Star.
London, England, 1809-11-16 00:00:00

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

The row commenced last night in the third act of
Speed the Pine', and at half-price it increased to the
usual pitch. There was no difference in the cast of
the play from what we have already criticised ; we
have only, therefore, to repeat our praises of Mistresses
GOBS and DAVENPORT, Messrs. MUNDEN, ENIERV,
CHARLES KEMaLE, and the rest of the dramatis per-
use, for not suffering the present unfavourable cir-
cumstances to render them careless, .but continuing
to exert their utmost powers to please, amid all the
discouraging tumult around them.
The arrival of the half-price hour as usual formed
the signal for general commotion, and the effects of
the•O. P. influenza were evinced by a general cough,
which suddenly seized the audience in almost every
part of the house, and drowned both the music and
the voices of the actors.. This exertion of the lungs
ceasing, recourse was had to the usual experiments
of the 0. P. saraband, the 0. P. chorus, and the 0. P.
ronda. The latter was played on the seats of the pit,
by able performers, who beat time in a tremendous
and stunning manner with their sticks and bludgeons;
thus varying their performances with all the custo-
mary eccentricities so often experienced in the 0. P.
Ballet, by John Bull. The creaking of a rattle gave rise
to new scenes and events. Scarcely had the discordant
sound of the first reverberated through the house,
than four others were raised in other quarters, which
were followed by the blowing of horns and thunders
of applause.
Several of the Bow-street officers, who had hitherto
remained neutral, now rushed forward to secure the
rattlers, and, after a sanguinary contest, which was
marked by the most horrid confusion, and during
which it was utterly impossible to distinguish one
party from the other, they succeeded in seizing one
person, who was seen plying the rattle with great vi-
gour, and conveyed him to Bow-street. At the ter-
mination
of this battle, considerable horror was
excited in the minds of the peaceable part of the au- ;
dience at seeing the apparently lifeless body of a
well-dressed man, borne from the house by three or
four persons from that part of the pit where the con-
test had raged with the greatest violence. It was im-
mediately buzzed about the house that a man had
been murdered, and far some moments a sensation of ,
alarm for the probable consequences of this event per-
vaded the minds of numbers who witnessed the cir- ;
cumstance. Their fears were, however, groundless,
as will be seen by a reference to our account of the
proceedings at the Police Office, in Bow-street.
There were only one or two placards, and these
were old affairs. Several women were so much
alarmed at the tumult in the Pit, that they were ob-
liged to be handed over into the orchestra, to escape
the further pressure of the 0. P.'s, in their attempts
to gain ground to the front. The Boxes were excee-
dingly quiet, with the exception of holding out one
•


placard, in the seccnd tier. After thecurtain dropped,
the 0. P.'s sun; 4, God :Ave the King," and Ruie
Britannia," and then dispersed.

BOW•STR iIET.—A Gentletnan of the name of Wright, was
charged by one of the special constables with having sprung a
rattle in the pit, and excited considerable disturbance by h.... -
tons and disorderly conduct.
The witness stated, that the prisoner was the first person who
commenced rattling, a;:d that he ran with great viele:!et from le
top of the pit down tr.wards the orchestra, near which, after a
most obstinate resistance on the part of his adherents, he was se-
cured, and with 50... a diffi ul. y conveyed out of tits house.
Mr. Wright denied Char he had commenced the use of rattles,
but confessed that he took the rattle from a Gei:tieman's i and
who stoic! nest him, and heady rrten ly sprung it. He ako tk-
niA that h.• had made any resistance, or be':avet: in any mann( r
unbecoming the character of a gentleman, on being taken
custody.
Mr. GRAHAM ortlered him to find bail, which I.e did in a few
n'inures, and was th,liargi'd.
'l•he attentio of Mr (1-t HAM WZS hen atteaced by aGe
rle-
man of the name of Powell. •

Mr. Powell aliiri-s.AI the Sitting Nta;istra, Mr. C.: & nit Ns,
an,l informed I,lm, ?he n very part'eul',r or hi., •:.
lam, littenatiraper, of Queen-street, Cheapside, ua; murderid in
the pit, and was carried out by l'erry, the watchman, to an a &-
thetary's shop, in Ckaries-street ; that there was a per, ,u, the
office, whom he saw as,i3•o!..g in the :curd r; the same person
who bad charged Mr. Wright.
Mr. GRAIAII observed, this Mr. Powell ought to be very
cautious how he announced a man !is he intire.end ; he ought
make himself acquainted with "cry !'act, beton: s itt ior.b to
the world such a citarge. ihe worthy Magi & th:n directed
Lavender, one of the °Mei rs, to go to the a;,whec try's, and 'iring
him an account of the state of the man who was reported to
be dead

Lavender returns!4 in ten ntinites, and reported, that the apo.
thecary sa'd, he cattiti nut find that he hau any outward bruise, or
wounds, but that he might have recri:ed an inward her: wiun
brought into his shop ; he seemed very taint, tv.d on this, the avo-
thecary mixed some strong hartshorn and ; he r-fusai t
take i•, or to be bled. He requested that a hackney coact) in.ght
be sent for to carry him h.a:ne, w..ich was accerdintly done ; a).4
Mr. Co .vlam got into the carriage, and, or.!.ered the cuaehntan t
drive to Queet.-s• r( et, Cheapside. A
Mr. Wienholt then entered the efii:o, and informed the Masts-
trate, that he had not been able to find Mr. Whiie, who ;.:.d as-
saulted him on a former night ; that the per.-in wha had stolen 11)s
hat was then in the pit, and he learned that !vs V. as u::ith;
he had four Ge;nlernen to prove he was the p ; he
thought that it was his duty to mention, that he Lad been info: m-
ei that a Gentleman was killed in the pit, and that bndtb ;:s
a nung those who caused his death.

Mr-. G ttAunss then addressed him nearly as follows.
" You are the lag person who ought to com2lain of ill usage—
, you, who, I am informed, go nightly to the 'I lure with a 1.1...1ge
on your breast, to incite riot—you, who woul.t wi,it to be tn-ni,itt
the patron and protector of rioters, 'stave no viva to conti:Lat. ~f
the issue of that disturbance of which yourself was toe of the in-
, stigators! If, tnifoitunately, a mail had lost his in this dor,
my conscience would direct nee togrant a warrant a~.tiast you,
before any other person, for your daring, obstinate con(.!:;ci."

A person who was in company with Mr. Wienho!:, :aid whom
we also understand to be his So:icitor, ohs•lrved, " that a man
sitting in a box coal never he answerable for a riot its the pit,
lei the consequences of that riot be what they wouki."
Mr. GRAHAM said, he most essentially differed in opinion iicm
him (the Solicitor); for if a man, sitting in tke boxes, by hi, iy-
pelrinee and conduct, excited a riot in the pit, he was equally
liable, as the nun who pe:petrafed a crime ter winch the pet ‘on
in the box laid the ground work.
Mr. Wb:nholt then left the Ofice, saying, that ke would attend
the horn every night and wear 0. P. en his breast.
Exton was charged by Mr. biraiii;on, with standing up ott
the seats in the pit, dancing, playing at sitq,•le-stick, ar.d ,p. iffy-
ing a rattle, during the performance of the a t:rpie:c ; and by that
-neans creating a riot. He was certain of the norm of the defen-
dant, from his clothes, he being dressed in Volunteer's uniform.
This statement was corroborated by the evidence of Mr. gib-
bons and Mr. Gray.
Mr. READ then interrogred the Defendant.—" What are you
" A journeyman grocer and tea-deal:r, out of place." " V‘ here
do you reside?"—" I ledge at luaeph Wright's, grocer and tea-
dealer, Nu. 276, Whiteehaper " What corps do you befong
to ?"—" None." " Whose uniform is that you have on ?"
" My landlord's."
Mr. READ.—" He is committed."

Another person named Wright, then came forward to charge
a young man named Nichols, with Lssaulting him, and was vies
ceeding to relate his tale, when Limerick the officer said, tat
Nichols was the person who first gave charge. The tables were
then turned, and Nichols became the complainant, and being
sworn, be stated that he had been sitting in the pit ali the evening
in the :nost quiet and orderly manner, without taking part on
either side of the question, when he was assailed by a iitniun with
0. P. In his hat, who, because he would not join in making a tu-
mult, struck him and knocked him down, when lie was beaten
and kicked in the most violent manner, and received a stab
sword, or some sharp instrument in Tile hand. He was at length,
however, rescued from his perilous situation, and ‘ucceenet.i in
securing his assailant, and was conveying him from the hour,
when lie was stopped by Wright, who rescued Ina prisoner, and
struck him several blows.

Mr. Wright, in reply to this, po:ifivey dea;ed that he had
' been concerned in any quarrel or dispute during the evening, and
that he never saw his accuser, till he came up to him in the
lobby of the pit, when the body of Mr. Cowla n was conveying
out, and seized him by the collar; for which assault he was about
to take him into custody, when Limerick came up and received
his false charge.
This statement of Mr. Wright was corroborated by his em-
ployer, a gelid( mall named Malcolm, who positively swore that
Mr. Wright had not quitted his side during the whole evening,
and, during that time, had conducted himself in the must peace-
. able manner, without interfering in any of the prevailing riots.
Notwithstaitaing this clear refutation, Nichols persistd in his
charge.
Mr. GRAHAM, however, said he must be mistaken, and dis-
charged the complaint.
Mr. Powell again came forward, and said the man Nichols,
who had just made his complaint, had hold of his friend Cowlam
by the collar, at the moment he was knocked down by Smith,
and expressed a hope that his complaint against him might be
taken.
This, however, Mr. (la.euA fa declined, but ordered that the
address of Nichols should bi• taken, in order tlut he n.ight be
found to answer any charge which might hereafter be brought
against hint.

The Elizabeth and Unity cartels are raurned to
Plymouth from Morlaix, whither they had carried
sick, aged, and infirm French prisoners. The vessels
were not permitted to come near the shore, nor to
land for refreshments.
Yesterday the old woman, who has been a pest to
all the Courts of Law, and both the Houses of Par-
liament, attempted to gain admittance into the pre-
sence of the KING. She entered the lodge, at the
time the Ministers, &c. were going to attend the Le-
vee, and was proceeding up the passage, when one
of the porters called to know to whom she was going
but she made no answer : it gas, however, immediately
discovered who she was, and she was turned out, when
she became very abusive, and harangued the popu-
lace, saying, as she could not get her grievances re-
dressed by the Judges, she would see the KING. Mac-
manus, Townsend, and Sayers, who attend the Pa-
lace, took her into custody, and conveyed her before
Mr. Read.

One evening last week, during the p nfol mance at
Shrewsbury theatre, the lodgings of Mr. SiIUTER,
Co-
median, were entered, and a box stolen therefrom,
containing some valuable trinkets, and upwards of
£2O in cash ; the box was found a i.e.,: days after ;n
the river Severn. The above sum was not only the
little hoard saved on his benefit night, but it also in-
eluded XS, belonging to the Manager, whch had been
received by Mrs. Siiurim at the box door, on the pr:-
ceding night.

•I*o,