CHRONICLE. 
some of the furniture had been 
thrown into the canal, but the 
greatest part was destroyed. Hav- 
ing persuaded the mob to disperse, 
the same gentlemen, accompanied 
by a party of Blues, went into 
Stafford-street, where they found 
a vast concourse of people, and one 
house entirely pillaged. Here the 
riot act was read, and the people 
persuaded to disperse. The ma- 
istrates returned to the hotel, 
where they had scarcely arrived 
when their assistance was required 
. 
in Park-street; but, before they 
got there, the mob had completely 
gutted a house and destroyed the 
furniture. It was with difficulty 
they dispersed the mob, who threat- 
ened aloud to destroy every house 
of ill-fame in the town, On Mon- 
day the rioters demolished another 
house in Park-street, and gutted 
two others in Bear-yard. The 
other magistrates came to town in 
the afternoon, and an express had 
been previously sent for three ad- 
ditional troops of the Blues. About 
six in the evening, the magistrates 
read the riot act in most of the 
principal streets, and warned the 
inhabitants to keep within their 
respective habitations, as, in one 
hour after they retired, the mili- 
tary would be dispatched to clear 
all the streets in the town. About 
nine at night, the Blues, being 
reinforced with two troops from 
Kidderminster, and one _ from 
Bromsgrove, after having been 
insulted with stones and brick-bats 
at the door of the hotel, were dis- 
patched in every direction, with 
express orders,to clear all the 
streets. They pursued the fugi- 
tives in full speed through all the 
Marrow avenues, and took many 
prisoners, whom they lodged in the 
19 
dungeon, which had been previ- 
ously guarded by a party of sol- 
diers. This had the desired effect; 
for, before ten o’clock, the streets 
were perfectly cleared, and peace 
and tranquillity prevailed. Many 
were wounded; but it does not 
appear that any one was killed. 
Mrs. Briely, who kept the house 
at Birmingham in which the Ox- 
ford Blue received the wound 
which was the cause of his death, 
together with Busby and two others, 
are committed for trial. 
Portsmouth. This town was visit- 
ed by a most tremendous storm of 
thunder, lightning, and rain; the 
thunder was uncommonly loud and 
awful, and lightning vivid to a de- 
gree seldom witnessed. It fell 
upon the lamp-iron of the Star 
and Garter tavern, whence, passing 
into the. bar and coffee-room, it 
forced its way upwards through 
the roof, which was considerably 
damaged by it. One of the beams 
of the second floor was split for se- 
veral feet, and two persons were 
.struck in the bar, who appeared 
for ashort time bereft of animation, 
but were very soon recovered. 
During the above storm the light- 
ning set fire to the barns and sta- 
bles of Mr. Whettam, junior, at 
Broom-house farm, near Gosport ; 
which were very soon consumed, 
with upwards of ten loads of wheat, 
a quantity of hay, six fine horses, 
and ten pigs. 
25th. Leicester. On Saturday 
night last, a number of disorderly 
persons (under a pretext of being 
aggrieved by the high price of pro- 
visions) assembled together in this 
place, and, before the civil power 
could be collected to restrain them, 
committed some acts of violenee, 
by breaking the windows of those 
B2 indi- 
