The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-05-19 00:00:00

powerless to relieve—powerless to feed the hungry, to
clothe the naked, to keep hope in the hearts of the sick and
the unemployed, who would gladly work for their bread,
until the one may regain strength, and the other obtain em-
ployment? It cannot be! We cannot hope, and we ought
not to wish, that the visiters, and particularly the female
part of them, should, under some circumstances, persevere
in their ministrations of mercy, in their truly " angel visits."
I repeat, therefore, sir, that if the inhabitants of Liverpool
shall remain insensible to the immense power for good which
they possess in the action of this society, it must go out, and
cease to be ; and I will not entrust myself, sir, to state the
character of the epitaph which will be inscribed upon its
tomb !

The Rev. Mr. MONK seconded the resolution, and spoke
in the highest terms of the society and its objects.
Mr. THEODORE RATHBONE moved the next resolution.
Mr. CHARLES COLE, a visiter, seconded the resolution,
and gave instances, within his own experience as a visiter, of
the benefits conferred by the society.
The Rev. Rector CAMPBELL moved a vote of thanks to
the Mayor, which was carried, and the meeting separated at
a quarter-past two o'clock.

MOST ATROCIOUS AND ALARMING OUTRAGE
BY A PARTY OP ARAIED TURN-OUTS-SEVERAL
MEN SHOT.

MANCHESTER, WEDNESDAY.—About eleven o'clock
last night, a most alarming and riotous outrage was com-
mitted by a large body of men, principally brickmakers,
armed with guns, pistols, bludgeons, pickshafts, and other
weapons, on the brickcroft of Messrs. Pauling and Henfrey,
a short distance from this town, on the Eccles new road.
The mob made a forcible entry on the premises, and in the
most savage manner commenced firing on the parties sta-
tioned there, with the evident intention of murdering or
maiming them, and destroyed everything within their reach.
Owing to some disputes betwixt Mr. Finding and his men, a
turn-out of the brickmakers took place two or three months
ago ; their place was, of course, supplied by fresh hands ; and
ever since a system of annoyance and intimidation, frequently
accompanied by acts of violence, has been pursued towards
the new hands.
The brickcroft which has been the scene of this murderous
outrage is situate on the right band side of the Eccles new
road, about 200 yards beyond the Cross-lane toll-bar. Near
the centre of the ground is a cottage, which was occupied by
Mr. Ralph Fletcher, the manager and overlooker. Close to
the house are two large kilns of bricks, containing about
100,000, which they had just commenced burning. A third
kiln at a little distance contained about 50,000 more. On
the night in question there were eleven men on the premises,
along with Mr. Fletcher, who had been led to apprehend
that an attack on them would be made; and about ten
o'clock this small force was augmented, by Butterworth, one
of the Salford beadles, being sent there by Mr. Diggles, the
deputy constable, in consequence of an application from Mr.
Fletcher for assistance. In anticipation of some such attack
as occurred, Mr. Fletcher and his men, and the private
watchmen, were armed, having amongst them four blunder-
busses, five guns, and three brace of pistols ; Butterworth
was not armed,
Things were in this posture at ten minutes after eleven
o'clock, when their attention was first roused by the dis-
charge of two guns, at what is called the top of the Croft,
which is the end nearest the toll-bar. At ten minutes after
that, the mob made their appearance in great numbers, some
of the witnesses estimated them at between 300 and 400, bat
probably their fears, and the darkness of the night, might
lead them to exaggerate the number. As far as could be ob-
served, they all had fire-arms of some description or other,
which they proceeded to use in the best way they were able.
They rushed tumultuously along the Croft, towards Mr.
Fletcher's house, treading dowu in their way vast quantities
of bricks, in the soft state, which were spread out upon the
flats. Mr. Fletcher and his party had taken up a position
behind the house, the mob fired upon them ; the men re-
turned their fire ; about ten volleys were fired on each side,
and the affray lasted a quarter of an hour. Fortunately,
owing to the darkness of the night, and the unskilful manner
in which the ruffians directed their pieces, not a single shot
took effect, though the two watchmen were severely injured
by blows from the butt ends of guns. On the other hand,
the firing of the defenders of the property, though their num-
bers were small, told most severely on the mob, several of
whom were wounded.
Shortly after their entering on the ground, the mob sepa-
rated into two divisions, one of which stood aloof, firing at
the men, as above described, while the other division forced
thrir way into Mr. Fletcher's house, breaking the door with
a large pick-axe, which they had brought with them for the
purpose. Having thus effected an entrance, the house was
instantly filled with armed ruffians, all of them having either
guns or pistols. Their avowed intention was to murder Mr.
Fletcher; but the only persons in the house were Mrs.
Fletcher, hn d a poor:woman from Ireland, who, being foot-
sore. and unable to walk any further, had been taken in
through charity on Sunday evening. 'When the mob entered
Mrs. F. was seated on a chair near the bottom of the stairs,
and a number of them rushed up to her, presenting the guns
and pistols as though to shoot her, which they would most
likely have done, had not one, less inhuman than the rest,
called out, " d—n you, don't kill a woman." One ruffian,
however, struck her with the butt end of his gun, knocked
her from her chair, dashed her head against the flags, kicked
her, and dragged her by the hair from the house into the
house into the brick-croft. She was severely bruised, and
left in a very weak state. One of the mob ran up stairs in
search of Mr. Fletcher, and returned, exclaiming, "The
b—y b—r is not here ; he's given us the slip." This man
was known to Mrs. F. as Michael Bagley, commonly called
"big Mick," and from her description, lie and another man
were afterwards apprehended. The poor Irishwoman being
observed to look at one of them, was also knocked down.
They then smashed the furniture, threw the bread into the
brick-croft, and threw a small table upon the fire. They
they broke into the office adjoining, and attempted to set it
on fire, by burning some wooden seats ; they also carried off
a portion of the furniture.
While these outrages were going on, the thirteen men were
engaged with the rest of the mob outside. The ruffians made
an attempt to surround them, but were prevented doing so
by the continual fire kept up by the men, who, notwithstand-
ing some adverse circumstances, made a most gallant de-
fence. A soldier, who had been engaged as watchman, was
knocked down and disabled, and another man tumbled into
a gutter, and his gun getting wet, was of no further service.
Notwithstanding this, and the disparity of numbers, the
mob were compelled to retreat. Before doing so, they com-
menced pulling down the new kilns, intending to destroy all
the bricks ; but here the fire of the men proved too hot for
them, and they were compelled to relinquish their purpose.
The portion of the mob who had taken possession of the
house were also compelled to evacuate it, and they then
effected their retreat, which was done at the command of one
who acted as their leader, by the lower end of the croft, and
took the road towards Eccles. This was extremely fortunate,
for Mr. Fletcher's men bad discharged their last shot, and
must have been, in a great measure, at the mercy of the
mob, had they remained. Probably the ruffians had also ex-
pended their ammunition, and hence their precipitate retreat.
Mr. Fletcher, accompanied by Mr. Butterworth, the Sal-
ford police-officer, followed them along the road, and found
that they bad halted on the other side of Trafford-park View.
Fletcher and Butterworth got behind the hedge, and on
coming up to the place where they were, found them engaged
in counting themselves, or calling over the roll, which they
did by calling out—" No. 1, get your men together ;" and
by the numbers called out, it would appear they were in six
regular divisions, each having its leader, and that several of
the men were missing. They then moved forwards on the
road to Eccles. At Eccles, which is about a mile and a half
distant, the firing had been heard by the county constabu-
lary, and two of them, a sergeant and a constable, Were
coming towards the spot, but being warned by a person whom
they, met that a large body of armed men were coming up the
road, they concealed themselves in the hedge-bottom till the
mob had passed, and then followed them. On reaching the
lane which turns off towards Seedley, the mob separated ;
the greater portion of them took the road tc Seedley, but
three proceeded on towards Eccles. The police kept their
eye on these men, and when they were a sufficient distance
from the rest, they seized them, and took them to the lock-
ups. They had no fire-arms with them ; but on their being
examined, it was found that one had his boot full of blood,
and that he had been shot with a ball just above his knee;
and the nails in the boots of another were found, on compa-
rison, exactly to correspond with impressions made on the
clay in the brick-croft.
After Butterworth and Fletcher had heard the mob call
over their divisions, they returned, collected their men, and
went in pursuit, but the mob had dispersed. An alarm was
sent to the Salford police-office; and a party, consisting of
the superintendent of the watch, three inspectors, and Bo-
henna, the beadle, came up in cabs, and pursued some por-
tion of the mob towards Isaac Goodier's Fields ;- but they
retreated towards the river Irwell, at Throstle Nest, and got
away. The remainder of the mob gut into the back lanes
near Seedley. Their pieces appeared to be loaded with large
heavy balls and slugs ; and though the shots flew like hail,
they chiefly went over the heads of the party attacked. The
night was cloudy and dark, and the light from the kilns was,
from their situation, rather a disadvantage than otherwise.
Of the two parties hurt, Lomas had suffered most; he had
been severely beaten with the butt end of a gun or a bludgeon ;
the soldier was slightly wounded in the face, having been
knocked down by the butt end of a gun. A surgeon was sent
for with all convenient speed, and they received the proper
attentions.
The number of bricks destroyed by the trampling of the
mob was about 34,000. The parties, it is thought, must have
fired upwards of 1,000 shots, as the croft was in a perfect
blaze for more than ten minutes ; andathough the shots have
done comparatively little execution on those against whom
they were directed, in every part of the croft, especially in
the doors of the buildings and the kilns, there is abundant
evidence in the shot holes, of the plentifulness with which
they have been scattered. Besides fire-arms, the mob were
well provided with large pick-shafts, the handles of pick-
axes. The large pick-axe whieli they brought with them to
break open the doors, they left on the ground ; and on its
being examined, it proved to be one that had been stolen
from the ground in 'a former affray. Two pistol ramrods and
someotherarticles were also found after they had left the field.
The circumstance which led Mr. P. Fletcher to apprehend
an attack was this :—About a week before, an anonymous
letter was thrown over the wall of the brick-croft; it was in
the following terms :—" Fletcher, mind, an attack is made up
on the lith, at 10 o'clock. Take care of yourself ; and, con-
stable, mind your head,—keep out of the way." The con-
stable alluded to was Thomas Powell, a day constable, who
had been regularly on the premises for eight weeks, but who
went off at six o'clock in the evening. This man, on Mon-
day afternoon, overheard a party of men in the road, who
were going in the direction of Manahester, conversing and
saying that their men would stand man to man, and would
heat them off the ground. In consequence of this, Mr.
Fletcher sent down to Mr. Diggles for assistance,-
Early the following morning Butterworth and Drennan,
two of the Salford police, apprehended Michael Bagley and
Thomas Hough, in Cross-lane, Salford, on the information
and description given by Mrs. Fletcher. Hough is one who
had been engaged in the first disturbance, and he was only
liberated from the New Bailey on Monday morning, after an
imprisonment of two months.
On Wednesday morning, these two prisoners wete brought
before Sir Thos.- Potter, at the Salford 'police-court, and,
after a short statement of the facts, were remanded till Friday.
On the same day, the three men apprehended at Eccles in
the first instance, whose names are Peter Burnes, alias Lund,
Matthew Hough, and Charles Lee, were brought up before
Mr. Maude, at the New Bailey, along with the other priso-
ners, Thos. Crompton, Henry Robinson, and John Walker,
the last of whom had been apprehended at two o'clock in the
morning, in Cheetham-lane, a considerable distance from the
spot, with a wound in his leg, They were all remanded til'
Friday.

DISSENT AND TRUE CHUREIIMANSHIP.---My dissenting
friends, oppose the Church Establishment as much as vmi
will, but let that opposition be fair and manly ; find do not
have recourse to Romish aid, nor join hands with anarchists.
(Cheers.) The day is at hand when the conflict will be, not
between rival sects ; not between the Church and those who
are (it may be) conscientiously opposed to her, but between
Christ and Antichrist. (Hear, hear.) lam less than ever
disposed to make common cause with Dissenters, because
they, less than ever, show that dissent in itself is a good thing;
for it seems to produce such an intense and immitigable hos-
tility against that which they exaggerate into so great an evil,
that they lose sight of all real evil in comparison with that
imaginary one. (Hear, hear.) Let the really orthodox, in
life as well as in creed, come out and separate themselves
from such unhallowed alliances ; and we will not, I am sure,
attempt to lord it over their consciences. (Cheers.) My
Christian friends, neither become Low Churchmen. A High
Churchman is a man, who is as high as his Church and no
higher. (Cheers.) We are content with our Church as she
is ; and we will stand by her, and, if needs were, we would
die for her. (Loud cheers.) Have we been the men to de-
preciate her? Have we not more communicants than those
who would turn the Supper into the Mass, and make it the
way to heaven ? (Cheers.) Were we not among the first to
restore the sacrament of baptism to its proper place in the
service? (Renewed cheers.) We are the High Churchmen ;
we love the Church from our heart's core, and we will never
desert her. (Great cheering.) Let me only add, at this hour,
two remarks. Be not supine. Events which used to take a
generation, are now developed in a year; they hasten after
one another, like shadows in autumn over the waving corn-
field ; and there is no time to be lost. It may be—now or
never : next year the cloud may have burst. Friends, be
alive. (Cheers.) And finally, be alert, and be not affrighted.
It was beautifully said by a dying saint, " There is no danger
to the Christian." His daughter whispered. tremblingly.
You do not think there is any danger to the Christian ? "
'' My child," he answered, " o t use such a word ; there
no danger to the Christian" irtlear, hear.) Then th9re
?tight to be no fear to the Christian. Let us be tirm, nut
earful ; ardent, not anxious ; calm, not cowardly ; and, spite
if the storm amd the waviest, y 0 b 14511 so pass through i.hip
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