The Sun.
London, England, 1842-08-15 00:00:00

STATE OF STOCKPORT.

(From a Second Edition of the Stockport Advertiser
of Saturday.)
THE ATTACK UPON THE STOCKPORT
UNION WORKHOUSE, AND COMMITTAL
OF THE PRISONERS.

It appeared that while an immense 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, &c., amounting to
about a dozen, being all the workrhen 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 ctemanding that
the gates should be opened. The lodge-keeper de-
clined to unlock them, but pl"offered to fetch the Go-
vernor. 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 the palisading, and entering the lodge, threat-
ened to " cut him down," if he did not surrender the
keys, that the mob might come in. He 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 yard, numbering between 2,000 and 3,000
persons. Some of the more daring went into the
house, and, being the distribution and pay-day of the
out-paupers, they succeeding in possessing themselves
of upwards of 700 loaves, a nnmber of small bags of
meal, and other articles of provision which were in the
kitchen. The loaves having been thrown amongst
the crowd, the same` party, demolishing the door of
the pay-room; succeeded ,in carrying away between
6/. and 6/. in copper. The mob outside then com-
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 formid-
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,
forced 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. 'rhe 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 wes
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 then 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, on 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-Lyne ; John Jackson.
shoemaker, Newton ; and John Wright, labourer,
Stockport.
The Deputation addressed the Magistrates sellatim.
commencing with Leach. He said the meeting la
had left were much excited by the conviction tha
the prisoners had been taken into custody inno-
cently. They were only in the act of asking for
mouthful of bread, because they were starving.—The
Mayor informed him that such was not the fact ; bum
that they had been apprehended for breaking into the
workhouse, and stealing 400 or 500 loaves, meal; am'
the money which belonged to the paupers. Lead
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 al.
their numbers to effect its destruction.—The Depu-
tation replied, but without effecting the object of theim
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 time, The re-
sult was the discharge of 36, they having only bees
found in possession of loaves, whilst of the remaining
18 prisoners, 16 were committed to Chester Assize:
for trial ; two were remanded, and the other, Spencer.
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Stephen
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\Sileu7ll;:ni3g-mlletrs, George Morris, Jonathan Swan, andhjjnooli.
Siddall, all of whom, with a single exception, cam
from Staley Bridge, Hooley Hill, Ashton, Gee Cross.
&e. They NS ere identified as being armed with offen-
sive weapons, taking a violent part in the proceeding
of the day, and being more particularly engaged ii
breaking ii,to the workhouse. They were all con-
veyed between seven and eight o'clock in the evening.
leg-ironed, in coaches to Knutsford, en route t(.
Chester, accompanied by two constabulary officers.
under a strong escort of cavalry as far as Cheadle
Heath. No attempt at rescue was made.
1
John Lee and Wm. Spring were remanded.
An immense meeting of the unemployed, armed