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

LEICESTER.

STRIKE OF THE COLLIERS AT WHIT-
-WICK, NEAR LEICESTER_
The colliers of these coal-pits, which are situated
about 14 or 15 miles from Leicester, turned out in
great' numbers yesterday (Saturday), but have nat.
rip to Sunday noon, proceeded to'any acts of violence.
They had given some reason to apprehend that such
would be their conduct, and infOrmation was conse-
quently forwarded to the chief constable of the county
(Mr. Goodyer), who immediately despatched two of
his force to keep a watch upon their conduct. More
men have been sent over to-day, and against to-mor-
row morning, when there is to be a meeting of pit-
men held, there will be a strong body of police assem-
bled in the immediate neighbourhood. No outbreak
is apprehended to-day, but what lengths they may
proceed to tormorrow, if they should not succeed in
inducing the whole of the pitmen to join them, it is
impossible to say, for they arc a very rough set. Our
borough Magistrates are now on the alert, in order to
be prepared for any ebullition in town, of which, how-
ever, there are-at present no signs.

STATE OF STOCKPORTir
(From a Second Edition of the Stockport Advertiser
of Saturday.) •

THE ATTACK UPON iHE STOCKPORT
UNION WORKHOUSE, AND. COMMITTAL
OF THE PRISONERS.
It appeared that while an imniense public meeting
of the turn-outs of all branches was holding on Wa-
terloo-road, John Wright in the Chair, another party
who, we understand, and been, closing the mills and
workshops in Edgeley and Cale-green' went to the
workhouse, the leaders of whom demanded from Ed-
ward Hunt, the lodge-keeper, immediate admittance.
He refused them, and asked them what they wanted ?
They answered that they wanted to come in. Hunt
inquired whether they wanted the men who were
working there, and they said they did. All the
joiners, blacksmiths, bricklayers, tke., amounting to
about a. dozen, being all the workmen employed, inde-
pendent of the paupers, were called out, and they
having joined the crowd, the gates were locked.
Some of the men, however, said, " Stop, we want
something to eat," at the same time demanding that
the gates should be opened. The lodge-keeper de-
dined to unlock them, but proffered to fetch the Go-,
\Tyner. Repudiating any desire to see the Governor
they vehemently, with uplifted sticks, deManded ad-
mittance, or . they would pull down, the gates. The
lodge keeper being inexorable, two of the ringleaders
climbed thepalisading,, and entering the lodge, threat-
ened to " Cut him down," if he did not surrender the
keys, that the mob might come in. - lle said he would
sooner lose his life than comply. At this moment
they uplifted their bludgeons, in the attitude of
levelling blows at him, when his . wife, with feelings of
fear and affection, threw the keys at. them, and they
immediately unlocked the gates, and the mob rushed
into the 'Van', . numbering between 2,000 and 3,000
persons. Some of the more daring went into the
Ivius,?, and, being the distribution -and pay-day of the
, out-paupers, they succeeding in possessing themselves
I of upwards of 700 loaves, a number of small bags of
1 meal, and other articles of provision which were in the
l kitchen. The loaves having been thrown amongst
.the crowd, the same -party, demolishing the door of
the pay-room, succeeded in carrying away between
51. and 6/..in copper. The mob outside then eon,-
1 menced breaking the windows. . .

On the first attack information was sent, down to
the Court-room, when the military, Magistrates, and
police, accompanied by the town-clerk and a
turmiu-
able body of special constables, consisting of the
tradesmen.of the town, hastened to Shaw-heath with
all possible despatch, leaving the Court• room in charge
of the yeomanry (commanded by Captain Worthing-
ton) and infantry, Richard Sykes, Esq., acting as.
Magistrate.
On arriving at the workhouse they found the whole
premises in possession of the insurgents. The Ma-
gistrates, specials, and police, guarded by the infantry,
tbreed their way into the workhouse, whilst the
yeomanry maintained guard in front of the lodge.
In the melee which ensued, one of the officers of the
yeomanry was assaulted with a huge stick by a man
named Spencer. He was secured on the spot. In
the meantime other parties had been detected in the
workhouse ; and many of them having been identified
as of the number who broke into the pay room, they
were given in charge. The • gross' number appre-
hended was 51, the majority of whom resided in this
borough. A very small quantity of bread and meal
was recovered. A Magistrates' court was then formed
in the workhouse; and the prisoners-were examined
on the spot where they had committed the depredations.
Whilst the investigation was proceeding, it wrs
notified to the Court that a deputation from the
public meeting of the working classes wished to have
an interview with the Magistrates. - Mr. Sadler, the
-superintendent of police, retired to receive them, and
to require from them their-object. He tfien reported
to the Mayor. After a consultation, the Mayor,
Magistrates, and Town-clerk, accompanied by. Major
Hope, of the 79th, and Captains Lloyd, Tatton, and
Townsend ; Lieutenants Nicholson, Wallace, Legh

Richmond, and E. Marsland, and other officers of the
Cheshire Yeomanry, proceeded into another room, for
the purpose of being present at the interview. The
deputation on the onset required the unconditional
release of the -prisoners, cm the ground that they had
been taken into custody illegally.- However,. before
the Magistrates entered upon that part of the ques-
tion, the Town-clerk required from them their names.
They were John Leech, tailor, Hyde ; Robert Lee.
cotton-spinner, Ashton-under-Lvne ; John Jackson;
shoemaker, 'N ewton ; and John Wright, labourer.
Stockport.
The Deputation addressed the Magistrates seriatim,
commencing with Leach. •He said the meeting he
had left were much excited by the conviction that
the prisoners had been taken into custody inno;
eently. They were only in the act of asking for a
mouthful of bread, because they were starving.—The
' Mayor informed him that such was not the fact ; but
that they had been apprehended for breaking into the
workhouse, and stealing 400 or 500 loaves, meal, and
the money which belonged to . the paupers. Leach
hinted that the building might be in danger if the
men were detained.—The Town-Clerk said the build-
ing, provided and protected as the civil power was,
both inside and outside, would defy the force of all
their numbers to effect its destruction.---The Depu-
-tation replied, but without effecting the object of their
mission, and they retired.
The examinations of the different witnesses, toge-
ther with an inquiry into the plausibility of the state-
ments of the prisoners themselves, was then resumed,
and occupied the Court a considerable tune, The re-
sult was the discharge of 36, they having only been
found in possession of loaves, whilst of the.remaining
18 prisoners, 16 were committed to Chester Assizes
for trial ; two were remanded, and the other, Spencer,
was committed to Knutsford for one month's hard la-
bour, for assaulting the Yeomanry officer.
Those who were committed for trial were Err Had-
field, Anthony Duffy, Wm. Stonehewer, Levi Green-
halgh, John liesketh, Thomas Hilton, Iklatthew Bad-
Wright, Robert Brooks, Stephen Simpson,llhomas
deley, 'William Hargreaves, Robert Riffles Jos.
ititjaonsaitnbgali
el Swan,exception, and .John
eame
sSilddnonille,rasilCreofowrgheomM,orl4ris ,
,
lrom Staley Bridge, Hooky Hill, Aliton, Gee CrOss.
&c. They. were identified as being armed with offen-
sive weapons,.taking a violent part in the proceedings
of the day, and . being more particularly engaged in
breaking into the workhouse. They were ail con-
veyed between, seven and eight o'clock ili the evening,
l'1::-ironed, in . coaches to linutsford,. e. 74 route to
Chester, accompanied by . two constabOary ()Elms,
under a strong escort of cavalry as far .as Cheaala
Heath. No attempt at rescue was made. . .
John Lee and Ai m. Spring. were r(311414-11,,,, ,
An immense meeting of the unemployed, arate4