Kingston.

Councillor Wenman
Knowing you to be one of the principles, In putting a stop to the Old Ancient Game of Football, played in the Public streets of this Town a respectable Crew of about forty sets you and your Brother Councellors, shown, as a mean set of Mongrel beings. Not fit to fill the Office you do. And take warning from this that if you shows your face in Kingston on next Tuesday, We will give you the soundest thrashing you ever had. If we don't succeed that day, Ah! a month or five weeks time, But what we will have our revenge. You a paltry snip only the ninth part of a man trying to make believe, you are the most important man in the Town Councel. I am Yours etc
AN OLD KINGSTONIAN

A more dastardly and cowardly letter was never penned, and if the writer of it was also the inditer of his own sentiments, we are certain that the majority of our readers will concur with us in saying that he has foully disgraced the education which taught him to form these letters, and that it would have been better for him, in the moral point of view, that he had never learnt to write. "The respectable crew of about 40," who threatened in their vulgar expression, to thrash the "ninth part of a man," would not collectively make up the ninety-ninth part of a real man. Fellows who could give vent to such threats as contained in that letter are a disgrace to the town to which they belong. The most charitable construction that could be put on the letter is, that it was a mere idle threat, but the subsequent actions tend much to do away with even that opinion. The animus was shown again on Wednesday afternoon, when Mr. Wenman in passing the Wheelwright Arms, London-Street, on his way to the police station, where he was taking a boy who had grossly insulted him, in order to get his name, was set upon by some fellows from the public house, who tried to rescue the boy. Mr. Parker and Mr. Chaundy went to help Mr. Wenman, and saved him from further violence. Since then Mr Wenman has received another threatening letter.
In closing this account we cannot but bear testimony to the assistance which the police received from several inhabitants of the town. Mr. Ald. Shrubsole at one time was in the thickest part of the crowd assisting the police; and others did what they could to lend a helping hand. The conduct of the police was, as the magistrates said, very forbearing, although we do not expect the mob to agree with us on that point. Theirs was a trying duty, but they did it well. Mr. Butt with Inspectors Armstrong and Arnold, together with the sergeants and constables, behaved admirably: when stones were flying they took it coolly; P.C. Newman, who was on horseback , and thus a conspicuous mark, received many hard knocks, but did not retaliate as he might well have done.

See report in original format.

Thanks to Peter Pepperrell for converting the original report into text.