Broadside entitled 'Riot at Musselburgh'

Transcription

RIOT

at Musselburgh

A full and particular account of a
most serious and distressing RIOT,
which took place on Musselburgh
Links yesterday, Thursday, 31st of
July, 1823, between the Irish,
& Colliers, and Salters, with a full
account of how it originated, and
the number of the Killed and
Wounded.

A most disgraceful scene took place on   Musselburgh Race-
ground, immediately after the second heat was run, owing as
some says to a Irishman upon ths coarse threshing a baker
with a large stick, when the baker knocked, him dawn in re-
turn, and a number of Irishman fell upon the baker and used
him most shamefully, the by-standers took part and a general
ensued ; others says some people got their pockets picked
while looking on at some fellows who was gambling with
the thimbles and the garter, and those playing finding them-
selves always the losers, among which were   a number of
colliers, salters, &c. who are in general very opstrepulous, fel-
lows, wheu they think themselves wronged a quarrel ensued
betwixt the losers and the gainer, when it came to blows, in
which the mob took part, and the almost efforts the peace-
officers could make, had not the least effect, part of the pail-
ing enclosing the course was   torn down, and stands and
tables broken to pieces.    The gambler with whom the riot
originated with, happening to be an Irishnan, the mob fell
to and threshed every one of the same country they could
meet with, stones were thrown in various directions by a
number of mischievious boys which rendered it very unsafe
to those people who were at a distance and did not interfere
with the crowd, one poor old mao while in the act of cating
some mussles at the outside of a tent, received a severe COH-
cussion in the head a little above the temple; a girl got a
serious blow in the back with a half-brick and was carried
away insensible. A number of men received severe blows
and the blood was   flowing copiously from   them.    One
Irishman took shelter into a tent kept by one of his country-
men, when the   mob disgracefully tore down, the erection,
and broke and spoilt whatever came is their way. A woman
was carried away dangerously hurt. The mob in the most
wauton manner attacked the shows, and shamefully tore the
erections asunder, and knocked down and beat those who
appeared in the least to be opposite to their unlawful pro-
cedings ; they did a great deal of damage to them.    It is re-
ported that there are one dead and other two no hopes are
entertained of their recovery.    We are happy to say that
the peace-officers succeeded in apprehending some of the
most active among the rioters.

previous