6.--Dr. David George Thomson, senior medical officer of the Surrey
Asylum, was appointed by the Norfolk county magistrates Medical
Superintendent of the County Asylum at Thorpe, in place of Dr. Hills,
resigned. The Court granted Dr. Hills a superannuation allowance of 600
per annum. At the Easter Sessions resolutions were presented by thirteen
unions, protesting against the allowance as an excessive burden upon the
county rates.
14.--A serious riot occurred in Norwich Market Place. A crowd of
unemployed workmen, harangued by two Socialists, named Mowbray and
Henderson, who suggested that they could not starve, and that they must
procure food for themselves, became a disorderly mob, and under the
leadership of the agitators, made a raid upon several shops on the Walk.
The ringleaders, with two men, named Hurrell and Hall, were apprehended,
and committed for trial. The case came before Mr. Justice Grantham at
the Assizes on the 21st, when Mowbray was sentenced to nine months',
Henderson to four months', Hall to one month's, and Hurrell to one week's
imprisonment, with hard labour. A similar disturbance on a minor scale
took place at Yarmouth at about the same date. Owing to inflammatory
placards distributed during the month of September, the Chief Constable
of Norwich, on October 1st, applied to the magistrates for power to raise
a force of 200 special constables. On October 11th the required number
were sworn in, and informed that their active services would not be
required except on a special summons from the magistrates.
25.--At the Norwich Assizes, before Mr. Justice Grantham, was tried the
action, the Corporation of Norwich _v._ Coxe. In this case the
Corporation sued the Rev. Dr. Coxe, one of the sureties of Mr. E. S.
Steward, the late City Treasurer, to recover from him the sum of 1,000,
for which amount he was bond. On behalf of the defendant it was urged
that the auditors were remiss in passing accounts that were incorrect,
and the judge made strong comments upon the loose manner in which they
did their work. The jury gave a verdict for the defendant.