The Sun. — 1826-09-19 (London, England)

BETHNAL-GREEN.  Yesterday forenoon, at twelve o'clock,. pursuant to ap-: pointment, Messrs. Miffingfield and Marsden, the two Churchwardens of St. Matthew, Bethruil-green, and Mr. Brutton, the Vestry' Clerk, Waited' upon the Secretary of State at the Home-office, where- they were met by Mr. Osborn and by Mr: Twyfard, the Magistrates of Worshipstreet, 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 .500 or 600, 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 cemmitted,. we merely give the following. instances, and the disciplined manner in which the ruffians go to work. • , The gang,rendezvous in abrick-field at the top of Spicer- . street, Spitalfields, and out-poste are stationed to give as alarm, should any of the civil power approach, and their , cry is " Warhawk," as a signal for retreat. On the brickkilns 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 shopkeepers. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, being market days, (Monday and Friday at Smithfield, and Wednesday at Barnet) they sally out into 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 Loudon Infirmary, without hopes of recoverl, that have fallen into the hands of the gang. Within the last fortnighti upwards. of 50 persons have been robbed, and cruelly; beaten, and one of the gang was seen one day hist week to prOducei amongst some of his associates, nearly half a 1104 • full of ,watches, In consequence :of these dreadful outrages, the Right Hon: Secretary gave orders that' a reinforcement of 40 men, most of them mounted, should ,he stationed in tlif, ferent parts of the parish, and that they Should be relieved every three henry, 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 attendance yesterday (Sunday) at the police-office, in order to hear cases against any of the marauders, should they be brought before him, and the Hon. Secretary has further ordered, that for the future"the magistrates shall sit every mornieg at ten instead of eleven o'clock. On Wednesday last the gang attacked a lady 1 goil. tleman that were in a chaise in the Bethnal-green-rn" and after robbing and beating them most inhumanly, cut the reins and traces to prevent a pursuit. The Secretary, of State on Saturday last had an interthe •view with the Magistrates of the district, respecting . e, state of that part of the metropolis, and anxiously inquir We understaid if the robbers were distressed weavers? but that they that an answer was given in the negative, were a set of idle and disorderly fellows that have been long known to the police as reputed thieves. The deputation remained with. Mr. Peel till one 0 and explained to him the necessity of a strong body. 01 men (in addition to those already stationed there) being rant into the neighbourhood, as they felt confident that tee robbers, .who were well armed, would boldly attack hey have done before) the civil power. The Right. Hon. Secreitarrassured the deputation, that 'mediate means :.should be adopted to rid the parish 0 a intruders.