Oldham, and a number of spinners, the employer procuring a number of new hands, a turnout ensued. On the evening of Monday, the 14th of the above named month, two of the Oldham Police officers, Heywood and Page, entered a trade's union room, at the William the Fourth public house, Cotton street, on the alleged ground of being in search of parties who had assaulted the new hands at Mr. Thompson's mill. The members of the trade's union alarmed at the visit of the police broke up in disorder, and two of their number being taken into custody, and lodged in the town prison, reports of their seizure spread through the town during the night and early the following morning. Several attempts having been made at this period in various places, on the part of government and other authorities to suppress secret unions of trades, the great body of the operatives of Oldham conceived that the local police had a similar object in view. When the constables, therefore, attempted on the following morning, the 15th of April, to convey the apprehended parties to be examined before the Rev. John Holme, at Hollinwood, they were speedily surrounded by hundreds of members of trades' unions, whose numbers increased at every step. On arriving opposite Bankside mill, the multitude overpowered the police oflicers, assaulted their persons, and rescued the prisoners, who were afterwards bound over in their own recognizances. The crowd instantly resolved to vent their irritation on the occupier of Bankside mill, whose dispute with his workpeople embittered their minds. The appearance of the new hands at the windows of the factory, served to inflame the crowd still further. The premises were instantly attacked the windows, doors, machinery, and the manufactured goods in the interior, fell a sacrifice in a few moments to the violence of the rioters. A large pile of cotton goods were taken out of the factory and wilfully destroyed by fire in the adjacent street. During the attack, one of the new workmen of Mr. Thompson, who was armed, discharged a shot towards

213