The Sun.
London, England, 1832-08-18 00:00:00

OUTRAGES OF THE COAL-WHIPPERS,

For the last month, the districts of Wapping, Shadwell,
Ratcliff, and Limehouse, have been the scene of continual
disturbances amongst the coal-whippers employed in de-
livering the colliers of their cargoes. It will be recollected,
that about four months ago the great body of the coal
whippers entered into a combination to relieve themselves
'rom the exactions of a few publicans, who had hitherto
monopolised the hiring of this industrious body of men,
and exacted large sums from them in the shape of gratui.
ties, called " tow-row," and paid their wages at the
public-houses, causing them to spend the greater part of
their earnings in beer and liquor. The coal-whippers, to
break up this monopoly, established an office, similar to
the Trinity Ballast Establishment, and divided their body
into regular gangs, each gang working in strict rotation, and
receiving their earnings in hard cash, without any deduction,
excepting far working gear. The publicans, many of
whom are owners of coal ships, and act as agents to the
coal factors in the north, opposed themselves to this
combination, and sent for strangers, whom they em-
ployed to clear the ships in their interest, and between
whom and the old workmen frequent rows ensued, and
the coast was for six weeks in a continual uproar,
and more than 100 were fined and held to bail by the
Thames-police Magistrates for assaulting the publicans'
men. The publicans became too strong for the coal whip-
pers, the office was soon abolished, and the men returned ,
to the dominion of their old masters. The strangers who
had been introduced to the work by the publicans, have,
since the combination was broken up, been working at
five farthings per ton, for those masters of ships who do
not depute the publicans to hire men for them, while the
regular coal-whippers :are paid I -Id., the price' agreed
upon by the coal-factors since the old Act of Parliament
became extinct. Owing to this cause several attacks hare
been made on the five-farthing men by the others, and it
has been found necessary in many instances to escort those
working under price to the water side, under the protec-
tion of large bodies of police, to save them from being
murdered, and while at work on the colliers, they are
protected by the Thames police in galleys, who are sta-
tioned alongside. Several of the six-farthing men have
been fined in the full penalty of 51. by the Thamsa-police
Magistrates, for assaulting the five-farthing men, and the
fines have been immediately collected and paid by the
coal-whippers. A few days ago eight Irishmen were con-
victed in one day, and the money (401.) was instantly
collected by a subscription of 2s. 6d. each. The spirit
of intimidation has extended so far, that many persons
who gave evidence before the Magistrates have been com-
pelled to leave the district, as threats have been held out
that they should be murdered. On Tuesday, a gang of
five-farthing men were attacked in the streets, and severely
beaten, before the police came up ; and the same night
one man was removed to the hospital after having been as-
sailed by the full-priced men. These skirmishes are taking
place almost every hour, and the inhabitants are in a
great state of alarm ; for if they make any attempt to
interfere, they are marked out as objects of vengeance.
On Thursday four men, named Fitzgerald, Horan,
Rice, and Freeman, were charged, at the Thames police-
office, with committing a dreadful assault on William
Cope. The complainant had been the foreman and basket.
man of a gang who delivered a ship at five farthings a ton,
and he was sitting down in the tap-room of the Three
Compasses public-house, Shadwell-market, when the
prisoners entered, and one of them exclaimed, " That's the
b— who worked for five farthings ; let's have him out,
and jump his life out." He was immediately dragged
into the street, and surrounded by more than 150 coal-
whippers, who beat him, knocked him down, and kicked
and trampled upon him, until they thought he was dead.

. .
Mr. BALLANTINE said nothing could exceed in atrocity
the outrages committed by the coal-whippers, whose in-
interests he and his colleagues bad for a series of years
taken under their protection. The wages of the coal-
whippers were enormously high, but little of it went to
the support of their families. Every man's labour was his
own property, and he had a right to sell it at what price
he thought proper. A coal-whipper should work for a
farthing a ton if be pleased, and should have the protection
of the law.

The prisoners were all fined 51. each, which they paid.
This case was no sooner disposed of, tha❑ Jeremiah
Roach, an Irish coal-whipper, was brought into the office,
charged with striking Cope, and a woman who gave evi-
dence in his favour, as they were leaving the Justice-room.
The Magistrates fined him Si., which was also paid.
Fitzgerald, the father of one of the men convicted of
assaulting Cope, was charged with beating an English
coal-whipper, named George Ashton, under similar cir-
cumstences.

The prisoner was fined Zii., and the costs of the warrant,
which were paid. _

Four men, named Lawler, Davis, Cox, and Doyle,
were charged with dragging a five-farthing man, named
Thomas Garral, out of a public-house at King James's.
stairs, and beating him.

Mr. BALLANTINE bound over all the parties to keep the
peace, and made them pay 51. each for their recognizances.
Yesterday Michael Murphy and Jeremiah Hurley, two
athletic Irishmen, were charged with committing a mur-
derous assault on James Harwood, an elderly man, who
appeared with his head bandaged and his face covered with
adhesive plasters. The details of the case excited universal
horror and indignation.

Harwood and a gang of eight others were employed to
deliver a collier, off the Tower, at five farthings per ton,
which fact corning to the knowledge of the prisoners and
the gang to which they belonged, a plot was formed to
waylay the Englishmen as they were proceeding to work,
and murder them. On Saturday morning last, Harwood
was sitting on the steps of a door at the corner of Wells-
street, near the London Dock, waiting for Lis companions,
when he was discovered by the prisoners and several other
Irishmen. One of the fellows called out, " Nish, nish ;"
the ethers drew back, and Hurley, advancing to the com-
plainant with a heavy bludgeon, struck him a violent Wow
over the eye, sufficient to fell an ox, and levelled him with
the ground. This blow with the murderous weapon was
followed by others over his head and face, which laid his
skull bare and broke his nose. He then beat him over the
legs ; and after the ptisoners' companions thought the man
was killed—for he showed no signs of life—they all went
away. Harwood was picked up ; his under eye-lash had
fallen down over his face from the effects of one of the
blows, and he said the surgeon had to sow it up, His
head was cut open in three places, and his nose was split
across. His disfigured appearance excited great commis.-
ration.

Evan Evans, an ex-policeman, said that a more savage
assault be had never seen committed, and that Murphy
stood by and looked on, while Hurley struck the blows.
Mr. BALLANTINE adjudged Hurley to pay a fine of 51,
to the King, and to find sureties, himself in 1001., and
two housekeepers in 501. each, to keep the pow., and be
of good behaviour for the next 12 month, and to give
48 hours' notice of bail. Murphy was ordered to enter
into his own recognizances to keep the peace.

PROSECUTION OF MR. O'CONNEIL.--The
Protestant Conservative Society met oa Tuesday last, at
their rooms in Grafton-street, p,ublin, and resolved, among
other things, to lay Q'CoRNELL's late letter,declaring that
he would never again voluntarily pay tithes or vestry
arse befor~.~ouEisel, with the k,leAtiotaii.Lthe op ion
_gf
spiring to rob the clergy, provided the Government did
not take the matter up.

Mr. SHAW, the Member for Dublin, has re-
ceived the thanks of the Protestant Conservative Society
of Ireland, for dividing the House of Commons 24 times
against the Party Pr„cessions Bill.

On Tuesday last a steam coach, the private
property of Mr. OGLE, of Milbrook, near Southampton,
which had been started from thence the preceding day, ar-
rived at the Star inn in this city. We understand it is on
a journey of experiment to Liverpool and Edinburgh, and is
detained here to undergo some considerable repairs. Its
weight is said to be upwards of es..x tons, and may be pro..
pelted at a speed of ttrirty miles an hour. It is capable
of carrying eight iaside and twelve outside passengcrs,, be-
sides the steersmen.— Oxford Jowsna4

We are sorry tq announce thak the brig
Beaver, Captain on bw‘ passage from St.
John's to this port, laden, with plank, &c., was run down
on the 4th of by an American brig, with passengers,
in a very thick fog, in lat. 47. N. Long. 53. 10. The
captain and crew of the A,naerican were bailed to render
assistance, and told that the heaver was f.ll:ing. with
water ; but, with a btu barity almost witho;:it parallel, tLey
made sail and left her to her fatt-i, rovidentially, the brig
Quivedo of Sunderlanr4 Captain KOLLAIt, t.,„n to sight,
and took the c;:ev..,. GI the wreck,. at 5 ',i-19, Pk tl;e-next day,
after they had. been 22. hours won, it, 411 have arrived
safe at 2.Vlqming Register.

It has not 1)4 ascertained as yet when the
Assizes for fioscommon and Leitrim will be held. 13y
an order from the Sheriffs of both these couttiQs, several
persons who were under sentence pi confinement have
been set at liberty. I'wt:,..thte persons thus situated
were discharged from Oarricli-on-Shanon on Thuradsy.
On Sunday, the 12th instant, beig the
hundred and forty-third anniversary of dile Relief of Lon-
donderry, the event was celebrated there with unprece-
dented splendour.. -.Pullin Evening Mail,