The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-04-07 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, Aran 6.

hfattheve Lcwlher, William Tamer, and John Stalbrd, were in-
dicted for conspiracy, and for assaulting Timothy Richardson.
Mr. AN DR EWS opened the case as one of the utmost public im-
portance. The prosecutor and the defendants were all journeym• n
cabinet-makers, who worked for Messrs. Barnes and Co. of St.
Paul's Church-yard. The three defendants belonged to the society
of cabinet-makers. The prosecutor did not, and was by them de-
signated "a black." There had been a turn-out of the men at
Messrs. Baynes and Co.'s. The prosecutor was by them employed.
and. with another only, remained St his work. Lowther, one of
the defendants, invited the prosecutor to come to him on the day
named ; he went to a public-house, where he was ill.treated by him
and the other defendants. _

The prosecutor stated the fact of his being employed by Messrs.
Barnes, and his being invited to a public-house neer Oxford-street,
where he was placed on a particular seat in the parlour. Melt
there, a quantity of yellow ochre and other filth was repcstediy
thrown upon hint fnint an aperture in the wainscoting, ; front 15 to
20 men then rushed into the room, among whom rare the defend-
ants Turner and Stafford. They seized him by the coat, tore it,
pushed him on the lire. filled his hat with rubbish, and put it also
on the fire, threw him down on the fluor, and otherwise violently
ill-treated and abused him. and ultimately pushed him into the
cellar. He know of no other reason for their abuse than his not
being a society man. Messrs. Baynes and Co. would not employ
any society men. The transaction happened about half-past une
o'clock in the day. Lowther paid him ss. in part of 7s. 6d. that he
owed lairs. _ -

Mr. ALLEY crow-examlned witness.—He did not pull off his
coat to fight ; be pulled it off to shake the dirt ofF. Lowther re-
ceived some of the dirt in the pailour as well as himself. He was
positive that the !Iva shillings wail paid in part of the debt he owed
him.

William Riley was pot-boy at the Bell and Drummer, Wells-
street; saw prosecutor in the yard after he had been ill used. He
was all over filth and stuff. His trowsers were tom. Did not ace
any of the men. Koew the three men at the bar. Recollects seeinir
Lowther there. The parlour was full of men. Did not know how
many went out; he was in the tap-room. Went to the cellar;
saw the man there. He heard him call out—" Oh ! the dog hal
hold of me !" Part of the prosecutor's 'masers were in the dog's
mouth.

\Witham lHann.vra proved that Mews. Baynes and Co. employed
men that did belong to the society and those who did not.
A clerk or Mr. Harmer, the solicitor, proved that Messrs. Baynes
and Co. employed him to conduct the prosecution.
Mr. ALLEY (with whom was Mr. BARRY), for the defendants,
cotoplaired that Mr. Andrews had over-stated the case in his open-
ing, and that he should be able to show that it was nothing more
than a common assault, and that, according to his instructions, the
prosecutor was " a liar;" that Lowther bad invited him, in a
friendly way, to go to Messrs. Stothard's to look at a musical in-
strument of peculiar excellence ; that they afterwards west to
a public-house to drink ; and that what happened wet, purely acci-
dental. lie wredd call a nuniher of persons to show that there was
no on the part of the defendants, but that it arose from ill-
will on the per: of the prosecutor.
James Roy, a piannforte.csse maker at Messrs. Stothard's, saw
Lowther and prosecutor there, drinking gin and water in the tap-
room ; did not, upon his oath, know what a " black" was. After
he had been to dinner, he returned to the public house, and only
saw prosecutor and Lowther there.
. . .

B, the CHAIRMAN—Iie was fifty-one years of age ; had been
in the business seven years ; was before in the army ; was certain
he did not know what " a black " was ; he had belonged to a
society. but that was only fur the insurance of tools; did not know
where the society was registered.
James Love, another workman at Messrs. Stothard's—Knew that
a " black" meant a man who worked under price ; who did not
belong to a society ; had been in the trade three years.
John Saunders, a tailor, saw the prosecutor at the public-house;
he " took him to be intoxicated ;" heard an altercation between
him and some men ; they were quarrelling about their trade; pro-
secutor said he would " work, fight, or play" with any of them.
Lowther said, "Do not quarrel with those men." They then
went to another part of the room, and both shortly after complained
that they had ' colour" thrown upon them; prosecutor then took
off his coat to fight, and Lowther then said he would take his
part. Turner then aline in ; the prosecutor was very aggravating;
Lowther took out a crown-piece to toss fur a pint of rye; the pro-
secutor took it and pat it into his pocket, and said he would charge
any one with a robbery who attempted to take it from him. Prb-
accutar wanted to hove, but Turner said be should not go till he
had returned the five shilling piece. He saw the prosecutor strike
Lowther, which was the only blow he saw.
In his cross-examination he admitted that it was after the 'pro-
secutor had the ochre thrown over him that he said he would
work, tight, or pity with any of them," and that he heard some
one cry out from the cellar. lie went to the public-house yeller.
tiny, both before and after he was in the Court. Did not think he
w prized fee snore than one or two cabins ..makers, " in all London;"
Lc bilivel the prosecutor to be drunk.
Pr-hard Clark, a carpenter and builder, was at the public.
horse. Witness generally confirmed the last witness. In his
cro.‘s. -examination he admitted he heard the men in the yard, at!:
some one told hint that the dog had torn the man's leg ; he did not
go out to see it.
. . .. .. _ .

Two other ',throws were examined, who gave similar evidence.
Mr. A x E replies% contending that the cue remained un-
wive:9,A ; and particularly alluded to tho reluctance with which
the pi' -lthy answered the questions that be had put to him. He
contended that a conspiracy was proved, for Lowther had invite,:
probLeti,or to the factory, that the men might know him, and there
thny for ale that he might the longar remain for all of them to
was names hat singular that neither the landlord, the
landiAtly, or the a want girl had Caen called, and he could not be-
lieve tlizt any landlord would serve at that time of the day more
liqaor to o Ingo aho was drunk. as wale of the witnesses had de-
abed thy. Inds...cm:or. It was quite clear the tole cause of what
had Like!' u!ace wan that which the prosecutor had stated, air- that
he was not a Rucietv-man, or, in other words, that he was what they
termed " a black." The linarned Counsel alluded to the repeal of
the Combintuua Laws, and was sure that if inch meu as the pro-
acemor were not protected by their verdict, the consequc.ices would
ho the moat alarming ; and he considered the cane or the greats:
iniportsiro to the public. . _ _

1 he Crtat its; AN recapitulated the chief points of the ease, end
charged the Jury that the facts of the case were proved ; but if the
Jury had a doubt, they would glee the tierendahis the full benefit
of it; he felt sorry that such a case had occurred, for the punish-
ment was a heavy one.
The Jury autanceiately found all the defendants Ceilty.—Judt.
wet deferred.