The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-19 00:00:00

Alleged Attempted Murder by Brickmakers

On Wednesday, at Heaton Norris, William Slater and
Holland Cheetham, members of the Brickmakers' Union,
were charged with feloniously wounding, with intent to
murder, Thomas Wild, a brickmaker, at Reddish, on the
2d August. The prosecutor has been in the Infirmary
since the affray, and was with difficulty brought into court
toto have been cruelly ill-treated,
and suffering from great
havinggi e evidence.hi
s right
r Hem
in e
splints, m
exhaustion arising from other injuries. He was accommo-
datedtwhaeManchesterl d in
with 2 Cheethamproesee. prosecutor's residence, at Reddish,
was formerly a member of
lqr. F. Bale, surgeon, who
tchair.is
t police
the
about 7 o'clock on the morning of the 3d inst. stated that he
found him suffering from a punctured wound on the right
arm, and a fracture of the bone. The shoulders, ribs,
left leg, and right eye exhibited marks of great violence,
which placed his lifein danger. The cart legs produced
was called e
would cause the wounds inflicted on the eye and arm.
In cross-examination the witness said the punctured
wound on the arm was evidently caused by a blow, and
not by a stab. The prosecutor did not say anything
about the persons who attacked him.—Wild, the prose-
cutor, then gave his evidence. He —e said he was a brick-
burner at Reddish, where he had resided six months, and
had worked for Messrs. J. Meadows and Sons six )ears, at
Oldham. After he came into the district a " strike" took
place amongst the brickmakers, against the pressed bricks.
The whole of the hands of the Messrs. Meadows, 26 in
number, turned out on the Friday, and the next day they
attended at the Pack Horse, and received 5s each club-
money from the prisoner Slater. The turn-out lasted five
weeks, but he and two others returned to work at the
month's end. On the whole he received 20s from the club.
In consequence of what was said to him, he sent 6s out of
his wages as contribution money to the club. On one occa-
sion during the turn-out, while at the club, Slater said to
him, "If you go into the yard again your pay will be
stopped ;" and on another occasion
he said, " you must not
be seen in the yard again until the master sends for you."
He replied, " All right." On the 2d August it was his shift
to watch the kiln. He went on about 9at night, and im-
mediately afterwards he saw a brickmaker, named James,
washing himself at the canal side. He sail, "Good night,"
and witness returned the compliment. Before that, he ob-
served a stranger, a brick temperer, standing near the foun-
dation for the mill, watching. At midnight, while he was
getting coal, a man came between the shed and the lamp.
It was Wm. Slater, he thought. He said, " Can you show
us where I can lay down an hour or two?" He answered
"Yes." Slater did not do anything. Five other
men
then
stepped out from the end of the office, and commenced to
strike him with pieces of wood. He was struck down six
times, and was 'll-treated. While on the ground he ex-
claimed " Lord have mercy on me--you've finished me."
One of the men replied "He'll burn no more," and then
left him, and he scrambled on as well as he could, 90 yards
off. The person who used the cart legs he took to be the
man who was washing himself—Slater. He did not know
any of the other five by name except Holland Cheetharo,
and he said he was not certain about him. Mr Torr was
proceeding to cros - s examine the witness when he swooned
away, and the inquiry was interrupted. Wild was then
carried out of court, followed by Mr Bayle, the surgeon,
who returned in a short time and stated that it would not be
safe under the circumstances to continue the examination.
The prisoners were then remanded, bad being refused.

A VETERAN OF THE GRANDE ARM EE.—An old
soldier more than a hundred years of age, has just
died at Montmiral, near Romans (Drome). He entered the
army at the beginning of the Revolution, and terminated
his military career at Waterloo. He never suffered from
illness, and died at last of decay,