The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1826-09-19 (London, England)

RIOTS AND OUTRAGES IN BETHNAL-GREEN.  DEPUTATION TO MR. PEEL. Yesterday, pursuant to appointment, Messrs. Millingfield and Marsden, the two Churchwardens of Saint Matthew, Bethnal-green, and Mr. Brutton, the Vestry Clerk, waited upon the Secretary of State at the Home Office, where they were met by Mr. Osborne and Mr. Twyford, the Magistrates of Worship-street Police Office. The object of the meeting was to devise some measures to suppress the dreadful riots and outrages that take place every night in the parish, by a lawless gang of thieves, consisting of five or six hundred, whose exploits have caused such alarming sensations in the minds of the inhabitants. that they have actually found it necessary to shut up their shops at an early hour, to protect their property from the ruffians. In order to give some idea of the outrages that have and are hourly cominittetl, we merely give the following instances, and the disciplined manner in which the ruffians go to work. The gang rendezvous in a brick-field at the top of Spicer-street, Spitalfields, and outposts are stationed to give an alarm should any of the civil power approach, and their cry is " Warbawk," as a signal for retreat. On the brick-kilns in this field they cook whatever meat and potatoes they plunder from the various shops in the neighbourhood, in the open day, and in the face of the ahopkeeper. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, being market days. (Monday and Friday at Smithfield, and Wednesday at Barnet), they sally out info the suburbs, and wait in ambush till a drove of beasts passes ; they then attack the drovers, and take a beast from the drove, and convey it into the marshes till night; when they hunt it through the metropolis, and whilst the passengers and inhabitants are in the utmost state of alarm, they plunder, and in many instances nearly murder, every person that they meet ; there are now no less than five individuals lying in the London Infirmary, without hopes of recovery, that have fallen into the hands of the gang. Within the last fort-' night, upwards of fifty persons have been robbed, and cruelly beaten, and one of the gang was seen one day last week to produce, amongst some of his associates, nearly half a hatful of watches. In consequence of these dreadful outrages, the Right Honourable Secretary gave orders that a reinforcement of forty men, most of them mounted, should be stationed in different parts of the parish, and that they should be relieved every three hours, and with instructions to patrol the disturbed parts day and night, which is now the case. In addition to these measures a Magistrate was in at tendanct, on Sunday at the Police 'Office, in order to hear cases against any of the marauders, should they be brought before him, and the /lon. Secretary has further ordered that for the future the Ma.,istrates shall sit every morning at ten instead of eleven o'clock. On Wednesday last the gang attacked a lady and gentleman who were in a chaise, in the lletl►ual-green-road, and after robbing and beating them most inhumanly, they cut the reins and traces, to prevent a pursuit. The Secretary of State on Saturday last had an interview with the Magistrates of the district, respecting the ' state of that part of the metropolis; and anxiously inquired if the robbers were distressed weavers? We understand that an answer was given in the negative; but that they were a set of idle and disorderly fellows, that have been long known to the police as reputed thieves.  The deputation retained with Mr. Peel till one o'clock, and explained to h m the necessity of a strong body of men (in addition to those already stationed there) being sent into the neighbourhood; as they felt confident that the robbers, who were well armed, would boldly attack (as they have done before) the civil power. The Right Ilon. Secretary assured the deputation that immediate means should be adopted to rid the parish of the intruders.  DrEraucirtoE