A Riot in Reach, taken from the Cambridge Chronicle, 29th October 1819

Thomas Case, Thomas McCormack, John Lynch, Michael McAveay, and Michael Starling, Irish bankers, were indicted for a riot committed at the house of Michael Mason, a publican at Reach, who, seeing the defendants approach his house in a state of intoxication, shut the door, and refused them admittance. Starling came up to the window, and said, "Mr. Poker, will you open the door," which not being complied with, he struck his fist through the window several times, using violent threats. McAveay pulled down all the bars of the window, and endeavoured to get in, but was prevented by Mrs. Mason, who placed a chair in the way. The landlord had gone out the back way for assistance, and on his return found them at another house. Case and McCormack could not be identified, having used no violence in sight. The door was secured by a poker, they having burst off the usual fastenings. Lynch, McAveay, and Starling, were sworn to as being present, and the Jury acquitted the others, finding the three guilty, who were sentenced to three months imprisonment. Lynch, Case, McCormack, and McAveay, stood also indicted for a violent assault on Henry Downham, of Reach, on the same evening that the above riot was committed. The prosecutor stated that as he was walking, having a stick in his hand, McCormack came up and kicked him and then Lynch took the stick from him, and beat him about the head till it
was broken to pieces; that he got into the house of John Barnes, a shoemaker, but Lynch and McCormack followed him in and dragged him out into the road by his neckcloth, swearing that they would end him, but the neckcloth coming untied he was enabled to escape: he has lost three teeth from the blows he received from Lynch and McCormack, but could not swear that McAveay or Case actually struck him. John Barnes proved to the same effect. The Jury found Lynch and McCormack guilty, the other two not guilty. The former was sentenced to six months imprisonment from the expiration of his last sentence, and McCormack to six months from the present time.