing and as,isting in breaking the prison door. There
was a great number there engaged in rioting. Wit-
ness went up to the door and asked them what they
wanted ; and they said they wanted to let all the
prisoners out. He was obliged to go away, from
the violence of the mob. When he begged them to
desist, the reply was, " Hit the old —'s head off."
A sledge-hammer hit him on the hat, and stones
and other missiles were thrown at him.
I.:loss-examined—Was not at College-green on