The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-09-02 00:00:00

THE RECENT DISTURBANCES.

At Manchester all the working classes, with the excep-
tion of a portion of the spinners and power-loom weavers,
have returned to their respective occupations ; and there is
reason to believe, that the last-mentioned class of operatives,
who have been the most obstinate, will soon follow the ex-
ample of their fellow-workmen. 45 more mills are at full
work, and on Tuesday the hands in many of the mills were
partially at their posts. Only one instance of intimidation,
and that comparatively trifling, has occurred in Manchester
during this week. On Monday morning, about half-past
seven o'clock, as Mr. Superintendent Beswick was. going
round his division with a number of special constables, he
observed about 50 or 50 women collected opposite Mr.
Wooley's mill, River-street, Hulme. He rode round them,
and found that they were using violent and threatening lan-
guage towards a woman named Fanny Crompton, who was
going to work at the mill. After listening to their threats
for some time, he apprehended a woman named Mary Casey,
who was the most violent, and apparently the leader of the
gathering. She was taken the same morning before D.
Maude, Esq., at the Borough Court ; and, the above state-
ment having been given in evidence by Mr. Beswick, she
was ordered to find two sureties in £2O each to keep the
peace for three months, with notice of bail.

GLOSSOP.—FOUR MEN SHOT.
(From the Manchester Guardian.)
Since our last publication, this place has been the scene of
some proceedings of a more violent and lawless character
than any that had previously occurred in the neighbourhood
since the commencement of the disturbances. During the
last week, the factories of Mr. Samuel Shepley, of Brook-
field, Mr. Joseph Cooper, of Holehouse Mill, and Messrs.
Platts, of Hadfield Lodge, recommenced working with full
complements of hands. The people employed in the ether
establishments in Glossop and the neighbourhood, however,
were not disposed to permit them to go on peaceably ; and
on Wednesday an attack was made, by a large mob, upon
the mill of Mr. Cooper, whose hands were driven out, and
compelled to fly in order to avoid ill-treatment. On Friday,
a similar attack was made on Mr. Shepley's factory ; but
not with the same success. Mr. Shepley, having armed some
of his workpeople, resisted the attack ; and a body of special
constables coming promptly to the spot, the assailants
were beaten off. Some of the parties engaged in these
attacks being very well known, four of the ringleaders at
Mr. Cooper's mill, and three of those at Mr. Shepley's
mill were apprehended ; and, being brought before the
the magistrates at Glossop, on Monday, they were severally
identified, and committed to Derby for trial. After their
commitment, Mr. Cooper and his two sons, who had been
examined as witnesses against those concerned in the attack
upon Holehouse Mill, were returning home across the fields,
accompanied by one or two of their overlookers, when they
were recognised by some women, who, by their outcries,
speedily collected a mob; and the Messrs. Cooper were pur-
sued for some distance, and severely pelted with stones. Mr.
Cooper and one of his sons, and the overlookers, succeeded
in making their way into a house, where they were concealed ;
but Mr. Joseph Cooper, jun. having been knocked down by
a stone, fell into the bands of the rioters, who treated him
with the most savage barbarity, and eventually leaving him
for dead upon the ground. Indeed, we have heard that he
has sustained a fracture of the skull, and that his recovery is
considered extremely doubtful.
As the turn-outs at Glossop had found themselves unable
to turn out the hands at the factory of Mr. Samuel Shepley,
and had also experienced the inconvenience of attempting
outrages where their persons were well known, an intimation
was forwarded to the turn-outs at Ashton and Stalybridge ;
and, yesterday morning, a large body of men, beaded by
some persons who are well known, proceeded in a straggling
body from those places towards Glossop, with the intention
of turning out Mr. Shepley's hands. These parties assem-
bled, to the number of four or five hundred, on the green at
Wednesougk ; and, after remaining there for a short time,
proceeded towards Mr. Shepley's mill, where they arrived
between eleven and twelve o'clock. Having, from previous
experience, been convicced of the necessity of some force
being upon the premises, Mr. Shepley had caused a
number of his hands to be sworn in as special con-
stables, and these, headed by their employer, came out
of the building, and kept the rioters in check. Mr.
Shepley told the mob that he was not disposed to allow his
works to be stopped; and, having exhibited fire-arms, told
them that he should certainly fire upon them in case they at-
tempted to enter his premises. The mob, regardless of his
threats, advanced with loud shouts. The special constables
met them outside the large door of the mill, and for some
time succeeded in keeping them at bay. At length, finding
that the mob were too numerous for them, they retreated ;
and Mr. Shepley came out, telling the mob that they cer-
tainly would be fired upon if they made any attempt upon
the premises. This seemed only to increase the fury of the
mob ' • for they set to work with stones and bludgeons, to
demolish the windows. Mr. Shepley, finding that the mob
were still determined to enter the premises, ordered the con-
stables to retire into the building ; and, having loaded a
double-barrelled gun, thrust it between the large doors
and pulled the trigger. It did not, however, go off.
He tried the other barrel with a similar effect ; but,
on other guns being handed to him, he fired off the
contents of two or three, loaded with small shot, and
also a pistol loaded with ball. Persons were seen to flinch
from each successive discharge ; and, as the shots were fired
low, it was presumed that the parties were badly wounded,
for they began to withdraw, when they found out the
determination with which the place was defended. An ex-
press was sent off to Glossop for the assistance of the mili-
tary—a company of the 58th being stationed there. A re-
quest for the assistance of the dragoons from Stalybridge
was also sent, and was complied with as soon as possible.
John Cheetham, Esq. one of the magistrates of the division,
having heard of the proceedings of the parties, went to the'
spot as soon as possible ; and, finding how matters stood,
succeeded for e time in keeping back the mob, who threat-
ened to pull down Mr. Shepley's mill, and murder both him
and his family. At length the mob got into the fields
round about the premises, and were about to com-
mence another attack, when the infantry appeared in
sight, and so completely terrified them, that they scam-
pered off in all directions. Such is the account that we
have heard from parties connected with Mr. Shepley.
On the other hand, it is stated by persons who were pre-
sent with the rioters, that Mr. Shepley fired upon the
mob before they arrived upon the spot ; and, it is fur-
ther alleged, that the wounded parties were not at all
implicated in the riot. What had brought them from
their own homes, however, or what they were doing
there, the parties did not attempt to explain.

The work-people at Ashton, on Tuesday, still remained
out.

At Rochdale' though the turmoil has nearly blown over,
a good deal of angry feeling and discontent has been left
behind.

There is no prospect of the dispute between the manufac-
turers and operatives, of Stockport, being brought to a close.
None of the mills, except the silk mill of Messrs. Newton of
Heaton Norris, have yet commenced work.
At Norwich, the Jacquard weavers have struck for an ad-
vance. Several of the manufacturers have agreed to give the
additional sum demanded.