Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-08-09
Scenes at the English Elections.


The Parliamentary elections in England
were attended with an unusual amount of
disorder and rioting. We give a few in
stances, to show how they manage such
| things in the mother country. Here is
what happened in the town called Chippen-
ham. near Bristol:
During the remainder of the afternoon
the polling booths were surrounded by in
| furiate mobs. \ farmer named Croaker,
residing at Ash Hill Farm, was seized, and
knocked down, and very much beaten, and
a policeman who Went to his assis ance
shared the same fate. At about 9 clock a
| large crowd attacked the Great Western
Hotel, and smashed nearly all the windows
| One of the rlngleaders was apprehended and
conveyed to the police station, where the
mob followed him, and after smashing several
windows with stones, demanded his release,
and with view to conciliate the irritated
mob, the man S name was taken and he was
set at liberty Almost simultaneously with
| this outbreak occurred two others. The
| first took place in the Market place, in
which several hundred took part. They at
tackled the Angel Hotel, kept by Mr.. Lawes
/ but that gentleman, assisted by some Of the
walters adopted rather judicious method
of keeping them at bay. From an upper
window they threw large number of ginger
beer bottles, &C., at them but this only ex-
asperated them the more and when Lawes
had discharged his whole stock of ginger
beer bottles at them, they renewed the at
tack, and did not cease until every pane of
| glass Numbering 250) in front of the build
ing was destroyed. The window panes were
broken, and some slight damage done to the
furniture in the rooms. Having satisfied
| themselves here, the mob proceeded to the
house of Mr.. Jacob Philips, (late Mayor, }
which adjoins the Angel Hotel, and, after
breaking the windows and the window
| frames, hurled large stones at the window
| shutters, breaking them into splinters. Stones
were then showered into the front rooms
large chandeliers destroyed, and several val
liable paintings. 1t is estimated that the
damage done to Mr.. Philips property alone
will exceed $500. Mr.. E. Spencer, who
| occupied the adjoining house, Jared no bet
| ter. All the windows in his front rooms
were demolished, and great quantity of
valuable furniture. His loss will be about
e300. After smashing the windows of Mr..
| Rich, butcher, nearly opposite, the mob
broke into the place, and threw the whole
of the meat that could be found into the
street. The house OF DR.. Colborne was also
attacked, and the doctor, who was said to
be in dying state, was obliged to have the
assistance of his servants, who held boards
over the bedroom window in order to pre-
vent the missiles striking him. All the
windows at the vicarage were broken, and
the wanton wickedness of the mob may be
gathered from the fact that the gravestones
were torn up from the churchyards, and, af-
ter being shattered into fragments the.pieces
were flung through the windows at the
vicarage. The borough only contains about
twelve police officers, who acted n ost cour-
ageously under the circumstances but they
were utterly powerless, and some of them
wards of 200 of the inhabitants were sworn
in as special constables. Later in the day
orders re issued to close all houses and
beer-houses at clock kilograms were
sent to Bristol and the metropolis for the
assistance of the military. The total dam
age Estimated at from e2, 900 to $4,000"