The Sun.
London, England, 1842-08-16 00:00:00

PRESTON.

%'OM the Second Edition of the Preston Pilot of
Saturday.)
• A meeting of operatives was held in Chadwick's
the
last night, about nine o'clock ; and though
Lac numbers in attendance were considerable, the
etowd vas not anything like what might have been
anticipated. A detachment of the 72d were lodged
in the assembly-room of the Bull Inn, and' were
under arms all night. It was scarcely anticipated
that any measures would have been taken by the
w 01) to prevent the factories being started this morn-
pat the usual time. However, on one of the bells
,ad g rung at a little before six o'clock, the mob, which
'lassembled a short time previously in Chadwick's
Orchard, marched towards the:North-road (the diree-
ti°ll in,which the bell had rung), and the first factory
, e3' came to was Messrs. Catteral and Co.'s, whose
"'hands they turned out, and then proceeded to Mr. F.
'3leddon's, where preparations had been made for
IPistint the mob. A stout resistance was made, Mr.
Sleddon himself being on the spot; but they were
tc';'erpowered by the immense numbers after some hard
hurt-in
had been dealt out. Mr. Sleddon was slightly
the in the affray, and a large. number of squares in
_le factory windows were smashed. The mob then
vent to the factories at the west end of the town, and
'k.
such as were at work were compelled to relinquish it.
hDawson's factory a few squares of glass were
lt
By this time the mob had increased most
wonderfully, and included a very large proportion of
a."len and children; but its general appearance had
more threatening aspect than at any time during
When these- proceedings were going on,
ythesterday.
Alaycr and Magistrates assembled at the Bull
n, where the Town-clerk joined them, and it

• was determined to proceed to meet the rioters. This
was at eight o'clock, and the public functionaries, ac-
companied by the detachment of the 72d, went' down
Fishergate, and met the mob near Lune-street. The
rioters opened two divisions for the purpose of the
military passing through; but the 'orders were to let
no one pass. The mob then proceeded down Lune-
street, fiillowed by the military, and when near the
Corn Exchange, halted. The Riot Act was then read,
and Chief-constable Woodford, and Mr. Banister,
Superintendent of Police, endeavoured to persuade
the mob to retire for fear of consequences ; and while
so engaged one of the rioters aimed a stone so surely
at Captain Woodford that-it felled :him to the ground,
and while there had the brutality to kick him. Im-.
mense bodies of stones were now thrown at the police
and soldiers, many of the foriner being much hurt,
and part of the mob having -gone up Fox-street they
then had the advantage of stoning the military from
both sides. Under these circumstances orders were
given to fire; the military immediately obeyed, and
several of the mob fell. This did .not appear to have
much effect, for one fellow named Lancaster, who,
I believe came from Blackburn, came out in front
of the mob, and when in the act of lifting his
hand to thrOw a stone was singled out by one of the
72d, who fired, and he fell. This appeared to put a
damper on the proceedings of . the mob, and they
began to separate, the Mayor, military, and Magis-
trates coming up the street. It is scarcely known
how many have been wounded, but it is supposed
from 12 to 15, some of them mortally. Five
have been taken to the House of Recovery, and in
course of the morning one of the five had his leg
amputated above the knee, the. leg being completely
splintered by the ball. A lad was shot through the
wrist, the ball grazing his side. It is believed his
hand must be amputated. One man was shot in the
back, where the ball still remains in the bone, and it
cannot be extracted. Two are shot through the
chest, and one is in an exceedingly dangerous state.
There is also one man shot through the bowels, which
protrude in a shocking manner, and he is in a most
precarious state. The medical gentleman who has
been engaged to attend the sufferers states that he
thinks four of the wounded will not recover. As may
be expected, very considerable excitement prevails.
Large posting-bills have been stuck up to announce
that the Riot Act has been read, and that people are.
forbidden to be seen about the streets in groups. A
proclamation has also been issued, and indeed the
authcirities are using every exertion to prevent any
more assemblages.
The following are the names of the individuals in
the House of recovery
William Petting, 21, steam-loom weaver, in the
employ of Messrs. Dawson. He was shot through
the knee, and has had his leg amputated.
William Lancaster, 23, one of the ringleaders, was
shot through the body, and lingers without hope of
recovery.
James Roberts, 20, steam-loom weaver, in the em-
ploy of Messrs. Gardner, is shot thrc ugh the wrist.
John Mercer, 27, is shot through the body, and is
not likely to recover.
Adam Hodgson was shot through the back.
John M`Namara was shot through the bowels ; no
hopes are entertained of his recovery.
William Moore is shot in the chest, and is in a very
precarious state. He worked with Mr. Paley as a
cotton-spinner.
The people are assembling in different parts of the
town, threatening to revenge the proceedings of the
morning. 150 of the 60th Rifles have arrived from
Manchester.

The Liverpool Albion of yesterday says at eleven
on. Saturday night the streets of Preston were per-
fectly quiet, and the morning of the Sabbath presented
nothing unusual, except that the Mayor was accom-
panied to church by a much larger number of atten-
dants than usual. The scene of the commotion was
visited throughout the day by many hundreds of the
curious. It was found that about a dozen balls had
struck the premises of Mr. Coup, of the Corporation
Arms, two of them perforating the wooden gateway
leading to the stable, and striking a stone post at a
considerable distance, against which a man was lean-
ing. Mr. Coup's son was leading a horse into the
stable close by at the time, and both these individuals
had a narrow escape, though not cognisant at the
time of what was going on outside. A ball also struck
the stone top of the front door of the inn, at which
the landlord's daughter was standing, and broke off a
portion of the stone close to her feet. A window of
the Angel Inn, on the opposite side of Lune-street,
was also broken and perforated in some of the panes
by small shot or pieces of broken ball, which, it ap-
peared, had first struck the lamp-post opposite.
On our reporter leaving Preston, at four &clock
yesterday afternoon, the town was in a state of perfect
quiescence, without the slightest indication of any
further disturbance being likely to arise.
Some Rifles had come into the town on Saturday,
and a detachment of the rural police from Bootle
(thirty in number), under Mr. Superintendent
Ste Nart, left this town yesterday morning, so that all
was quiet. It was expected that the mill hands would
turn into work this morning.

RIOTOUS PROCEEDINGS AT
WIGAN.

WIGAN, MONDAY EVENING: 7 o'cLocx.—A riot-
ous and strange mob, amounting in number to some
thousands, entered this town to-day, armed with
bludgeons. They immediately proceeded to the
various mills, collieries, and factories, stopped the en-
gines, and turned upwards of 3,000 persons out of
employment. Having; effected !this outrage, they
marched out of the town with savage yells of ex-
ultation towards the seat of the Earl of Balcarres,
at Hay, in which neighbourhood there are a great
number of collieries. On their passage through the
town, they committed no other violence to property -
than demanding provisions from the shopkeepers,
which were of course given thern.-One ofthe curates of
Wigan (Rev. Mr. Bessell) on endeavouring to remon-
strate with them was struck by a ruffian on the head, but
he suffered no material injury. The principal streets
are crowded with peaceable Operatives, and no fears
are entertained for the safety of the town, unless the
disorderly mob returns at midnight, which is much to
be apprehended. A company of the 72d Highlanders,
under the command of Captain Balfour, is stationed
in the town, ready to act promply; when required. A
disturbance is reported to have taken place at Hind-
ley, four miles from this place, and Captain Balfour
has despatched thirty soldiers there, at the request
of the County Magistrates. Hindley contains many
cotton-mills, and all the hands have this day been
turned out.
Every inhabitant of Wigan and the surrounding
townships have closed their shops, warehouses, &c.,
and business is totally suspended. Upon the shutters
of several of the,closea shops the Chartists have posted
copies of molutions entered into at the Sherwood
Inn, Manchester, to the' effect that . the workmen there
had resolved not again to resume work ..until 'the
People's Charter became the laW of the land. The
bludgeons with which the mob were armed were very
formidable and destructive weapons, about half a yard
in length, and about the thickness of a constable's
staff. There was a great uniformity in their appear-
ance, and, they seemed as if they were all from the
same manufactory. After turning out the workmen,
the mob stayed for some time near to the Wigan
station of the North Union Railway, watching the
arrival and departure of the several trains, thepassen-
gers in which were alarmed at their vociferous shouts,
and the terrific manner in which they brandished the
bludgeons over their heads in demoniac triumph.

HANLEY.
FROM A PRIVATE CORRESPONDENT.)
AUG. 15.—1 write in haste to acquaint you with
the state of this district, that is what has taken place
within a few hours. A great meeting of colliers and
potters took place in Hanley Market-place this morn-
ing at nine o'clock ; a body of colliers proceeded from
thence to a coal-work where some men were em-
ployed, returned to the town, set at liberty some pri-
soners for light offences, stripped,the Police-office of
the books, papers, &c., which were torn to atoms and
strewed about the streets. One policeman was
slightly injured; but as our police are more respected
than any other in this district, no further injury was
done them. The mob then proceeded to the house of
a poor-rate collector, who is very unpopular with the
working classes, broke every pane of glass in his
house, demanded his, books and papers, which were
soon committed in fragments to the winds, strewing
the streets in all directions. From thence they went
to the Court of Requests, destroyed the books there
also, and cut the head of the clerk, a gentleman much
respected by all parties. Proceeding to Stoke Police-
office, the books there shared the same fate, the furni-
ture was broken, brought out and burnt in the street.
Here the military (a company of the 12th), with
Bailey Rose, Esq., a stipendiary Magistrate at their
head, were announced ; the mob divided, one part
going the Lane End-road to decoy the soldiers, while
the other parted by few and few, and met at the man-
sion of Thomas Allen, Esq., at Fenton, where they
demolished the furniture and searched for arms (it
beinreported there were 500 stand of the old volun-
teers, but few were to be found. They then went
to the house of Bailey Rose, Esq., who was leading
the troops in another direction, being completely out-
manoeuvred by the mob. He arrived at his house in
about five minutes after it had been completely gutted,
his furniture, books, &c., destroyed ; in fact, it was a
complete wreck, done by the very party of whom he
was in quest. It is further stated that Stomer, an
unpopular policeman, has had his arm broken. I
have just heard that the Fenton Police-office windows
are all destroyed. Everything that could be burnt
was piled up in two heaps and set on fire, to the great
hazard of burning the houses, on which the inhabi-
tants were forced to throw great quantities of water.
At Lane- enal ark et-b all (a 2olipe station) the books
were destroyed. Every article ,-vas 'brought out and
burnt 5 they afterwards set fire to the Market-hall,