"On Thursday night there was an attempt made to raise a riot in St. George's Fields, at the Milk House, the corner of the London Road, the master of which is a temporary Serjeant to recruit for some of the volunteer corps; but by the spirited behaviour of the recruits, soldiers and light horse volunteers, in that quarter, the incendiaries did not proceed to acts of violence. It was evidently apparent that the mob was led on by persons above the common rank, whose sole aim is, if possible, under the idea of some pretended grievance, to raise a general riot in the metropolis. On Thursday, several persons were committed to the New Compter, by the Lord Mayor, for being concerned in the riot in Shoe Lane; and six men were committed to Newgate, from the Public Office, in Worship Street, for being concerned in the riots at the Sash, in Moorfields, and at the Black Raven, in Golden Lane.
"In the course of the same day, several attempts of a similar nature were made in different quarters of the town, which were prevented, however, by the appearance of the regular military, and, in some places, by the City Horse Volunteers, who have been out on duty every day. The recruiting offices in Drury Lane, and at Shoreditch, were attempted to be demolished. As the continuance of these riotous proceedings is of the most dangerous nature, we trust that some more decisive steps will be taken, by Government, for their suppression."—(Times, Aug. 23, 1794.)
"The activity of the Magistrates, and the arrival of the Oxford Blues, to assist the Civil Power, caused the mobs to be cautious of appearing on Saturday. They found that it was determined to fire upon them if they did not desist; and, therefore, they thought personal safety the best policy. A very rigid, and severe, investigation will, no doubt, be made into the practice of crimping, and a stop put to the disgraceful manner of recruiting."—(Times, Aug. 26, 1794.)
"Old Bailey.
"Five men were indicted for a riot, on the 20th of last month, at a Public House, known by the name of the Old Sash, in Moorfields. After a trial of five hours, the Jury found all the prisoners—Not Guilty. John Osborn and R. Piggott were indicted for riotously assembling on the 20th August last, in Golden Lane, and beginning to demolish the dwelling house of Hugh Case. Piggott found guilty, sentence, Death. Osborn, not Guilty. J. Strutt, was afterwards tried for beginning to demolish the dwelling house of W. Ostiff, in Johnson's Court, Charing Cross, and, after a trial of several hours, was found guilty, sentence Death. Antony Purchase, and R. Warnbeck, were next tried, for beginning to pull down the house of R. Lazell, and found guilty, sentence Death. They were both of them strongly recommended, by the Jury, to mercy, on account of their youth, and the goodness of their character."—(Times, Sept. 22, 1794.)
"Sunday evening, an affray happened in Whitcomb Street, between a recruiting party, and the mob, on account of the former attempting to trepan a young man, in a state of intoxication. The windows of the recruiting-house were broke, and the affair, which for some time bore an alarming aspect, was at last terminated by the arrival of a party of the Horse Guards." (Times, Dec. 23, 1794.)
RIOT IN ST. GEORGE'S FIELDS.
"However expedient it is to recruit our Land Forces, and strongly as it is requisite to make our Navy respectable, and superior to the enemy, yet, in attaining these essential points, the constitutional liberty of the subject should be preserved. It is, therefore, with a degree of regret, we mention that the power of enlisting men for the Land Service, in particular, has been entrusted to persons who have abused the confidence reposed in them, and who have used the most unjustifiable means to accomplish their purposes. As an instance, among others that have previously been brought before the public, we are authorised, from the circumstances of the case, to state, that on Friday last, a very great mob assembled in London Road, leading from the Obelisk, in St. George's Fields, to the Elephant and Castle, at Newington Butts, and, having intimation that a number of men were there imprisoned by a certain description of Crimps, they attacked the house where these persons were confined, demolished the windows, and released eighteen men, who were chained together by hand-cuffs, and other iron ligaments.
"The Borough Magistrates, on hearing of this outrage, immediately sent down their officers: and the Acting Recruiting Serjeant being taken into custody, he was, after a short examination, committed to the New Gaol. The circumstances which led to the discovery of this imprisonment, was, that of kidnapping a pot-boy, who, before he was chained down, contrived to break a pane of glass in the drawing-room window (for the house was a private one, and elegantly furnished), from whence he cried out 'Murder!' This alarmed the neighbourhood, and, as it had been suspected by them, that persons were illegally confined there, the doors, and windows, were soon demolished, and the prisoners liberated. The Serjeant, and his crew, had two women of the town genteelly dressed up for the purpose of inveigling young men into the house, which they styled their lodgings, where the deluded were instantly hand-cuffed, and, about three or four o'clock, in the morning, sent off in coaches, hired for the purpose, to the country. On Saturday, several more youths, who were confined in other parts of the Fields, were released by the Magistrates, amidst the plaudits of a numerous multitude of spectators."—(Times, Jan. 12, 1795.)
"On Tuesday night some disturbance happened in Charles Streets, Westminster, occasioned by some crimps having inveigled a boy from his parents, and lodged him in a house there. The mob broke the windows of it, and the boy was rescued. We have every reason to hope that the most severe punishment will be inflicted on the crimps, Government having taken every possible pains to prevent such abuses."—(Times, April 16, 1795.)