Riot in Frederick Street

The patriotism was felt everywhere, and even before the final siege was ended, any soldiers visiting the town would expect to be royally treated. However one such case ended up in causing a riot.

On Monday 7 May 1900 a case came before the magistrates at the Borough Police Court regarding a disturbance which had take place on the previous Saturday night. It seems that a soldier of the Boer War, who had been invalided home from South Africa, was celebrating in the town when he was arrested for being drunk and disorderly in Westgate. The man, whose name was Private George Wagner belonged to the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and was still in his khaki uniform as he attended the court the next morning.

The Chief Constable, Mr J Enwright, told the magistrates that he had been told of the disturbance on the night of Saturday May 5 and had sent Police Constable Wilson to investigate. PC Wilson had been trying to arrest Wagner, but he had put up such a fight that he had to call for other officers to restrain him. The officers had the greatest difficulty in getting the prisoner to the police cells because of the large number of people assembled on Westgate.

As they were trying to arrest Wagner the crowd complained that a man in uniform should be treated so badly. A large group of them followed the prisoner through the streets as he was being taken to the police station on Frederick Street. Initially the crowd was just shouting and jeering at the arresting officers, but suddenly the mood  turned very violent and stones and other implements were thrown at the constables. Hearing the mob approaching, the Chief Constable looked out of the window and saw a crowd of 2,000 persons assembled outside the police office. He ordered his men to clear Frederick Street and a number of extra constables were needed before the street became quiet again.

The following morning in court, Mr Enwright told the bench that he did not intend to bring any evidence against the soldier Private George Wagner at that time. With the permission of the bench he intended to communicate the details of his arrest to his commanding officer and let the army deal with it. He asked for a remand of the prisoner for a week and added that an unnamed man of the town had offered to pay the cost of the bail whilst he was being remanded. The mayor agreed that he could be remanded and bail was arranged.

Then a second prisoner Thomas Woolnough was brought into court charged with stone throwing in Frederick Street ‘to the danger of the public’. He pleaded not guilty, but Mr Enwright told the magistrates that Sergeant Patterson, who had been in plain clothes that night, was in Frederick Street and had identified him as the man who had thrown stones at the arresting officers. Thomas Woolnough was found guilty and the bench told him that 'it was a most serious offence'. He was fined 40s and costs or a month in prison.

Another prisoner who had been arrested was a miner named John Coughlin. He was then brought into court charged with being drunk and disorderedly in Frederick Street the previous Saturday and he too pleaded not guilty. Chief Clerk Gower stated that he had been on duty in Frederick Street also in plain clothes during the disturbances. He saw Coughlin, who was drunk and noted that he was one of the ringleaders stirring up the crowd and inciting them to throw stones. He was fined 45s and costs.  

The chief constable added that it was most providential that there had not been a more serious riot in the town on that particular night. The chairman agreed and said that it was a matter that would have to be dealt with in such a way as to deter others from acting in a similar manner. When George Wagner appeared back in court on Monday May 14, the chief constable told the court that he had communicated with the military authorities who had countermanded the soldiers furlough, and he had made arrangements for the prisoner to be handed over to them. The case was then dismissed.

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