The Sun.
London, England, 1826-09-19 00:00:00

RIOTS and OUTRAGES in BETHNAL-GREEN.

Yesterday forenoon, at twelve o'clock,. pursuant to ap-:
pointment, Messrs. Miffingfield and Marsden, the two
Churchwardens of St. Matthew, Bethruil-green, and Mr.
Brutton, the Vestry' Clerk, Waited' upon the Secretary of
State at the Home-office, where- they were met by Mr.
Osborn and by Mr: Twyfard, the Magistrates of Worship-
street, Police-office. The object of the meeting was to •
devise some measures to suppress the dreadful riots and
outrages that take place every night in the parish, by a
lawless gang of thieves, consisting of .500 or 600, whose
exploits have caused such alarming sensations in the minds
of the inhabitants,. that they have actually found it neces-
sary to shut up their shops at an early hour, to protect
their property from the ruffians.
In order to give some idea of the outrages that have and
are hourly cemmitted,. we merely give the following. in-
stances, and the disciplined manner in which the ruffians
go to work. •
, The gang,rendezvous in abrick-field at the top of Spicer- .
street, Spitalfields, and out-poste are stationed to give as
alarm, should any of the civil power approach, and their
,
cry is " Warhawk," as a signal for retreat. On the brick-
kilns in this field they cook whatever meat and potatoes
they plunder from the various shops in the neighbourhood,
in the open day, and in the face of the shopkeepers.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, being market
days, (Monday and Friday at Smithfield, and Wednesday
at Barnet) they sally out into the suburbs, and wait in
ambush till a drove of beasts passes; they then attack the
drovers, and take a beast from the drove, and convey it,
into the marshes till night ; when they hunt it through the,
metropolis, and whilst the passengers and inhabitants are
in the utmost state of alarm, they plunder, and in. many
instances nearly .murder, .every.person that -they meet
there are now no less than:five individuals lying in the Lou-
don Infirmary, without hopes of recoverl, that have fallen
into the hands of the gang. Within the last fortnighti
upwards. of 50 persons have been robbed, and cruelly;
beaten, and one of the gang was seen one day hist week to
prOducei amongst some of his associates, nearly half a 1104 •
full of ,watches,
In consequence :of these dreadful outrages, the Right
Hon: Secretary gave orders that' a reinforcement of 40
men, most of them mounted, should
,he stationed in tlif,
ferent parts of the parish, and that they Should be relieved
every three henry, and with instructions to patrol the dis-
turbed parts day and night, which -is now the case. In
addition to these measures, a magistrate was in attendance
yesterday (Sunday) at the police-office, in order to hear
cases against any of the marauders, should they be brought
before him, and the Hon. Secretary has further ordered,
that for the future"the magistrates shall sit every mornieg
at ten instead of eleven o'clock.
On Wednesday last the gang attacked a lady 1
goil.
tleman that were in a chaise in the Bethnal-green-rn"
and after robbing and beating them most inhumanly,
cut the reins and traces to prevent a pursuit.
The Secretary, of State on Saturday last had an inter-
the
•view with the Magistrates of the district, respecting .
e,
state of that part of the metropolis, and anxiously inquir
We understaid
if the robbers were distressed weavers?
but that they
that an answer was given in the negative,
were a set of idle and disorderly fellows that have been
long known to the police as reputed thieves.
The deputation remained with. Mr. Peel till one 0
and explained to him the necessity of a strong body. 01
men (in addition to those already stationed there) being
rant into the neighbourhood, as they felt confident that tee
robbers,
.who were well armed, would boldly attack
hey have done before) the civil power.
The Right. Hon. Secreitarrassured the deputation, that
'mediate means :.should be adopted to rid the parish 0
a intruders.