UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE. Francis Martin, M.A. Trinity. Examiners. Robert Murphy, M.A. Caius. Evans, W. Wood, R.M. Eq. Queen's Wranglers. Ds. Ellice Caius. LAW CASES AND NARRATIVES. ELECTION RIOTS-TAUNTON. MARCH 3. James Wheeler, Richard Hill, Joseph Stokes, Henry Gregory, Joseph Short, and Samuel Button, were indicted for riotously assembling, with divers others, and committing a riot at Frome Selwood, and assaulting two constables in the execution of their duty. The Rev. George Rouse.-I am a clergyman and magistrate in this county. The day of nomination at Frome was Monday, the 10th of December. Tuesday and Wednesday were the days of election. I live five miles from Frome, and, having received an express between four and five o'clock, I went the George Inn. Captain Edgell was with me. There was no tumult when I arrived. We began to swear in special consta bles, and found there was a disposition to riot. The entrance to the George Inn was filled with people, and several had sticks. I read the Riot Act. After the attempt to clear the passage the first time, we sent for the military, and a troop of the 7th Dragoons arrived between eleven and twelve o'clock at night; they left by my direction before niue next morning. poll opened at ten o'clock. There was an entrance to the polling place through the front door of the George Inu. There was another entrance in Cork-street. Special constables were placed at the door The of the George Inn. Mr. Giles was one. There was a great multitude round the George door. Mr. Giles came in bleeding in the face. Captain Edgell and myself went out and endeavoured to persuade the mob not to molest the constables. We were received with stones. Several struck me, and I saw Captain Edgell struck once or twice. The constables were desired to clear the door. A rush was made towards the door. There were several hundreds. A fight took place. Many had sticks. The door was closed and barricadoed, and the mob kept out. Nothing else occurred particular till the evening. The rush took place between eleven and twelve. The door remained barricadoed during the day. About half-past six in the evening there was a considerable disturbance in the market-place, just after the arrival of the military, and I read the Riot Act, as stones had been thrown, and we had requested the people to retire. The disturbance was in front of the George Iun. I did not see either of the prisoners there then. I saw Gregory, before I read the Riot Act, making a noise; I desired him to go home. When the military arrived, the people appeared more quiet, and we ordered them to go to their quarters in the town. We had occasion to call them out again in about a quarter of an hour, in consequence of some information. They went to Mr. Oxley's house, and saw that his windows and frames were broken. The military left before eight next morning. An officer and a file of men dismounted in the evening, and the special constables were ordered to clear the marketplace in an hour; this was on our return from Mr. Oxley's and Mr. Algar's. I saw one of the special constables cut with a stone. The mob had sticks, but not many of them. On Wednesday, the 12th, there was window-breaking immediately after the opening of the poll. The Crown Inn adjoins the George Inn. Between one and two o'clock an attack was made on the Crown Inn. I found the mob fighting with the special constables, many of the mob were armed with bludgeons. I saw one of the constables carried away; he was bleeding very much. Many of them were afterwards injured. We then called out the constables, who were armed with carbines. In consequence of the constables being so much injured, Captain Edgell and myself considered it necessary to arm ten or twelve. They were in one of the upper rooms of the George Inn. I went the back way from the Crown lun to the George. On the armed constables appearing in front of the Crown Inn, the mob retreated, and we went close under the hustings. A great many stones were thrown the whole time. I read the Riot Act at the porch of the George Inn, during which time they pelted us with stones, from the direction of the hustings. Captain Edgell was nearly turned round by a stone which struck him on the breast. I was struck several times. Mr. Doveton, a magistrate was also there. I saw five or six of the armed constables bleeding a good deal, It was proposed to clear the market-place. I turned round and saw the mob collecting in our rear, towards the Crown Jun. We ordered the armed constables to retreat towards the Crown, keeping a good front. During that movement a great many stones were thrown in every direction. Captain Edgell and myself cautioned the mob, and said we should be obliged to use the fire-arms; it produced no effect, and we were compelled, for the safety of the constables, to order the men to fire; which four or five did; they only fired once; the military arrived in about an hour. The mob had not dispersed. Captain Edgell and myself addressed the mob from the hustings, and soon after they dispersed. Cross-examined. On the Monday and following morning we swore in upwards of 200 constables. I have not looked over the list to see which side the constables voted for: it is impossible for me to say whether the constables sworn in were opposed in politics to Sir Thomas Champneys. I did not inquire whether they were all friends of Mr. Sheppard. I saw Mr. Lawrence, the agent for Sir Thomas Champneys, during the election. The constables were armed with the usual staves; if they had been in the hands of the mob, I should have called them bludgeons. The polling was postponed an hour, at the request of Mr. Lawrence, to enable the military to leave. We gave the order for the carbines soon after the attack on the door of the George on Tuesday morning. When I went to the door of the George, the mob were pelting the constables. I was in the entrance, when the attack was made, and saw one constable very much beaten. The door was closed between eleven and twelve, and in an hour or two we ordered the carbines. Captain Edgell and myself requested Captain Wickham to select the men who he considered knew the use of fire-arms. Witness is the son of an attorney at Frome, and friend of Mr. Sheppard. The carbines were loaded with two balls. We withdrew the constables into the George Inn in consequence of their staves causing an excitement, and during that time the mob made the attack. When the constables were in the house, and the door closed, the mob were comparatively quiet. I was standing in a front room, and stones were thrown at the window, and I was obliged to draw the curtains. Except when the fight took place at the door, I did not see the constables strike any one. The hustings were in front of the George, and the mob was round the hustings. I read the Riot Act on Tuesday, a little after seven o'clock in the evening, I had read it twice on Monday. once in the passage of the George, and then attempted to read it at the window of the first floor; but, in consequence of the stones being thrown, I went to the window of the second floor, and read it there. On Tuesday I read it under the lamp in the market-place. The military were there then. They were sent to their quarters. Captain Edgell was there. We had no other magistrate with us till Wednesday. It was half an hour from the time I read the Riot Act till we went to Mr. Oxley's. There was no mob there. We went round the town with the special constables and the military. There were about 100 constables, 32 soldiers, and two officers. They had not their swords drawn. They left They left next morning, twenty minutes before eight. They were about two miles off from Frome. I first saw the private entrance to the booth on Wednesday, between one and two o'clock; the poll was then closed. Mr. Sheppard's voters went through the private entrance to the booth; the polling was adjourned to Thursday morning. I was present at the firing; the order was given to fire low, as many people were at the windows, and to prevent innocent people from being shot, and to pick out the most active. I did not see one of the constables kneel down and level his carbine; one of the men who had carbines was from eighteen to twenty years of age; the pieces were not levelled when we were opposite to the hustings; when they were levelled I could not see more than three; the persons who were armed did not remain till the military arrived, they were withdrawn into the Crown; we understood that if we would withdraw the armed men, the mob would disperse; we said we could not enter into a compromise with persons in a state of riot; the mob did not disperse till an hour after the military arrived, there was no great disturbance after the armed constables were withdrawn; two persons were shot; one had his leg amputated, and the other is still in the hospital; the prisoners have been in custody since the Thursday week after this took place; Gregory was committed on the capital charge, and bail refused. William Giles.-I was a special constable at the Frome election. The polling-booth was at the back of the George. Mr. Sheppard's voters went through the George, and Sir T. Champneys' through Cork-street, Cork-street, The mob attacked |