The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-01 00:00:00

THE PRESTON STRIKE.

METROPOLITAN MEETING.
Lae night a public meeting, called by an amalga-
mated committee of working men, was held at the British
School-room, Cowper-street, City•road, to support the
Prestoa operatives during their struggle with the mill-
owners, and to consider the question of inaugurating •
urgTehde tChiellnielicmessANity of well considering the question of
Campbell, a working men),
Labour Parliamentime.
J.
labour generally in consequence of the miserable position
in which the operative+. of Preston and ether places in
Lancashire were now placed. The frequent occurrence of
strikes in those districts was owing to the great power of
machinery to produce, and the greater entice of the 'nea-
ten in pushing production to increase profits, and to lower
wages when the demand for labour slackened, so that their
high profits might nut decrease. The Times had said a
few days since that the law of buyer and seller must pre-
vail between the employer and the employed ; and that if
a broker asked a certain price for a table, if the inquirer
did not like to give the price he left the table, and there
the matter ended. But the cue was not fairly put, for it
wa
price,sthe m ananudfnaoctt theurer
wwohrekibegougmhtant, hhwelo sold it. (hear,abour,whofi
the
hear.) He thought the question might be settled by le-
gislative enactment, empowering a certain number of MaS -
tern and men to settle the rates of wages and questions of
dispute in the various trades. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. FINLEN moved a resolution that the time had
arrived when a united movement of the working classes,
based upon a national organisation and guided by one
directing body, could alone assure adequate support to the
men now "locked-out "of employment, or on strike, and
enable workmen in the future to free labour from the
thraldom of capital.
Mr. J. 13. O'BRIEN seconded the resolution.
Mr. G. COWELL, with reference to the present aspect of
the strike, sail he saw by the Times of that day that the
millownen of other towns were about to run their mills
short time, on the pretence that trade was dull. He told
them that trade was not dull. The truth was goods could
be got out of the looms fast enough, and as one
man left his loom another was to be found to supply
his place. (Hear, hear.) The Russian war was not
the bugbear of trade, but the Preston " lock-out " and the
strike of Lancashire. (Hear, hear.) The whole thing was
a blow at labour, hut subscriptions so far had poured in
well, and if they continued, be had no doubt the manufac-
turers of Lancashire would get such a thrashing as they had
never had before. (Hear, hear.) The Blackburn masters
had said that if the Preston manufacturers did not give in,
they would have to decrease the wages they were giving,
or they could not meet the Preston manufacturers in the
Manchester market—(hear, hear)—and when the Times
said that the Preston masters could not give the advance
demanded, he answered that the Blackburn masters gave
10 per cent. more than the Preston mate' s—the goods pro-
' duced being entirely the same—and that therefore the
Preston manufacturers could surely afford to advance 10
per cent.
The resolution was then agreed to, as was also a resolu-
tion in support of a labour parliament, similar to that re-
cently resolved upon by a Manchester meeting.

DESPERATE POACHING AFFRAY' AT HARE-
WOOD.

+--

This case, mentioned in the Daily News a few days
ago, again came on pursuant to remand, before the Rev. J.
A. Rhodes, and other West Riding justices, at the L .eds
court-house, on Tuesday afternoon last, the prisoners being
James Hepworth, Joseph Ilodgson, Joseph Close, and
George Britton. The information charged the prisoners
with being out upon the estate of the Earl of Ilarewood,
on the morning of Tuesday, the 15th of November, and
brutally assaulting four of the game watchers of the Earl
of Harewood—one of whom, David Headland, had his jaw
broken, and was otherwise most seriously injured. Mr.
Ferns appeared fur the prosecution; Mr Naylor for Cu,.,
and Mr. Grainger for Hodgson. Mr. Ferns said he would
offer no evidence against Hepworth (who was defended by
Mr. Sanderson), and he was discharged.
The first and principal witness was David Headland, one
of the watchers, who had sustained a fracture of the jaw,
and was so severely suffering from other grievous
injuries inflicted by the poachers, that he could not
give his evidence audibly. Having stated that he had gone
out about midnight of Monday, the 14th, and joined three
other watchers, named Wm. Ridedale, Richard Clark, and
John Morley, he added that they were on Bickerdike's
farm when he 'observed two men near a wood, and went
towards them. As the men disappeared the watchers fol-
lowed as far as a field in the occupation of Mr. Elijah
Clark, and on the side of a wood there found five men.
Witness continued—l, Morley, Clarke, and Ridadale, ran
towards them. I got op to one man, armed with a hedge-
stake, and he shouted to us, " Come along." He aimed a
blow at me with the hedge-stake when I got up. I parried
the blow with my stick, and immediately struck him on the
band, and also over the head. We then seized each other,
struggled, and bath went down. He cried out, " Oh,Lord
and then two men came up. One of them was the prisoner
Close, who was armed with a short bludgeon,like a staff but
rather longer. (Superintendent Green produced a long
staff, or bludgeon) That is the staff. Both Close and the
other man beat me very severely. The other man is not
present. After beating me they went to the other keepers,
who were then fighting with the other poachers. The night
was a very clear and beautiful moonlight night. Soon after
they left me I heard the report of a gun. lat the same
time heard a dog yell out—the dog which accompanies the
watchers. I and the poacher still remained struggling upon
the ground, and some other of the poachers came past us.
One of them said—" Let's give this another turn."
They beat me on the head with bludgeoes ; they broke my
lower jaw on the left side ; and i• jured me all over my hody,
an 4 particularly my left arm. Close is the man who then
struck me. He struck me with the staff now proJteed.
The poachers then decainped. I lost my senses for a second
or two, and when I attempted to get up I fell down.
I af,erwards got up and made my way with the
other keepers to Mr. Sawyer's, and got some water.
Before I got hones, I called upon Mr. Smith, surgeon, flare-
wood, who dressed my wounds. I was obliged to go to bed,
and have been unable to attend to any of my business what-
ever since. The prisoner Close bad a top coat and a cape on.
When I was looking up at him and taking particular notice,
he struck me on the jaw and broke it.
Cross•ezamined by Mr. Naylor—l only knew Close that
night, never having seen him before to my knowledge. I
first saw the poacher. on Bickerdike's farm ; I first saw Close
in Sawyer's field. . . .

John Morley, another watcher, stated that he went out
on the night in question, and whilst sitting under a hedge
with Ridsdale and Morley watching, five poachers entered
the field. This was before Headland arrived, and when he
came he followed the 'mediae, who had two dogs with
them. The poachers turned round and faced them.
Close seized witness, saying, " You --, I have
got you." Another poacher standing by was like
Britton. As soon as Close and witness began
struggling, Close said to two of the poachers—" Come
and give it him." Two of the poachers instantly attacked
Morley with bludgeons, beating him on the head ti 1 he
dropped, end they then said," He'll do." They then went
towards the watchers. One or the poachers, seeing the
watchers' dog, cried out to Close, "Shoot him." Close
took out of his pocket an air gun, which he pointed towards
Morley, who drew aside, and then Close shot the dog. Next
morning Morley examined the scene of the struggle, and
found there some broken hedge•stakes worked with blood,
a lot of snares, the pump of an air-gun, and several places
where hares had been killed.

Ridsdele, the third watcher, was next called, and corro-
borated Headland and Morley. He identified Close, and
expressed his belief that Hodgson was the man with wham
he (Ridadale) struggled and struck on the side of the head.
Richard Clarke, the fourth watcher, identified Hodgson
as one of the poachers ; end said he believed Britton was
the poacher he had knocked into the hedge bottom during
the fight.
Mr. John Gregory Smith, surgeon, of Harewood, de-
scribed the injuries sustained by the watchers in the affray.
The most serious were those inflicted upon Headland, who
had had his jaw broken, and other parts of his body in-
jured.
Superintendieg constable Green proved apprehending
Hodgson in Woodhouse Carr, and found that he had two
fresh plaisters upon the left side of his bead, in precisely
the place in which one of the watchers said he had struck a
man he believed to be Hodgson. Green afterwards cap-
tured Close, aud found in his house two walking-stick gusts,
powder-flask, shot-bag, and the staff which Headland had
spoken to. He also apprehended Britton, who said he had
not been on Lord Herewood's grounds for a moan, but had
been advised to keep out of the way in order to avoid being
taken. -

This was the whole of the evidence for the prosecution ;
and at the close the bench decided that the evidence against
Britton was insufficient to warrant his committal. He
was therefore liberated. Close and Hodgson were com-
mitted to York Castle for trial at the assizes.

FEARFUL COLLISION ON THE MANCHESTER,
SHEF-
FIELD, AND LINCULNBIIIKE RetLWAY.—Yeaterilay morn-
ing a frightful accident occurred to the mail train on the
above-mentioned railway, which it is feared will be
attended with fatal results, as several of the passengers
have been seriously injured. The mail train which leaves
Hull for London left the New lloVann station in safety,
and departed at its usual time for London. Between
Goshill station and New Holland there is a siding, upon
which a luggage train was standing, and in coati getenee of
the pointsman having -et the points wrong, the mail train,
which hal 4athered a fair am nint ofepeed, ran into the gouda
train with Such terrific violence that one of the fiat-clue car-
riages was broken in two. Tho greatest alarm prevailed,
added to the diu of the officials shouting, pe.sseugers scream.,
lag, and the wounded calling for help. The steam waa
instantly shut off: and, on making an inept ction, it wan
ascertained that several of the passengers had sustained
severe fractures of their limbs ; those were immediately
removed to New Holland station, from whence they win
be conveyed to the Hull Infirmary, and those who were
but slightly bruised continued their journey to London.
The enrii,e•drieer end stoker escaped narr,,wly with their
live'. The mail train was delayed about an hour, repairing
damages, and strived in Loudon 10 minute, behind its time.
The pointsman, through whose fault the melancholy occur-
rence took place, has been taken into custody.
MARIA ANTONIA RAlLWAY.—Ttliffie for wek k
ending Nov. 17, 1853, 2051. Corresponding week, 1812, 1911.
GREAT NoRTIIERN RAILWAY.—Return of traillo
for week ending Nov. 20, 1863 :—Passengers, parcels, car-
horses, dogs, and mails, 6,2611. ; merchandise
and minerals, 11,0441. 13s. Id. ; cattle, 3C.01. 12s.
Total, 17,66 W. Bs. 9d. Corresponding week, 1862,
16.5821. 17s. 6d.