Star. — London, England, 1819-08-30 00:00:00

I MANCHtSTER , iff f , i , J 1 ii, ?; y , •/ FINAL EXAMINATION OF Mr. HUNT, JOHNSON, MOORHOUSE, AND THE OTHER PRISONERS CONFINED ON A CHARGE OF HIGH TREASON; VIIE ABANDONMENT OF THE CHARGE, AND THEIR COMMITMENT FOR TRIAL FOR A MIS DEMEANOUR. NEW BAILEY, AUGUST 27• 1:1 iw ~ I, ~~•.~ f ; ,' This being understood for nearly a week to be the day on which the determination of Government, re garding the charge against Hunt and his fellow pri soners. should be announced to them from the Bench, and their final ecarnination 'be entered upon, a consi derable crowd collected near the New Bailey as early as ten o'clock. About eleven, those who had any particular favour with the officers, or who came to give evidence, were admitted into the Court. In a short time the seats round the table, usually occupied by the attornies, the jury -box, the stair case leading to the gallery, and ever) part of the hall convenient for hearing or seeing the prisoners, were crammed to excess. Meanwhile the crowds collected without, and filled the whole space between the bridge, the prison, the Governor's house, and the river. A strong party of soldiers had previously been admitted at the gate of the prison, and a guard appointed without. It being the custom to exclude the multitude, who usually occupy the body of the Court, behind the bar,'fill the Magistrates have taken their seats on the bench, there was a great pressure towards the gate for admission as soon as it should be opened. The Civil Power thinking they saw some tendency to tomtit in the immense body that sur rounded the doors, requested, as we understood, that the inilLary night be at their post, ready to afford assistance in case of danger. Accordingly, some of the officers of the Hussars, of the Slst and 88th, who had taken their places by us in the jury -box, eager , to hear the examination of persons who have of late commanded so much of their attention, were called out and ordered on more active duty. The shouts of the multitude were sometimes heard in Court, but from the very efficient force ready to repress any tendency to riot, no impression of danger was felt. —The Magistrates had assembled about eleven o'clock, but they did not take their seats on the bench till upwards of two hours afterwards. In the inter- WI they were employed in taking depositions, or procuring the signatures of the witnesses to deposi tions already taken. Mr. PanasoN, the Solicitor for the prisoners, had taken his station immediately be fore the dock, with a law book under his arm, but was not known or recognized by those around him till called out of Court at half-past twelve, by Mr.' NORRIS, the stipendiary 'Magistrate, of Manchester. His white hat then excited a laugh, being considered here as the badge of the Radicals. Sir C. Wolseley f we were told, was in town and in Court, but we could not see him. At a quarter past one, the Ma gistrates entered the Court, and an agitation of in terest and curiosity took place for the approaching business. Only six occupied the bench. Their names were, Mr. Norms (Chairman), W. Hotrox, R WRIGHT, W. M R RIOT r, T. W. TATTON, Esqrs. and the Rev. C. W. ETIIELSTONE. The Solicitor for the Crown, Mr. Bonetriza, took his place at the table immediately below the Chair mark • Mr. PsAitaort, the prioners' Solicitor, was now likewise accommodated with i place at the table near his clients. The Chairman, as soon as the Ma gistrates were seated, ordered the gates to be opened, and a great rush of people into the hall immediately took place ; but, happily. no one, as far as we have beard, was injured by the pressure. The prisoners were then ordered to be brought up, and soon ap peared in the dock. Mr. Hunt appeared first, and the rest in succession, till the space allotted them was so crowded, that they pressed upon and jostled one another. ' Their names were called over, and an swered to in the following order:—Henry Hunt, Jo seph Johnson, J. T. 'Saxton,' John Knight,' James Moorhouse, Samuel narnford, John Healey, George Swift;•Thtsmas Taylor, Robert 'Wilde, and Elizabeth Gaunt. Moorhouse, entering the dock and standing front, reTused to doff the reform badge, of the white hat, to the Magistrates, proclaiming (when-desired to.tincover) in a tone of real effrontery, or assumed indignation, that n Men who had so misconducted themselves, lad forfeited all title to deference or re spect, and that they should meet with 'noite from him." An officer by .his side soon settled this point of etiquette,' by removing the oknorious head-piece. Hunt's deportment was extremely courteous. We never saw him apparently in better health or spirits. His propriety of demeanour, his perfectly unembar- Ta.sed manner, the decency of his dress, and the whole of his external appearance, formed a strange, contrast with the shabbinecs of some and the vulgarl insolence of others of his fellow-prisoners. Elizabethl Gaunt, whom it was a disgrace to have kept foil twelve days in solitary confinement and ikrought in the state in which she was, could not be at first seen, having been accommodated with a chair be-' hind her male companions. She 'ansviered to her' name but feebly, being unable to speak out, froth a tendency to faint, in consetihenee of the barbarous manner in which she hat &MI cut and trampled on in the field. Saxton anSa4retf to 'hfs name with an' insolent tone and vegar tehethence.' Hunt cour teously bowed, and said, to - Mtn."' Being pressed in 'the dock, and hearingSorne*holse behind,' te . turned round to survey the crttwd *lth the utmost ap parent compoiure 'an& gand - huMour.' Ws time, however, for speaking and getlhg now commenced. The Chairman thus began 'address=" Henry Hunt, Joseph Johnson, and Yon severally whose Ames have been readtrier, yotthave been remanded charge of High Treason. " ' Here there wa s so noise frets the agitation of the crowd behind the living mass not having yet g ai ne d t h e y at which 'on occasions ne this it is usu that the Magistrate could not be heard. with some -vehemence interrupted him, I cannot heart you must command silencei be beard. There was More order at the the other day." Th Chairman called out " and thug interruptid the Orator. Hunt—" 'I taus/het to hear; the matter se concerns us; ion 'Artist be heard."—A short ensued; when, oesdpktative silence baying obtained, the Chairman again cnmmeneizi the following purport :—.4 4 Hunt Johnson, and you all, severally, nanaes have been read over, when you were last called up at noon ; that by that time half of the 14:7blee, it into this Court, you were remanded en a charge of collected ; that most of the persons who 'High Treason: on remanding you, - you were in- carried large sticks, mere like flails than walltin:*- formed that the whole of the evidence ad been sent . sticks ; that they advairced in military array, with up to London, to be laid before the Law Officers of i flags and music : the witmess here enumeriated seve the Crown, and in the mean time you were to be de- ' ral flags, and the inscriptions. upon theM ; that osit tained. It was not until this morning that a coramu - lof these fla g s had u p on it " No Corn Laws, * and . Mt nication was made from Government, stating that the other side a bloody dagger. The flags were in the Law Officers of the Crown had for the present all 16, and he saw five Caps of Liberty. abandoned the higher charge. That communication When the deposition had been read, the witness Iwas not mado to me; yet there is a Gentleman pre- who swore it was examined by Mr. Hunt. sent (Mr. Bouchier) who has come with orders to pro- Hunt. Where do you teside, Sir ? Witness.--Ile ceed upon a less charge. The charge of High Trea- Manchester. son is not yet abandoned, but Government proceeds Hant.—Would you favour me with your particu now against you for a minor offence." lar address ?—The Bench, through its Chairman, Mr. Hunt—ls the charge of murder then aban- again interfered, and would not allow the witness to Boned ? ' I understood from a Magistrate I was re- answer the question. It was sufficient for the witness manded until the Coroner's Inquest had sat, on a to declare that he lived in Manchester. charge of murder as well as treaso n . Hunt.—l demand, as an act of justice, to know Mr. Hultpn, from the Bench—l did not tell you so. the residence of this man. •It will be observed, that Moorhouse—This, then, turns out to bo a farce! be is a very material witness, and that his evidence Mr. Norris—Moorhouse, I shall feel it my duty to may deeply affect us all. I am entitled to know remand you, unless you conduct yourself properly. where to find him, that if, after the trial of the ques- Mr. Milne, the Clerk to the Magistrates, then called tion, it shall be found there was no ground for this over the names of the witnesses, whose written depo- charge, I may have my remedy against him by pro.l sitions he held. The prisoners were requested to at- teeming him for perjury, or obtaining redress in tend to the depositions, and told they had an oppor- some other way. I demand therefore, as a right, to tunity of questioning the witnesses concerning them. know his residence..-4 Mr. Hunt uttered this with On putting the book into the hand of the first, Hunt considerable violence of voice and gesture.) 'desired he might be examined alone, and the rest or- The Magistrates consulted for a minute, and then dered to leave the Court. Mr. Bouchier said he decided against complying with his demand through should not object to this. The first witness whose de- their Chairman, who said that there was no use ffte position was proposed to be read was John Shawcross, Mr. Hunt to use intimidating language : it was Dot' Clerk to the Police. Mr. Hunt asked his name, and necessary to reiterate the word demand, to obtain demanded that he might be examined in open Court that justice to which every British subject was enti before he heard his former deposition read. The Ma. tied, and which might be obtained by a simple re &Orates objected to this demand, and overruled it. quest. He further stated, that he did not think it was ,Th. deposition was read. This witness deposed to treating the Court with sufficient respect to talk of baring purchased at the Observer office, on the 31st demanding, as there was no disposition to refuse ofJuly last, a Paper called the Mercer, containing what was right, and 1:0 chance of obtaining what the following notice of the first intended Meeting, o: was wrong, by the use of strong terms. The request the 9th of Augusta— of the prisoner would go as far as his demand. The ' i M A NCUILKIII Pusuc Mern.ac.—The Public are respect- Court had considered the nature of the question put fully informed, that a Meeting will be held here on Monday, the to the witness, and did not think it necessary that he 9th of• August, 1419, on the Area near Sc. Peter's Church, to take should give his particular address ; the description into consideration the most speedy and effectual mode of obtain ing Radical Reform In the Commons House of Parliament; that he lived in Manchester, and was an accountant, being fully convinced, that nothin less can remove the into!" was quite sufficient. fable evil undrr which the people of- this country have so long, Mr. Hunt begged leave to reply to the observa and do still groan; and also to consider the propriety of the' Un- lions of the Chairman . represented Inhabitants of Manchester' electing a person to Re. present them In Parliament; and the adopting btajor Can- Chairman.--i-The Court will not be replied to ! wright's Bill. " 11. HUNT, Esq. in the Chair. Wolseley, siajor Cartwright, Sir Charles 44 Mr. Charles Hunt.-1 was merely going to state, that 1 had no intention of offering any insult to the Court— Pearson Mr. Wooler, sad Godfrey Higgins, Esq. hare been, solicited , and are expected to attend. W " it.r.L t ss DoneN, 22, Wood-street," (and ten others). you Chairman.—The Court takes it for granted that u did not, and requires no apology. "Chair to be taken at 12 o'clock:. Hunt• again began with stating--I offered no in " Manchester, July £3, 1419. salt to the Court. When the witness refused to an " The Boroughreeve, Magistrates, and Constables, are re swer. the question, I appealed to the Court, and re quested to attend. ' ' On the same day, after the %letting, there will be a Public q uested that he mi g ht b e ordered to answer. I p ut ui l er, at the Union School-rooms, George Isigh-street. Din- this question in the shape of a demand, because I ner on the table aiAlve o'clock, will accept of nothing as a favour. Then address . . " Tickets 10s. 6d. each, including all expenses, may be had at Mr. Wroe's, Bookseller, Market-street." The following Advertisement for the second Meet ing on the 16th was likewise read, with the omission ofthe names of the Re uisitionists:— MANOMETER PUBLIC ZIRETING.—A Requisition having been presented to the Boroughrecve and Constables of Manchester, signed by above seven hundred inhabitant householders in a few hours, requesting them to call a Public Meeting, To consider Me propriety of adopting the :nest legal and eja:tual moans of obtain ing a lbforne in Me Commons flays@ ef Par&wient,' and they hav ing declined to call such Meeting, therefore the undersigned Re quisitionists give notice, that a Public Meeting will be held, on the Area, near St. Peter's Church, for the above-mentioned pur pose, on Monday the 16th instant—the Chair to be taken by IL Hunt, Esq. at 12 o'clock. " Major Cartwright, Mr. Wooler, Mr. Pearson, Mr. Carlile, Dr. Crompton ' Edward Rushton, Mr. J. Smith, Mr: Thomas Smith, will be invited to attend this Meeting. " Manchester, 6th August, 1819." The deposition continued that these Papers were extensively circulated in Manchester: the witness then produced the well-known prohibition of the first Meeting, of which the following is the copy sw BAILEY COURY.HOUIE, SATURDAY, JULY ,1, 1819. " Whereas it appears by an advertisement in the Mcnalester Observer Paper of this day, that a Public and Illegal Meeting is convened fur Monday, the 9th day of August next, to be held on the Area near St. Peter's Church, in Manchester ; we, the undersigned Magistrates, acting for the Counties Palatine of Lan caster and Chester, do hereby caution all persons to abstain at their peril from attending such illegal Meeting. W. Ilution, " I. Harste, "J. Nowt's, " R. MARI.II, "J. Frcrwisruc, " T. TRATF PAD, " W, MARRIOTT, " It. FLUICH , EII." " T. W. TATTON, This was the whole of the evidence of Shawcross. Hunt.—Have I now the liberty of examining the witness? Chairman.—Yes, certainly. Hunt. to the witness.— Where is your residence? Witness.--:-No. 4, Blossoth-street, Salford. Hunt.—What is your profession, Sir ? Witness.— I am Clerk to the Police Office. Hunt.—Have you any other employtner.t ? Wit ness.—No. Hunt.—You purchased these Newspapers, did you? Witness.—Yes. Hunt.—What is s the date of the first ? Witness.- 31st July. , Hunt.—Do you know who inserted these adver tisements in these Papers 7—The Chairman here terfered, and said that this was not evidence. Hunt—Who urged you to purchase the Piper ? The Chairman again interfered, and protected the witness from answering the question. Hunt..—Then am I to understand that the witness is not allowed to answer the question ? Chairman.— The Court does not think it relevant, and will not allow the witness to answer it. Hunt.— Yon purchased the other Paper of the 14th August ?—The witness wis not allowed to answer the question. Hunt.—Your name is on each of the Papers. Who directed you to put your name there ?—The Court again interfered, and would not allow the witness to answer the question. Johnson, one of the prisoners, to the witness.—Do you take in these Papers regularly, or did you pur chase these Papers for any particular purpose? The witness was not allowed to answer the ques tion, the Bench declariug, through its Chairman, that it was sufficient for him to state that he had purchased it and marked it with his name. Matthew Cooper's (an accountant, another witness) deposition was th en rea d a t th e table. Ile deposed to the nature of the Meeting, save a history of the proceedings, and produced his notes of the com mencement of a speech purporting to be Mr. Hues. as we could collect, it did not differ materi -1117 Trom what has been published in the Newspapers. ' Witness further deposed, that he attended at twelve ing himself to the witness— Now, of what profession are you? Witness—l am called an accountant. Hunt.—ls that your only occupation? • Chairman to witness.—Don't answer that question ! Hunt—Were you a Special Constable on Monday the 16th, at the Meeting? Chairman to witness—Don't answer that question! Hunt, with great vehemence, and apparent sur prise--Not answer that question! Have you any other employment than that of an accountant ? Are you not sometimes employed as a short-hand writer? Witness—l sometimes take reports of speeches. Hunt.—For the Public Newspapers, or for your own private amusement? Chairman to witness—Don't answer that question ! Hunt.—Then you say that you took my speech on the day of the Meeting; did you take it in short-hand or otherwise ?—Witness. I took extracts from it on the ground, and afterwards wrote it out at length. I took only the leading words. I do not mean to swear to all the words. I lunt.--Are you sure that you did not misplace the words, putting some of them which you had in one sentence in another? Witness replied in the negative. Hunt.—How did you make out the remainder of the speech from these extracts and leading words of yours 2—Witness. I filled it up from memory. Hunt.—When did you write out this speech from memory ?..L-Witness. In the evening. Hunt.—At what time was it delivered ? Witness. About one o'clock. Ilunt.—At what hour, then, did you reduce your sAorA notes into long sentences ?—Witness. About five o'clock at night. Hunt.—Be so good as to state how you were em ployed in the interval? The Chairman here interfered, and would not allow the witness to answer the question. Rant remarked with considerable asperity on this interference, saying that it was extremely important that an answer should be obtained. The witness had stated, that a very considerable interval had inter vened between the delivery of the speech, and the preparation of his version of it ; and that in the mean time he had intrusted a considerable part of it to his memory. The retentiveness of his memory would of course be affected by the importance of the other events in which he had been engaged, and therefore it was but just that he should state how he had been employed? The Court over-ruled this demand. Hunt.—You state that you saw certain flags and colours, and that there was one of then with a bloody dagger ; now, what else was there besides the bloody dagger? Witness.—l observed nothing else. Iltint.—Did you observe no figure of Justice, with the scales in - one hand, and a dagger, which you call a bttiody dagger, in the other? Witness replied in the negative. Hunt.—Well, will you swear that there was no thing else? Witness said that he could not swear to there being nothing else. Hunt.—Now, you said that you saw military array; what do you mean by military array ? Witness.— Why, I mean people marching in regular order, as regiments march. Hutt.—Have you no Benefit Societies in Man. chewer? and have you not Orange Clubs in Man chester Z Witness.—l never heard that there were Orange Clubs in Manchester. The Court here interfered, and said that these questions were quite irrelevant. Hunt, on the other hand, contended that they were quite to the purpose; for when the witness spoke of regular order being nrilitayy . array, it was prop er t o ca ll to hi s m i n d in stances is which the former might occur without the have names a on a charg , much noise e ' the dock, • consistency ✓ ally Silent, '1- • Mr. Hunt saying, " so as to b Meeting th • Order, Mr. Hum riously con pause east been obtain address to Joseph Joh latter. (Then addressing himself to the Ki t „ li iked)—Did you never see Benefit Clubs „ m ,7 with music and banners ? Th e wit.,e,s A, ~- tbLaffirmative. . 11 nt.—Have you not seen them marchi n g: rigidi order ? e Court here interfered, and declared ti lt 'tlon irsilraat. The Chairman mentioned, t h ' interrupting the 'pi-hinter hi tfieie variou he and the other Gentlemen, acted on ' discretion. Hunt, with. great courtesy.-:And, Ge, must bow tb that discretion. (Then ad( witness)—You stated that the sticks yot bands of Oia persons who came to the M. more like thresting-Rails than walking., what do you mean by a (LK? and what rence between it and a walking suck? The Magistrate here interfered, and pl witness from answering the question. ' Hunt.--1 was ansiotis to obtain an answ• bad I been allowed to go on, I should from the witness that there was nothing mon to the country-people than to use th, for walking-sticks. (Addressing hims& ness)—Pray how were they held ? Wit were shouldered like muskets. Many other questions were put to this from the rapid manner in which the k was carried on, and tlle little parts of it, it would be impossible, ard fluous, to report it. The deposition of another witness, Richard Owen, a pawnbroker, KAS then deposed to the military array in which parties advanced to the Meeting : he uv haying seen Hunt in the cwt., to the hay , command given by one of the party in ti league together and to keep their enemies sevei-al other CirCUTLIStaIICCS. The peared, to be examined on his deposition. llunt.—W here did you make tlis jer Wituess.—On the field. The Clerk here interfered to come: and was supported by the Chairman, telli he could not have sworn it on the fichf jetted, in an animated manner, and in ver terms, at this interference. " I wan: Or the witness from himself, and nut from are interfering, to correct him, and right in the matter which he had alma iv The Chairman endeavoured to es 1 shew that th e witness 'mast fiave misapp, question. Mr. Hunt continued to declare that it decent in the Clerk to interfere. The Chairmen said it was well done c the Clerk to interfere. Mr. Hunt bowed to the Court, and c , examination. You said you made this depose the field. Witness.—Yes; I made the fir , ' on the field. I swore on the field that entering it in a carriage. Hunt.—Did you swear nothing more you saw me entering it in a carriage? Witness.—l swore that the town was that the Meeting ought to be put a stop Hunt.—You did not swear the whole sition then ? The Magistrates here interfered, and was not at all necessary for the witness the deposition was first sworn, as it was be sworn to now. Mr. Hunt commenced a reply, when the interrupted him, by telling him, that the ' hear nothing more upon the question. man at the same time desired that the might be read over a second time.' Hunt.—No ; I strongly object to the the witness's memory by bearing his over a second time. Chairman—The Court intended it as a fa , Hunt.—Oh, my memory is very good find that it fails me. I beg that on the' sion I may not be indulged: (then a( witness)--Did you not say that the men litany array on.your first deposition ? Witness—No, I did not observe it. Hunt,—You were so much alarmed not then state it to the Magistrates? The Court again interfered. Hunt.—When did it occur 6o you to facts upon oath ?—The Wetness, of his refused to answer this question. Hunt appealed to the Bench, saying, witness who refuses to answer a material what shall I do with him r The Court decided that the witness was to answer the question. Mr. Hunt on this, other occasions, requested Mr. Pearson, to take particular notice, and to mark down occurred. Mr. Hunt—Did yott see me in the car would not answer the question. Mr. Hunt again begged Mr. Pearson to that it had been over-ruled by' the Magistram awitness was bound to give his residence, nish a knowledge of where he could be f' of a prosecution for perjury being institt him, founded upon the evidence to which he Hunt—What do yen mean by " Witness--I mean marching order, 'Nil ing, and music playing. Hunt— How? Does one man walking make military array ? Did these poop. lock-step ? Witness did not know what the lock-step Hunt—What did you consider as the' of the array ? The witness was desired not to answer tion. The Chairman observed, that it was sary to be so particular now; all that the • wanted, was to know whether there wer , for committal ? Such an examination mt, tered upon at his trial, it he thought it condi his interest. " Then," said Alr. Hunt, readiness, " I am to understand that my t cided upon, and that I may be committed, examination, and without evidence." Saxton here put a material question to Hunt—Were you alarmed? Witness replied in the affirmative. Hunt—Were other persons alarmed ? Hunt—Would you mention who they . • Witness was not allowed to anst % er this ci l 7 . ` , " - ke , Hunt—Had these imaginary soldiers any the cubs .ss a , '. Q.; narelna.:, c dared the tinned, ih!...• rious q se e r on thei r • Gentl,T ley address , you s aw , • ng stick s • hat is the 4' d prev eltei .nswer, el have ng m ine e the,r old • self to ; itr.ess.— lis is culircrur., :.erne ~f .1 indeed then read. , 411 the di:.. deposed to . having hu t ! ill the can lilies out," 0 . , ituess die! . tion. lepositim? !et the Ti; telling lad. Hunt, ► very indi : the ar.s%e r nd to set 44.1 v swe.,: r: lain, iuJ ippreheii t it was inn to en the pan d tontine:l' is deposition ie first pelts!. that I saw .. more than is in alarrr., top to. )ie Of this nd said ess to say t' vas suppose! na the Cl.ai. the Court ..; in. The the de , he refreshing deposition • a favourto, rood; I se: , • he present ..• addressing .• ten came is ed that Tos a to state 'his own at. ng, " Bets h serial. q was not b. us, as oil an, his down what car • a to rategram ' ace, sad to ' >c loud, io• stituted : ' :h he had nr.. oilitary aril' with dap ng after ~ obsen't k-step to dreadful swer Ole • :was not ••• he Nfagisua t. were g might 11 0 it conducive at, wish my trial flitted, Hi th‘g to the witurs 1?-1"es; e y were.. t hi s quest l6 . • s any music .'