The Express.
London, England, 1867-06-22 00:00:00

(STAMPED, li. ADDMOIAL ]

The sheeting was done because be disobeyed the rule. of
the trade, and only for that reason. The only thing that
he had dune was to work at Mr. Newbould's, that gentle-
man being unwillingto turn out his men.
Mr. Overend—What is the next thing you have to
tell about ? Have you employed Crooke, in any other
similar thing?
Witness (after a long pause)—l think he was once em-
ployed, but I am nut certain, to blow up Bernard's at
Firth and Sons. I cannot say how many years ago that is.
I cannot recollect whether the attempt was made to blow
them up, but I think the gunpowder did not go off. The
boiler under which it was placed was situated beyond the
Wicker. I empld the man to do it.
Mr. Onrend—Wbo was that man?
Witness—l can give you no information on that point.
I believe it was Crooke.. Witness continued that his
impression was that Crooke. employed another man
with him. He could not remember the exact amount
he gave for that affair. It was not a large sum. It might
be about U. He would not admit that Crookes was em-
ployed to watch at Firths and shoot Hellewell ; but ho did
remember he was employed to do something.
Mr. OverenclTNow, on your oath, was not Crooke. em-

plyed to shoot him?
Witness—l believe not. I believe he was to stop him from
working by laming him alirob. It was somethingof that kind.
Crooke' told witness he had watched at Firth's many nights,
and he once told him he was watching on the railway
bridge, but he did not tell him that on one occasion he got
his gun to shoot at him, but Woodhead's head came in
between him and Hellewell and he dare not shoot. Being
pressed on this point, witness said—Now you remind me,
he did tell me something about having a gun ; but what I
do not remember. Crookee did not shoot him, berme he
had not a chance. The period of time Crookes was watch-
ing for this chance he did not know.
Mr. Overend then handed to witness • letter, saying.
"Is that your handwriting?"
Witness admitted that it was very like it. He believed
it was.
The letter was read. It was addressed to John Hells-
well, at Messrs. Firths'. Post-mark August 24, but se
year. The letter was as follows :—" Messrs. Firth and
Hons.—Gentlemen,—The game works merrily, and we
burst away all obstacles before us. If we appear to be
rather long about it you are not the less sure. It is your
turn next, and the man who bangs back will be the first
to get it. If I move my finger you are sent to eternity.
Be advised and take things in time."
Witness—l think it is my letter.
Mr. Overend—Do you recollect Linley being shot at your
instigation on November 12, 1859?
Witness said he (lid. He remembered that Linley
died eight months after he was shot the last
time. He remembered that in 1859 • can of gun-
powder was thrown into the house of • man named
Poole in the Wicker. Witness employed Crooke. to do
that. He did not remember how much was paid for doing
it. Witness could not remember the above case until Mr.
Overend had brought it to his meniory. He knew that
on November 4th, 18.59, Joseph Wilson's house was
attempted to be blown up. lie caused that to be done.
He employed Crooke. and no one else. He did not know
how much be gave him fur that. Lesley was one of Firth's
men, and witness thought he ought to contribute. He bad
had no quarrel with him except on trades affair', or with
Wilson either. His object in throwing a can of gunpowder
into the house of I'oole, a butcher, was to alarm Linley, as
he was his brother-in-law. (Sensation.)
Overend —And this poor butcher had had nothing
to do with it ?—No, we risked that. The butcher was
married and had some children. Wilson bad set the
society at defiance, and had determined to have nn con-
nection with it. He knew a person of the name of
Holdsworth. They blew him up. Witness caused to be
put • quantity of gunpowder in the cellar of his manufac-
tory. He employed Crookes to do that, and gave him
somewhere about 6/. On June the 7th, 1863, he re-
collected that an attempt was made to blow up the
house of William Heaney, in Bernard-street. Crooke' did
that, and he did not know of any one else. Crookes had
told him a man named " Hump" helped him in :rime of
his obs. He mentioned, besides Hallam and " Hump, "
Copley, the latter in the Hereford-street outrage.
Fearnehough had gone to Roaney's to work, and
this was the cause of the outrage there. Holds-
' worth was blown up for a trade dispute.
For blowing up Reaney's house he thought it
would be about 61. he paid. Them was no fixed
tariff of compensation fur the work. For watching
Hellewell he believed Crooke. received about Si. He
did not recollect any other ease. In 1866, October Bth,
Feernehough's house in Hereford-street was blown up.
Witness caused that. (Sensation.) He employed Crookes.
, Copley was with Crooke' when be did it ; bet Copley
never exchanged • word with witness shout doing it. He
gave Crooke, 161. for doing that. He bad no private
quarrel with Fearnehough. He never knew of Sutcliffe 's
cab" till his at•ention was drawn to it. He did not know
whether he had told Broonihead he had a fit man to
help him in the job. He thought he remembered a
conversation on that subject having taken place.
Broomhesul was the secretary of the pen and
pocket blade union. lie did not remember having
talked to a secretary of any other union on the sanie
subject. Having been warned to be cautious by Mr.
Overend, witness said, " I catch what you are after ; it is
the branches of the saw trade." The branches of the saw
trade—its officers and himself—had frequently arranged
for rattening to be done. He had arranged with William
Hyde', Henry Skidmore, and the secretaries of the handle
makers, and jobbing grinders too. Witness continued
that he was treasurer of the National Association of
Amalgamated Trades till the preceding night, when be had
resigned. The association was created about last Christ-
mas. Its objects are to resist lock-outs by masters.
Its Sheffield members numbered about six or eight
thousand, and throughout the kingdom about sixty
thousand. The head.quariers of the society were Sheffield.
Two levies of one half penny per head were made every
year for working expenses. It had power to levy • further
sum per head according to its requirements. The Judicial
Council judged of that. It usually sat at Sheffield. lie
was one of the executive. That society had no connection
with the various outrages which had been committed.
Mr. Sorg then said he was requested by Mr. Dron-
field, the secretary of the National Association, to
sal that it had nothing to do with the local trades, nor
with the defence committee, nor had they contributed one
farthing to the defence fund.
Mr. Overend—Now, we will go back to Linley's affair.
After he wan shot did you write a series of letters exhibit-
ing great abhorrence ?
v fitness-1
did, sir.
Mr. Overenil —After Wheatman's place was blown up—
(here the witness wept bitterly)—did you not write • letter
trying to put suspicion on Messrs. Wheatman ?
Witness here began to make a long statement, but Mr.
Overend stopped him, saying be hail the newspaper,
and read from it certain portions of the letter. I% itneas
said that in that letter that he wished to show
Ithem there were other motives beside trade unions, and
he wished it to be thought these other motives had been
the course. He did this hoping "the end would justify
! the means." He believed that in that letter he described
' 'his blowing up as a hellish deed. He knew about Wilson
being blown up. and after he came to him about it he sug-
gested he should be brought up before the magistrates on
account of his apprentices. Witness recollected a person
coming to the committee and stating that he found his nuts
lin his (witness's) heu-roost ; and also that he saw some bands
there, and be also remembered at that time going to
the person and saying he would satisfy him that they
were some superfluous bands; and that the bands be-
longed to the society, but at the time he was not aware
there were any bands there. It was the man who said he
thought there were some hands there, so he told him to go
and look, for he thought if he had placed the nuts there,
as suggested, he might also have placed the bands there.
After Fearnetiough win blown up lie addressed a letter to
the newspapers, in which he described the perpetrator's
conduct as of the most infamous description, soul he also
said that Fearnehough's conduct was as bad as it oould be,
and almost merited what he carne to. He did not still con-
tinue of that opinion. He offered a reward of N. out of
his own pocket for the discovery of the perpetrator of
that outrage. His onion also offered a sum of money.
It was ouly through him that his union had offered the
reward. He had been censured very much regarding that
affair, and he offered his resignation ; but his union passed
a resolution that they had perfect confidence in him. A
gentleman named Verity came down. That was before
the Hereford-street outrage. shortly after the Acorn-street
murder. At that time witness's conduct was the subject
of much comment. They said he hail to do with the mur-
der in Acorn-street. He had enjoyed • good character to
that time.
Mr. Overend again questioned the witness about the
mode in which he got the money to pay for the out-
rages of which he had been the instigator. In these
affairs had been expended from 1301. to 150/., but all
the explanation witucss could give was that he got it out
of the contributions of the members, falsifying the ac-
counts so as not to be detected. All the books relating to
these affairs had been destroyed except those in use dur-
ing the time of the Hereford-street outrage. Of the
money be paid for that, M. Skidni(2m, the treasurer of
"-mutate-

____ _ . _ .
Wilmese—Samuel Crooke*. the SM ore' Uniesi;paid hiss 15/. He did not tell
Mr. Oversnd—Wss Martin there? Skidmore what it was for, but Skidmore was well aware
Witness—No ;if I must die this instant he was not after it was done. In his judgment in every trade of
Mr. Overend—l ask you again was Samuel Croukes pre- Sheffield rattening prevailed. When rattening would not
sent at the time when Shaba Parker was shot? succeed stronger measures were adopted, but in no other
Witness—To my knowledge I believe be was not. Wit. trade but his own. He would never keep an entry of a
ness continued that when he had any shooting business to rattening, or an outrage, or a blow up. The committees
do be bad always entrusted it to Crooke*, as a man upon were not parties to the outrages.
whom he could depend. He then denied that he knew the Mr. Overend—Mr. Broadhead, row there are certain
names of any of the other men who engaged in the outrage letters of a threatening character, signed " Tantia Topie."
on Parker. Did you write those letters ?
Mr. Overend here gave witnese a solemn warning re. Witness—Most of them. In which people were WI
erecting his repeated denial on that bead. they might expect to be shot, and all that kind of thing.
Witness then stated that a roan called Dunfonl, in his Broadhead then left the witness-box, and appeared corn-
belief, did it. Martin bad told him so. He continued—The pletely overpowered by the examination he bad undergone.
these other men I have mentioned were members of the After some further but et:imperatively unimportant evi-
union. I had had any personal quarrel with Parker. donor, the commission adjourned till to-day.
a

CrWOPENCE

METROPOLITAN ASSOCIATION.

Yesterday this aseocistion, whose object is to
provide improved dwellings for the industrious classes, .
held its twenty-third annual meeting at the offices in
Coleman-street, Mr. J. GoLnstrio, M.P., in the chair. The
directors, in their report, announce the completion and
full occupation of Gatliff-buildings, in Commercial-road,
Pimlico, consisting of 27 single rooms, 104 seta at two
rooms, and 18 sets of three rooms, erected under arrange
meet with the Marquis of Westminster, who advancesraalge
necessary funds at 3 per cent. interest, reserving to him-
self the right of fixing the rents at • low rate, varying
from 21. 9d. for a tangle room, with water rind washing
conveniences attached, to Ile. 61. for three rooms, and has
thus enabled the association to sooommodate a poorer class of
tenants. Since the last report ten more pairs of the cottages
at Penge have been completed, making a total of 36 cottages
there, which are all occupied, and with the piece of garden
ground attached to each, are much appreciated by the
tenants who are engaged at their work in London during
the day. Arrangements have been made with the directors
of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway to convey
them at the rate of 2.. • week each. To enable the
directors to proceed with the erection of similar cottages,
they have applied under the " Labourting Clams' Dwelling
Homes Act, 1866," to the Public Works Loan Commis-
sioners for an advance of 18,0001., which has been accorded
to them. For this loan, interest at the rate of 4 per cent. .
per annum will be paid, and lf. is. per cent. per annum fa
addition, to repay the principal money in 40 years.
The directors have obtained • Treasury order to relieve
from house tax all the dwellings of this association, and in
all similar oases where the dwellings are of y less annual
value than 201. a year. The mortality in the entire pro-
perty of the association has this year been 47 out of an
average population of 2,061; 26 of these deaths were of
children under ten years of age. The average rate in the
society's budding. being rather over 17 per 1,000, while
that of the metropolis generally has been 264 per 1.000.
This tate of 17 per 1,000 has now been maintained for
seven successive years. The net profits this year amount
to 3,5151. sa. 11d., sufficient to pay • dividend of 34/. per
cent., which the directors recommend free of income tax.
This will leave a balance of 401. 3a 7d. to be carried to the
guarantee fund, which it increases to 2,965/. 2s.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption, congratulated
the shareholders that the aesonation continued to be suc-
cessful in carrying out the object. for which it was este-
bliabed. The rents of the property in Pimlico, though
very moderate, would enable the society to pay interest oa
the 20,0001. advanced by the Marquis of Westminster, and
larva a fair amount over for expenses of management and
profit. The Penge property would also return a fair profit
after paying expenses. Having glanced at the other points
in the report, he dwelt especially on the low rate of mor-
tality which prevailed in the dwellings belonging to the
association, which he attributed to the sanitary and im-
proved domestic arrangements provided. The motion
having been seconded was adopted, the dividend recom-
mended was confirmed, and the general business of re-
electing directors and auditors having been transacted, the
proceedings terminated with the usual acknowledgment of
the services of the chairman and directors.