Star.
London, England, 1809-11-27 00:00:00

' COYENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

Satufday night, the Opera of the English Fleet at-
tracted a tolerably numerous audience. The Opera
was attentively heard till about the middle of the 3d
Act. When Messrs. INCLEDON and BELLAMY were
singing the duet of 44 All's Well," a person in the
gallery joined in the chorus, which produced a gene-
ral laugh. When MUNDEN began the song, 44 British
Sailors have a knack," the 0. P.'s commenced their
operations, and in an instant every female seated
about the middle of the pit, made a precipitate retreat
towards the orchestra. From this moment not a word
was audible of the Opera.
The oppositionists concentrated themselves in the
centre of the pit, and immediately raised the usual
chant, accompanied with the dance. The mounting
of 0. P. in the hats became the signal for the entrance
of the police, and, after a spirited struggle, some who
fought under that banner were secured and taken to
Bow-street. Their companions in arms instantane-
ously removed this favourite badge, and of course
were exempted from a repetition of so ungracious a
visit. The 0. P.'s in the pit were hailed from the
gallery, and told to remember that it was Jubilee
night. In fact it was the fiftieth night of perfor-
mance. A military gentleman, Laid to have taken a
prominent part in the entertainments of the evening,
was soon pounced at ; he resisted manfully, but was
at last obliged to yield to superior numbers, and was
dragged to Bow-street without a shred of a coat to his
bac. The Farce of Raising the !kind was not heard.
After the curtain dropped, some orators attempted to
addrem the 0. P.'s, but they were not audible. The

andience at last withdrew about twelve o'clock. The
events of the night are so fully &tailed under the
head of the Bow•street Intelligence, that no farther
descrietion is pecebsary here.

Bow-mem—Saturday night being the 50th night
of opening the Theatre, a grand rot, was expected
to take place. Whether it answered the expectations
of those who relish such amusement we are not aware ;
but the charges from the Theatre, and those that
arose from them of assaults at the Office, far ex-
ceeded all other evenings since the Theatre opened ;
the Office was, for a considerable time, a general scene ,
of confusion, and the investigation of the charges oc-
cupied the attention of Mr. Graham and Mr. Hares,'
from a little after eight o'clock, till near one yesterday morning.
Edward Wright, an apprentice to a cutler, in
James-street, Covent-garden, was brought in the cus-
tody of some of the patrole, and charged by Mr.'
James Brandon, who, on his oath, said, that during
the third act of the opera of The English Fleet, there
was a great disturbance in the pit, occasioned by a
number of persons rushing from the upper part of the
pit to the middle, where several of them put the let-
ters 0. P. in their hats, and made a very great noise
and confusion afterwards; in consequence of which
he went to the pit, taking with him a party of the
patrole, and directed Limerick and others to go into
the pit quietly, and to make their way into the centre,
*here they woyld find a number of persons making a
great disturbance, and desired that they might be
brought out.
Richard Limerick, one of the patrole, said, that
according to the directions of Mr. Brandon, he went
into the middle of the pit, where he found a num-
ber of persons sitting, with the letters 0. P. in their
hats. The prisoner had 0. P. in his hat ; there was
ageneral scene of confusion ; he laid hold of the
prisoner, and gave him in charge to another of the
patrole ' • at the same time there was a great noise,
particularly by persons calling out—" 0. P.'s, sit
down."

The prisoner denied mak'n,,,, any disturbance, or
taking any part in it, but said, he went in at half-
price; he found the pit nearly full, and from the
place itd got he could not see the performers on ac-
count of the persons before him standing upon the
benches, and when other persons were pressing for-
ward tb the front of the pit, he thought he had a right
to do the same, having paid his money ; but Mr.
GRAHAM held, that his having only come in at half-
price,,he had no right to press forward to annoy those
who had paid full price, and in doing which he must
have cemmitted many violent assaults, and therefore
ordered him to find bail.

Mr. Percival, a linen-draper of Oxford-street, was
next charged by William Nicholls, another of the pa-
trole, with running about on the seats of the pit, and
by such conduct exciting riot and disturbance and in-
terrupting the performance.
Mr. Percival denied that his object was to promote
riot, and declared he was merely moving from place
to place, in order to escape from the confusion which
prevailed at times in different parts of the pit.—Or--
dered to find bail.
The attention of the Magistrates was then directed
to i gentleman who appeared a little inebriated, with-
out his hat, and his clothes nearly torn from his back.
He was in the custody of several officers, whose per-
turbation sheaved that they had beeri in soup severe
skirmish.

On the gentleman being brought forward, he stated
himself to be Captain John Fitzgerald, of the 103 d
regiment, now in the West Indies, from whence he
-bad arrived in town on Friday. He complained of
having been robbed of a valuable watch, his hat, cane,
and gloves, when taken into custody by the officers ;
added to which, he said, he had been treated in the most
brutal manner, as his appearance would testify.
For a considerable time no person attended to give
charge of Captain Fitzgerald. Mr. Brandon at length
arrived, .and stated generally that there was a great
disturbance in the box where Captain Fitzgerald was,
and he sent several of the patrole in to bring out the
person making the noise.
Charles Humphreys, the messenger belonging to
the office, said he brought the Captain to the office,
having during the performance of the after-piece
(Raiwig the Wind) observed the Prisoner in one of the
dress boxes calling out 0. P. and old prices ; making
a great noise and disturbance, tending to interrupt
the performance.
Mr. GRAHAM was about to proceed in the examina-
tion of another witness against Captain Fitzgerald,
but there was so much noise and confusion in the body
of the office, it was found impossible, and one voice
being heard above the rest, Mr. Graham desired the
person might be brought before him. The patrole in
attendance forced before him a young man of genteel
appearance, who resisted the interference of the pa-
mole, daring them to lay hold of him, and he swore
an oath in the hearing of Mr. Graham, who enquired
his name : he said his name was Baker, and that he
wit a Barrister, in Garden-court, in the Temple.—
The Magistrate, in consequence, fined him five shil-
lings, as a Gentleman, for swearing in his presence,
and three shillings costs, which Mr. Baker immedi-
ately paid ; Mr. Graham, however, upon recollection,
ordered the three shillings costs to be returned, the
conviction being on his view. It then became a ques-
tion how Mr. Baker came into the office, and the cause
of his making a noise : he said it waS in resisting some
men who seized him, and dragged him forcibly into
the office; these men proved to be some of the patroles,
and James Whalen, one of them, charged Mr. Baker
with assaulting him, and stated that Mr. -Baker and
a nupaber of others were forcing themselves into the
office, and, on his endeavouring to prevent them,
Mr. Baker assaulted him, by laying hold of him by
the collar. Mr. Baker denied the charge, and said
that he was passing by the office, and thought as there
was business going on, he had a right to go in and;
hear what was going forward ; and as he was enter-
ing the office, the complainant gave him a violent
push, upon which he acknowledged he did seize him
by the collar.
Mr. GRAHAM ordered him to find bailforthe assault.
The examination of Captain Fitzgerald was then
resumed ; when James Osborne, of Aldersgate-street,
builder, stated, that for the greater part of the even-
ing Captain Fitzgerald had exhibited a series of dis-
orderly conduct in the dress-boxes : first calling on
the 0. P.ks to persevere, then desiring them to turn-
out the constables, and swearing by J—s, if he was
there he would turn out a dozen of them; vocife,

Irlting old pdeet, or no prices; and on being warned
that if he continued his noise, he would be taken into
custody, he swore most vehemently that he would
crach a dozen sculls before he would suffer himself to
be taken. His conduct at length excited the attention
of the Officers, who proceeded in a body to make
their capture, and a severe contest took place; in
which the 0. P.'s, with Captain Fitzgerald as the ir
leader, fought with determined vigour. Their ev.T-
tions, however, were in vain ; their Captain was
length overpowered brnumbers, and dragged frill)
sthe box, lind from thence hurried, with an impetuo-
sity not to be. resisted, to Bow.street.
On the charge being read to Captain Fitzzeia'“!,
be said in his defence, that he had never been in the
Theatre before, and hasving drank a little wine, be
had merely acted from the impulse of the moment.
There was, he said, a great noise in every part of the
house, and he thought he had as much right as
ethers to join in it ; but he did not recollect is what
words he had expressed his sentiments.
losing his watch and other property, he remembered
that several persons came into the box and e:•dea:.
voured to lay hold of him, and he certainly defended
himself to the best of his power. For some time he
scarcely knew who was friend or foe, but having been
at length overpowered, he was seized 'by the less and
wings, by different persons, who pulled with so much
violence, that he thought they were inclined to make
an equal division of his members. They contr;ved
at last, he said, to get him out, but dragged faint
more like a horse's head to a bon,:fire, down the steps,
than if they had a human being in their clutches. He
then repeated his complaint of the loss of his property,
and expressed a hope, that the Magistrates would take
some measures to procure its restitution.
Mr. GRAHAM gave directions that diligent inqui-
ries should be made for the things lost, and ordered
Captain Fitzgerald to find bail.

The Captain declared he was a total stranger in
town, .tould procure no bail, and must th:::.efore go
wherever the Magistrate thought proper to direct.
Mr. Eagle, a barrister, was charged with assault-
ing Read, one of the patrole, and was ordered to find
bail. He said in his defence, that he had asked Ad.'
mission at the door, to which he conceived himself
entitled, in civil and polite language, but was treated
in an insulting and ruffianly manner. He also posi-
tively declared, that he had not assaulted the officer,
Read, in any way whatever.

Mr. GRAIIAM said it was entirely at the option of
the Magistrates to admit whom they pleased, and that
it was a mistaken notion, that that was a public
Court, as they were not sitting in judgment, but merely
inquiring whether the matters complained of were tit
to go before a public Court or not. They had a right,
therefore, to exclude all but the persons immediately
connected with the subject under examination before
them. Of this circumstance he expres%d his surprise
that Mr. Eagle, as a barrister, was not aware. It
was, therefore, under the Magistrate's direction; that
admission was refused ; and any persons endeavour-
ing to force their way in, and assaulting the officett
in the attempt, must abide the consequences.
Mr. Wheatley, Insurance-broker, was next brought
forward, and charged by Humphries, one of the Bove-
street officers, with assaulting him at the time
tarn Fitzgerald was taken into custody a: the The-
atre. He stated, that while the officers were bring-
ing out Mr. Fitzgerald, the prisoner stretched cut his
hand from the back-boxes, and snatched informaat's
staff; with which he struck him three blows on the
head.

In reply to this charge, Mr. Wheatley positively
denied the truth of the story ; and, in corroboration
of his assertion, called on three Gentlemen, who sat
in the same box with him, Mr. Claucey, Mr. Culli.
more, and Mr. Watson, respectable merchants, who
all affirmed, on oath, that Mr. Wheatley was not the
man who struck Humphries.
Mr. GRAHAM, therefore, discharged the coniplaint,
but exculpated his officer, on the ground of the possi-
bility of his making a mistake amidst such a scene of
uproar as must have existed at the time he was struck.
Mr. Clancey and Mr. Culliniore then tendered
their bail for Captain Fitzgerald, which was accepted,
and that Gentleman was discharged.

William Alliston was then charged ray Mr. James
Brandon with wearing 0. P. Lin his breast, cut from
a sheet of white paper, and, after the curtioin had
finally fallen, remaining in the dressboxes, and by his
conduct inducing the audience in the pit to stop and
continue disturbance and riot.—Ordered to find bail.
Sir. Godfrey Webster made a complaint of having
been violently assaulted by a man :it the &Kir ot, the
office. Sir Godfrey stated, that he was pnssing the
office, and the doors being open, and business doing;
he attempted to enter the office, but was told by a man
he could not come in. While he was standing on the'
steps, he was seized violently by the collar, and push-
ed off the steps.
Mr. GRAHAM explained to Sir Godfrey, that no
person had a right to be admitted into the office, and
told him that the office was so beset every evening
that they were obliged to have forty or fifty men to
guard it ; and there was such a crowd round the daor
a few evenings since, that when he was endeavouring
to enter the office to do his duty, the crowd was so
ungovernable he nearly lost his life, being squeezed
violently across his breast. He also observed, thatit
was impossible for them to prescribe the manner that
should be observed by those appointed to keep the
door clear, although he should highly condemn any
improper rudeness on their part.

Sir Godfrey persisted in conceiving himself vio-
lently assaulted and ill-treated, upon which Mr.
GRAHAM said, if he could point out the man, he
would take the charge. After some time, Sir God-
frey returned, and pointed out William Blackman,
one of the patrole, who, he said, assaulted him, and
repeated his former statement, of being collared and
pushed off the steps of the office. This was con.
firmed by two Gentlemen in his company.
Blackman denied the charge. •
Mr. GRAHAM said, he was sorry to hear the charge
against him, if he had been asked to point <•nc a civil
man belonging to the office, he should have named
Blackman..

Two witnesses contradicted Sir Godfrey, as to
Blackman being the man.
Mr. GRAHAM said, as Blackman belonged to the
office, and was always to be found, he should not hold
him to bail, but Sir Godtrey could indict him.