HC Deb 07 June 1869 vol 196 cc1296-7
MR. OSBORNE MORGAN

said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he has received any further intelligence as to the circumstances under which the troops employed to suppress the late disturbances at Mold fired on the people; and particularly whether it is true that such firing took place before the Riot Act was read?

MR. BRUCE

Sir, the information that has reached me comes from the clerk to the justices and the clerk of the peace, through the Lord Lieutenant. It states that, in consequence of apprehended disturbances, some troops were telegraphed for from Chester, upon the 31st of May, and that there assembled at Mold about fifty soldiers and thirty eight of the county police. The case adjudicated upon was that of eight colliers, six of whom were sentenced to fine or imprisonment, and two to imprisonment only, for an assault upon the manager of a colliery. The two latter had to be removed from the police office to the railway station, a distance of 200 yards, and in. the course of their removal the officers who had them in charge were assailed by a mob, estimated at from 1,000 to 2,000 in number, who lined both sides of the street, and who, unfortunately, had an unlimited command of stones, inasmuch as the road had lately been repaired. The soldiers and the police behaved with very great forbearance, though they were subject to a very severe discharge of stones—so much so that the inspector of police states he was himself struck from two to three dozen times. The police and soldiers, however, were enabled to carry their prisoners into the railway station. There the attack became so violent and the danger so great—because by this time a considerable number of both soldiers and policemen had been rendered unfit even for self-defence—they were so seriously injured, that, by the order of one of the magistrates, Captain Blake, the officer in command, gave the command to fire. At first the firing was mainly directed over the heads of the rioters; one collier was shot, and that was the only result of the first firing; but, as the effect did not diminish the violence of the attack, the firing was renewed, and was kept up for some time, until the colliers retreated. During that time, I grieve to say, four persons received mortal injuries, and they are, in fact, dead of the injuries they received. In addition, a considerable number of persons were wounded, but the number has not been exactly ascertained. More than twenty of the soldiers and twelve of the police were seriously wounded by missiles. The Riot Act was not read. I have no doubt my hon. Friend who puts this question is perfectly aware that the reading of the Riot Act is not necessary. The only effect of reading it is to make a riot—which, is already a misdemeanour at Common Law—a greater offence: it makes it. in fact, a felonious offence, which was formerly punished with death, but which by a recent Act is punishable with fifteen years' penal servitude. The justification of the soldiers in firing before the reading of the Riot Act can be based upon the fact that they were subject to a very dangerous personal attack, which justified them, as it would justify any one of us, in using for defence any weapons at our command. That was the opinion of the jury, who found a verdict in which, besides finding the cause of death, they stated that the soldiers showed great forbearance; and that is the opinion of the persons who have communicated with me, some of whom were present on the occasion.