Potter's Electric News

THE SHEFFIELD OUTRAGES The disclosures made before the Commissioners at Sheffield on Wednesday may be supposed to have reached the climax in the evidence of James Hallam, the saw gfinder, who a short time ago refused to give up the name, of an accomplice, and was committed to prison for con- tempt of court in consequence. He had intimated thai he was prepared to make a full confession of what he knew respecting trade outrages, and wasttierefore brought up for examination. He was evidently troubled, and could scarcely speak when called upon. He fainted, and was for some time unconscious before giving any evi- dence. He was very reluctant in making his statements from the commencement. After confessing to the ratten- ing of one Taylor, in company with Samuel Crookes, and the blowing up of Wheatman and Smith's place with gunpowder, also in company with Crookes, the powder being bought with money supplied to Crookes by Broad- head for the purpose, he was questioned respecting the Eaurder of a man named Linley, who had made himself ofcnuxious to the Union, as was thought, spoiling the trade 'filling it with lad& Occasionally he was quite unable to speak, and aban- doned hitbeelf to tears and sighs. The pistol, he said, was bought for the purpose of shooting Linley, and Crookes w&g associated with him (Hallam) in the crime. Witness did not really fire the shot, but compelled Crookes to do so. They were 'set on to do it' UyBroadbeaJ; they were to 'do for' Linley, but did not intend to kill him, only to make him so that he could not work any more. They followed Linley about almost every night, for about six weeks, but without getting the chance of "doing for him.' As they could not manage with revolvers they got an air-gun, and appear to have gone to Eceleshall Wood, to experiment first upon the rabbits Finding the weapon a manageable one, and sufficiently destructive, they re-commenced dodging Linley. At last they followed him to a public-house in Scotland-street. That was about nine o'clock at night, and having seen him enter the kitchen they went to the back of the house, iato the yard, and looking through the window saw Linley sitting there. Other people were in the room at the same time. When Crookes looked at him (Linley) he refused to shoot, beine apparently made timid by thinking there was no mea-ne of exit from the yard Witness found a ready way out, told Crookes about it, and again pressed lti. to shoot. Crookes again refused i bar. when witness attempted m take the gun and said that be would shoot, then Crookes himself fired and shot Linley in the head. They then ran away, and in doing so tumbled against a man and woman who chanced to be approaching them. After they bad run about two miles they separated. They metliagain next morning, and Crookes gave witness a sovereign. Witness saw Broadhead before the follow- ing Saturday, and was told that it would be better not to be seen there much. Witness got £7 10d for shooting Linley. Crookes gave him X4 10, and Broadhead the £ 3. The 18 he received before the murder. Linley lived several months after he was shot, but ultimately died from the effects of his wound, and a coroner's inquest was held. at which a verdict of wilful murder, against some person or persons unknown was returned. Mr Broadhead was present during the whole of the examination, and was perhaps the least moved person in the court. After one or two cases of rattening had been gone into Samuel Crookes. who had been sent for by the police man, was brought into the court, and was sworn by Mr Overend. He appeared to be very calm and self- possessed. Immediately after he was sworn, Mr Broad- head shouted out to him, I Tell the truth Sam—every- thing.' Mr Overend (after stating what had been said by Hallam) asked Crookes if he did the deed ? flic witness, after a slight, pause, said in a firm and quick voice, and with perfect composure Yes, I did. In answer to another question, he repeated that he did shoot Linley. He had no quarrel with him; it was because he was doing an injury to the trade that he intended to do him an injury, not to kill him. He was leaning down talking to some persons, and the shot which was meant for the shoulder hit the head. THUBSDAY. In the absence of Broadhead, whom a police- officer was sent to seek, Elisha Parker, a saw-grinder, gave evidence to the effect that, because he worked with two men who did not belong to the union in 1853, he had had his horse hamstrung; it was worth £20, and he had to destroy it. He still continued in the same occupa- tion (Newbould's), and in March, 1864, an attempt was made to blow up his house. On Whit-Sunday night, 1864, between twelve and one o'clock, he beard some stones rolling on the slates of his house. He unloosed his dog, and taking his double- barrelled gun in his hand, he went to his door. As soon as he got to the end of the house he was fired at by a person who appeared to be about twenty yards off. Witness could not see anyone. Going in that direction he was shot at a second time, and the shot lodged in his ngck, and up as far as his chin. After the shot he crossed the road, when he was met by a third man, who presented a gun at him. Im- mediately on this witness placed his own gun on his shoulder, but before he could fire the man fired and wounded him in the arm. He was in the in- firmary about eleven weeks, and incapable of work- ing for about twelve months. Before he was shot the union wanted him to pay to the trade he would not unless they paid the value of the horse he had lost. He did not complain to Broadhead about his being blown up, tat Broadhead once visited him after, and asked him to let bygones be bygones, to which he replied that it was, hard work to let things go by. William Broadhead then appeared in court. He said he was secretary of the Saw-Grinders' Union, and that he had acted in that capacity since 1849. He was secretary four or five years previous to that time. The number of men in the union at the pre- sent time was about 190, which did not include apprentices, the latter numbering from fifty to sixty. They did not consider the character of a man so much a question as his ability as a workman. Wit- ness was not aware that any ticket-of-leave men were in the union. (The books were then sent for.) Henry Bradshaw was among the number. Witness did not know at that moment that he was in the society, but he recollected that he had been to prison There was a a chairman to the society, who was elected at every general meeting. The chairman only acted for the night he was elected. There were seven regular committee men. The witness was then warned by Mr Over^f that serious charges had been made against him, Doth of murder, rattening, and many other crimes, but upon a full disclosure of everything he knew, he would be given a certificate. Witness continued that the committee sat every Tuesday evening. I am pre- pared to corroborate in substance/all that Halluin and Crookes have said. I regret to say I hired Hallam and Crooked to shoot Linley. I paid them either £ 20 or .£15 for doing it. I hired Crookes and Iiallam to shoot Linley a second time. My impression is that I paid Crookes and Hallam the second time for shooting Linley £15. I had no personal quarrel with Linley. Linley was doing a great amount of harm to the society at the time. 1 thought he was bringing ruin upon us all. I had been to the Eagle Works one day collecting my contributions, and on leaving the wheel Hallam came to me and said something to this effect-' What about Linley-he can be done for £ l& I paused. It came upon me as an unpleasant subject; some- thing was said about the mischief and injury he was oing, and after consideration for a time I said, I will consider about it.' I left him. The subject was a painful one, but f felt that the salvation of the society was necessaiy, and something must be done. But it crossed my mind that Hallam was not a man to be trusted, and I reflected upon it several days, til Crookes came to me upstairs, and mentioned h. labject to me again. He said he wished to see me about that matter that Hallam had talked about. I felt more at liberty to be free with him, and so I asked him what he proposed to do. He detailed to me the manner in which he meant to shoot Linley, but not so as to kill him. The understanind was that he was to wound him, but not to kill him. I had confidence in him as a marksman, and have now. With this understanding, with great pain, I assented. Nothing further. I assented because I felt that without it the union would be destroyed, knowing that there was no legal protection for the union, and I received it as an absolute necessity. I cannot tell you how many apprentices Linley had. They were apprentices he had brought out of the scissor trade with him. The whole ground they had for shooting Linley was for having these six apprentices, and if his example was to be followed by other members, it would cause such an increase of men upon the box that it would be utterly impossible to support them. I was aware that Hallam and Crookes were dodging about from public-house to public-house in order to take away that man's life, from remarks made to me. They came and said they had not had a chance at him yet, but in my heart I wish they never had met him. I had not seen them for a considerable time. I hoped they had given it up, but I read it in the next morning's papers. I saw them the next day or the day following. I might have given them money before Linley was shot, but my impression is that it was not given till after, and I think I paid it to Crookes. I was not aware that He)lewell was about being blown up. I employed Hallam and Crookes to blow up Wheatman's, because they had introduced a machine for grinding straight saws. It is true as stated by a great many witnesses that I paid them to ratten. Mr Overend Who are the men you have em- ployed ? Witness.: I cannot give you the names. There are men living, but I cannot tell you any particular one. All the rattening was done for the benefit of the trade, but persons sometimes took it upon them- selves to do it. Mr Overend Now, Mr Broadhead, you ha^e admitted paying JE60 for three affairs. What was the weekly amount of contributions at that time ? Witness About £40, After Linley was shot the second time, witness did not remember writing any anonymous letters to the manufacturers warning them against employing Linley. Witness said that Myers Tucker, Clark, and Martin were all consummate scoundrels. Since Martin had returned he had received 10s for detecting Shaw. Martin did not get paid for blowing up Fearnehough. The inquiry was adjourned. FRIDAY. The further examination of Broadhead by the Commissioners has resulted in the following addi- tional confession:— Before the examination commenced Mr Overend said: Mr Broadhead, in the cause of justice and in the interest of those whom you may implicate, I give you this warning. I dare say you have a false sense of honour that you won't implicate others. I look on my notes, and I find that you have never told us the name of a single person you caused to ratten; you have never disclosed a single fact that has not i been proved by two witnesses; you have never admitted anything which we did not know Now, if you are to obtain a certificate, you have to tell us all that you know, and we must be satisfied that it is all that you know.—Mr Broadhead (rising) Pardon me, sir, will you permit me to ask you a few ques- tions ? -Mr Overend: Yes.—Mr Broadhead: Can I rely that the same mercy will be extended to those men as to myself, if they tell the truth ? —Mr Overend Certainly, undoubtedly.—Mr Broadhead Then, sir, I will give you a true statement. He said that before be began his statement he must con- fess that what he had said on Thursday with respect to the Hellewell affair was untrue. He hired Dennis Clark to blow up Hellewell, and he believed that he gave him either £ 3 or £ 5 for doing it. The paper which he prevailed upon 'Putty' Shaw to s'gn he drew up without saying anything about it to anybody. He believed that Shaw would sign that paper, and give a public denial to the statement that witness had ever employed him in outrages, from fear of having his scale stopped. Then he proposed to call upon the committee in his presence to witness the document, and afterwards he would hold it as a protection against the statement Shaw'might make. When the committee met he carried his plan into effect, and asked permission to ask Shaw a few questions, which they granted; and then put the question to him as given in the statement, and, as anticipated, Shaw answered. The committee after- wards signed it. Feeling himself secure against any course he might take, Broadhead then went into the business, and that terminated as expressed in the minute. Mr Broadhead was asked for the document, and he handed it in. It was a denial by Shaw that he was employed by Broadhead to blow up Helle- well, and was signed by Shaw and the committee as witnesses. Mr Overend then compared it with the entry in the minute-book, and found that they did not agree. The entry says that Shaw never was employed in any outrage, whereas the document which Shaw signed is merely confined to blowing up Hellewell. Broadhead said that this was the only case in which he had made an incorrect entry in the book. Hallam and Crookes were never employed to do the Hellewell job. Referring to Elisha Parker's evidence on the preceding day, the witness said tha? the horse to which reference had been made was destroyed by Elijah Smith, John Taylor, and Phineas Day. He did noi know about Joseph Bradshaw having anything to do with it. He would not swear that Bradshaw had not spoken of Parker's horse but he did not remember him doing so. All the men whom he had acknowledged to have been in that job were dead, but Bradshaw was alive. His impression was that the men came to him after they had done the job, and then he paid them. He did not remem- ber having spoken to them about it before. Although questioned at considerable length he adhered to his statement that he had no recollection of having spoken to the men before the outrage was done, but he would not swear that he did not. He was then asked if he knew a man named Bamford, a shooter, who lived near Parker. He said he did, but he did not know the house in which he lived. So far as he knew, Bamford was not one of those engaged in the horse case. All who were had died. The examination proceeded as follows: Mr Overend: Now I will let you go on to the shooting of Parker himself—Yes. A person named George Peace, senior, was hired by me to do something to stop him from working, he came to see me several times on the subject, but I think that nothing up to this time had been decided upon, as far as fny memory will carry me. I am now speaking to the best of my recol- lection. I think I went up to his house on Sunday. I saw him on the subject. We left his house together, and went down to some fields. There, as far as my memory carries me, we had a conversation, and agreed that something should be done • but: whether or not we defined what that something was to be I really cannot say Will you swear that you did not agree that he should shoot him ?—No, I cannot swear.—Did you agree that he was to call him up at night by throwing stones upon his house?—No. The mode in which they were to go about their business I knew nothing of till afterwards.—You say they who are they ?—The parties who had it to do -Who are the parties!—He told me he had a man, a man-servant of his own, who would do it. Can you mention his name?—I believe he is alive bat I have forgotten his name. He told me this man would see to the affair being done; he had employed him. Yes.-(After a pause.) The affair got done, and the amount he was to receive-I cannot say what it was, but it was a large amount; it was between X20 and £30, or perhaps it might be even more than £30. The money was a long time before he got it, but he ultimately did get it. It was not Bamford or Elijah Smith. I have every belief that he did not have anything to do with the shooting.—Mr Overend Are you aware that Elijah Smith, before his death, made a confession, and conconfessed that he was one of the men V— No.— Then I will tell you that he did.—Very well, then, it is unknown to me. Witness did not believe that Sam Crookes was one of the men. He had asked him about it and he had told him he was not. Mr Overend then referred to the Loxley blowing up. On July 4th, 1849, Joseph Wilson's house was attempted to blown up. Did you cause that to be done ?—Yes.—Whom did you employ ?—Crookes.— Anyone else ?-No —How much did you give him for doing that?—The same as before.— £ 10 ?—I do not know probably it was.-What offence had the man at Loxley committed ?—He was one of Firth's men.—Was that his only fault ?—Yes keeping aloof from the trade. He had received a great deal of money from the society, and I thought he ought to contribute.— iVas the man's family in the honse with him when it was blown up?—His family were grown up, and I think were not living with him, but I do not know.—Was his wife in the house ?—Yes. i-What had Mr Wilson done?—Set the society at' defiance, and determined to have no one connected with the union. — What was your object in throwing gunpowder into Poole's house in the Wicker ?—To bring Linley too.—Was your design to hurt Linley ? —No to frighten him, and cause him to come into the trade.—Did you do anything to Mr Harry Holdsworth in December, 1861 ?—Yes, his place was blown up.-And you did it—no, I won't say you did it—but you caused a quantity of gunpowder to be put in the cellar under his manufactory ?—yes.— Whom did yoa employ to do that ?—Crookes.— Anybody else ?—No.—What did you give him for that ?—Somewhere about 96, I think.—What had Holdsworth done amiss ?—He was employing men not belonging to the union.—On June 7th, 1863, an attempt was made to blow up the engine-house of William Reaney, in the Park ?—Yes.—Who did that? -Crookes.-In what case did he say Copley helped him ? --In the Hereford-street outrage.— How much did you pay for blowing up Reany's house J could only fix about the same as the other,—Was it £ 19?—I should scarcely think it would be that. —What, not more than that for blowing a man's house up !-Not house wheel.—Oh, yes, wheel; bad you a general tariff?—Yes it would be JM or X6, according to the difficulties,-Is there any other matter in which you employed Crookes I do not recollect. You have called my attention to the Hereford street affair. Fearnehough's house was blown up on October 8tli, 1866- Who caused that to be done ?-Me, sir.—Whom did you employ ?—Crookes.—Copley was with him,- How much did you give Crookes for doing it 1-1 think it would be £ 15.—Had you any quarrel with Fearnehough other than on trade matters ?—That was all.—Now we will go back to Linlev's affair. After he was shot did you write a series of letters exhibiting great ab- horrence?—I did, sir.-After Wheatman's place was blown up-(bere the witness wept bitterly)- did you not write a letter trying to put suspicion on Messrs. Wheat man 7- Witness began to make a long statement, but Mr Overend stopped him, saying he had the newspaper, and read from it certain portions of the letter. Witness said that in that letter he wished to shew them there were other motives beside trade unions, and he wished it to be thought these other motives had been the cause. He did this hoping the end would justify the means.'—Did you in that letter describe this blowing up as a hellish deed 1-1 believe I did. — Do you know about Wilson being blown up 1-1 did. sir, and after he came to me about it I suggested he should be brought up before the magistrates on account of his appren- tices.-After Fearnehough was blown up did you address a letter to the newspapers, in which you describe the perpetrators' conduct as of the most infamous description ?—Witness Yes, sir.—Did you offer a reward of 95 out of your own pocket for the discovery of the perpetrator of that out- age?—Yes, sir.-And did your union also offer a sum of money?—Yes they were induced to do it by me. Witness proceeded to say that the com- mittee knew of every outrage that was committed, and that they were done for the benefit of the trade. He himself had stood up to protest in committee against these outrages.—Witness was told by Mr Overend that many points had been raised during the day of which the truth was not yet known, and he must be somewhere near, so that be could be called at any time, when it was requisite. He was not to leave the town, but he would not be sent for without occasion. He asked him if he wrote certain letters signed 4 Tantia Topee,'in which people were told they might ex- pect to be shot.—He answered, yes. SATURDAY. The first witness called was Samuel Crookes. Mr Overend cautioned him against being in any way reticent with respect to any outrages to which he might have committed himself, or which he might know to have been perpetrated by others. He was in the greatest peril -his life even was in jeopardy; but if he would now tell the truth, he would obtain his certificate, and the falsehoods which he had already told to the commissioners would be overlooked. He was then examined at great length. First he was asked about tho murder of Linley. I-Ie did shoot him, but he had no intention of killing him. Broadhead had never given instructions that Linley was to be shot in the ear. Having seen in the newspapers a statement to the effect that he had shot Linley in the forehead, the witness was parti- cular in explaining that his having so hit him was in consequence of somebody else being in the room when the shot was fired. There was something- he had previously omitted with respect to the firsnt time Linley was shot. He used the air gun then, but left a pistol in the street, to make it appear that the wound resulted from a pistol shot. Be- sides having shot Linley twice, he bad also made an attempt to blow him up at a time when he was lodging at a butcher s. Early one morning he thrust powder into the cellar grate, lit the fuse, and let things take their chance. He did not know much about what family the butcher had. When asked what he received for that job, he said he thought it was £] 5, but he could not say. He had had so many cases that he could not well remem- ber. One of his cases was Samuel Baxter, of Loxley. He blew him up by dropping powder down the chimney. That was another 01 the jobs he did for Broadhead, and for which he got about the regular thing, £15: Thomas Needham assisted him in doing Baxter. When asked what reason he had for blowing up Baxter, he said he had no reason except that Broadhead had ordered him to do it. He never asked for a reason. He also blew l up Joseph Wilson in Headford Street, and got X15 J again from Broadhead. He attempted, on Broad- head's instructions, to blew up Reaney's wheel, but did not succeed. Still be received his 915, He bad nothing to do with blowing up Firth's boiler, but wished to explain something. He re- ceived orders to do it from Broadhead, and went to put some powder down the chimney, but he could not get it down. He carried a ladder from a place just below, where they were building some houses; but when he got to Firth's place he found that it (the ladder) was so heavy that he could not rear it against the chimney. He then tried to thrust the powder in at the window, but he could not, because of the iron bars. He then placed it on the sill, and fastening it to some of the bars only managed to blow in the window frame. So he had nothing to do with the blowing up of the boiler. He believed he got the 915 for that job too, but he bad some difficulty about it. Broad- bead saw that he had not done much damage, and did not think he deserved the money. In order to get money from Broadhead the more freely, he was in the habit of saying that he had engaged Nunks or some other body, who was realiv fictitious, to assist him, and that he was bound to pay them. Of course with Broadhead a bargain was a bargain but in many cases, if the thing had not done any harm, there was a shuffling about the pay. It was then that he used to tell him he had engaged an- other man, and had to pay him. Of course that was all false but it suited his end. On one occa- sion witness attempted to shoot John Hellewell, at Firth's, and on that job was assisted by Hallam! Their instructions were to hurt and not to kill him. The air gun was the weapon. They went down- witness and Hallam-one night just before Christ- mas. The place was lit up, and they saw two men, named Woodhead and Joe Woollen, working. When they first looked through the window they thought that Woodhead was Hellewell, and would have shot him if they had not found out the mistake. They never had a chance at Hallewell. They had the Wheatman and Smith job on at the same time, and Broadhead told them that was the most important. He was Dot aware that they got anything for the Hellewell job, not having 'done it.' They did not get money that easy. He denied having shot Elisha. Parker, but confessed to going to Derby to see Need- ham to make him all square if any one should question him about the outrage in which he had been con- cerned. He got the money for that from Thompson, the secretary of the scythe grinders. The same man also gave him money for Needham's wife whilst he lay in prison. He helped xNeedham in one job, putting powder down a chimney at Dronfield. Wit- ness then referred to the Hereford-street outrage. Joseph Copley assisted at that, and Broadhead pa?d. He did not know that the secretaries of other societies were concerned in that case. With respect to Harry Holdsworth, he said that Broadhead hired him to .blow him up, because he had outlaws working for him. Witness put powder down his chimney. That was another jEl5 job, but he did not always get paid "p. Money was always deducted for 'Natty,' which he contrived always to keep in arrear. He had to confess to being concerned in Sutcliffe's case, although Hallam had not implicated him. They had each a life preserver, and each struck him. The price paid for that was 2C7. He went with Hallam for the last sovereign, and stood on Snig-hill whilst Hallam went up a passage to Bromehead. Hallam had to hold Bromehead up whilst another man went to get the sovereign. He also had to do with blowing up Crookes and Roberts. It was for some trade reason. but he did not remember what. Needham helped him. He wanted to speak of things he had done more than ten years ago, but Mr Overend stopped him, siying that they had no authority to question him about them. In reply he said he wished to make a clean breast of it. Being asked if he had told of all he knew had been done within the ten years, he said he could not remember but there might be something else, if they read over to him the cases he had mentioned. Mr Overend (reading): You shot Linley twice; blew up Wheatman and Smith, Baxter, Joseph Wil- son, Reany's Wiieel and John Hellewell, at Blonk Wheel. There was the case of John Hellewell you were to shoot. Crookes I didn't do him any harm. Mr Overend No, Elisha Parker you said you had nothing to do with, but there was the Hereford-street outrage. Are there any other things within the last ten ye,.rs ?— I think not. He was asked about the threatening letters, and said he had little to do with them, It was his main aim to keep quiet, and he never did a deal in the note business.' He did not do much in ratteniDg either. He did the greater jobs rattening was not worth bothering about. He had heard of 4 Slipper Jack, but did not know who he was. All he knew about him was that he had a great name. Mr Over- end asked him what he meant by a 4 great name,' and he replied, 'Well, you know, sir, I have a great name now.' Joseph Copley was called, and deposed to having been concerned in the Hereford-street outrage. It was his first job of the kind, and he received a sove- reign for it. George Peace was called, and he confessed to having engaged a man to do Elisha Parker-not to kill him, but to stop him from working. He engaged John Hall to do it. He did not give him particular orders as to whether he was to shoat or to blow him up. Broadhead wanted something done. but he was not to injure Parker. He was not aware whether Hall was one of the men who were engaged to shoot Parker. He (witness) only engaged Hall to frighten him. When asked how he paid Hall he said he did it by putting the money by in- stalments under a stone. In all he paid him about zcg. He was closely pressed about his knowledge respecting the shooting of Parker, and at last con- fessed to hearing shots. Besides the £ 9 for the job, he also gave Hall about X13 to pay his expenses to America. Peace in appearance is one of the most respectable working men it is passible to meet with. His mere appearance created geat surprise that he should have taken part in such a diabolical act as the shooting of Parker. The surprise was increased when it came out that at the time he lent himself to Broadhead's designs he was not only a saw grinder employing subordinates, but a well-to-do farmer and colliery master, and that he hired one of his own labourers to do the deed. He has not prospered since lie yielded to the temptations of Broadhead. but his trade still enables him to occupy a £ 10 house in Washington Road, and make a most respectable appearance. The court adjourned until Monday morning. An interview took place on Friday between Ha!- lam, one of the murderers of James Linley, and Richaid Brown, a man who was arrested just after the murder, and has-been under suspicion, with very disastrous consequences to himself and his family e^er since. Brown's wife and mother died through the grief which his position brought upon them* Brown said that he forgave Hallam (who had pleaded for the interview), but he could not forgive Broad- head. Printed and Published, on behalf of the Propriero.rS by JOSEPH POTTER, at the Office in High-street* 'n the Parish of Saint Mary, in the County of Town of Haverfordwest. Wednesday, Jane 26, 1867,