"We had flattered ourselves with the hope, that the very fair, and public, investigation which took place on the Coroner's Inquest, which sat on Saturday last on the body of the unfortunate man, Howe, who threw himself out of a window of a Recruiting House, would have satisfied every man's mind, that Howe was a Lunatic, and had been so for many years past: and that it was in a fit of Lunacy, that he destroyed himself. We hoped after this investigation, all kinds of mobs would have ceased.
"We are sorry to observe, that the people are instigated to riot by the false representations daily made in those Jacobin prints, which are, at all times, so eager to announce, and magnify, every public misfortune. One of these yesterday asserted, 'that a poor woman with five children, and herself now pregnant, suspecting the crimps had decoyed her husband into a house in Whitcomb St., watched it, and by chance saw her husband chained to the floor.' An evening paper of yesterday, observes 'that the guards, both horse and foot, were as usual, grossly insulting inoffensive passengers,' and it concludes with a piece of advice to these military gentlemen, 'that they are not always with musquets, and swords, in their hands, and that the people may be roused to resistance.' Now we know that no gentlemen could have observed greater caution than the military have done on this occasion: and the above remarks have no other object than to excite riot.
"On Tuesday last, John Kerr and John Ruggle, were committed to Newgate for stripping a man of his cloaths. Kerr is the man who keeps a house in Whitcomb Street, Charing Cross; which was assailed by a mob on Tuesday night, and very much damaged. It was owing to this riot, that the Horse Guards were again called out, and paraded the streets, through the night, as well as yesterday, to keep the peace.
"Six of those who were found in Kerr's house throwing the furniture out of the windows, were taken into custody, and, yesterday morning, were all committed to Tothill-fields Bridewell.
"A riot also was attempted to be raised at a recruiting-office in Tooley St., Southwark, on Tuesday night.
"Yesterday, a mob assembled before a house of the same description, in Shoe Lane, at which several stones were thrown: and, at length, it became so serious, that the Lord Mayor was called upon to interpose his assistance, and attended, and, by the interference of a few constables, the mob dispersed, but, in the evening, the number of people continuing to increase, a party of guards were sent from the Tower, and the Lord Mayor, at eight o'clock, read the Riot Act. The mob, after being driven out of Shoe Lane by the soldiers, rushed suddenly to Bride Lane, where they broke open a house which had been employed as a recruiting-office, and proceeded to throw the beds, and some little furniture that remained in it, out of the windows; but, hearing of the approach of the military, they fled, saying they had plenty more business to do. It was reported, at the time this paper was going to press, that the Recruiting Offices on Mutton Hill, and Cow-Cross, near Clerkenwell Green, had likewise met a similar fate."—(Times, Aug. 20, 1794.)
"On Wednesday, the examinations closed respecting Mrs. Hanna, who kept the recruiting office at Charing Cross, when she was acquitted, no evidence being adduced to criminate her. This acquittal has been the consequence of a very scrutinizing investigation.
"The riots were not confined, on Wednesday night, to Fleet St. and the neighbourhood, but extended to the Raven, in Golden Lane, and the Sash, in Moorfields, and very much damaged the Rum Puncheon, in Old St., and a private house in Long Lane. They were all recruiting houses. A recruiting house, opposite Fetter Lane, in Holborn, was completely gutted.
"Yesterday, bills were very properly stuck up in different parts of the town, to the following purport:—'You are earnestly requested to depart hence, and not by remaining, encourage others to stop, by which a crowd will be accumulated, and your personal liberty may be endangered.' Parents were likewise warned from suffering their children to appear abroad.
"It is greatly to be apprehended that there exists a scheme to raise mobs, and disturb the peace of the metropolis. On Friday, and Saturday, during the riots at Charing Cross, great pains were taken to persuade the people, that there were subterraneous passages from the houses to the Thames, and that men were sent off in the night. On Monday, and Tuesday, hand-bills were distributed, telling the people that men, and children, were kidnapped, and sent off to Canada, and elsewhere. Nothing can be more notoriously false than such assertions."—(Times, Aug. 22, 1794.)