The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-30 00:00:00

FATAL GUN ACCIDENT

At the Castle of Exeter, on Saturday, Charles Staddon,
a joiner's apprentice, was brought before the county
magistrates on the charge of manslaughter. John Western,
labourer, aged 25,_in_tha employ of Messrs. Dewdney, at
the Paper Mills, Stoke Canon, a village about five miles
from this city, was on Good Friday morning shot dead.
Western, who was a steady young man and much respected
by his neighbours, went to the parish church, but, finding
on reaching the door that he was rather late, he retraced
his steps. On passing the shop of Mr. Richards, who is
a carpenter, and also sells provisions, he turned into a
passage leading to the joinering-shop, intending to get,
a pipe of tobacco from the son of Mr. Richards. Just as
he approached the gate, which was partially closed, the
melancholy event occurred—he was shot in the left eye
and killed instantaneously. The shot came from the shop,
which he was about to enter, and passed through the
higher part of the gate. It was fired from a gun by
Charles Staddon, apprentice to Mr. Richards, with whose
son he was at the time engaged in making a coffin. The
ratter was the only witness of the occurrence. He stated
to the magistrates that the gun belonged to his father,
who is a bit of a sportsman, and the day previously
was preparing to shoot pigeons. Mr. Richards, senior,
:oaded the gun, and in doing so unfortunately broke
aff the brass end of the ramrod, which with [the powder
he left inside. Placing the weapon in a vice, he endea.
oured to get the broken ramrod out, but did not try the
plan of applying a percussion cap, and firing off the
contents. Young Staddon did this as an experiment, with
the grievous mischief stated. Taking up the gun which
Mr. Richards had hurriedly left standing against the wall,
he remarked to the son that he should like to see whether
t would go off. He then took a cap out of his waistcoat
pocket, and fired in the direction of the gate, with the
consequences above narrated. The bench remanded the
=se, admitting the prisoner to bail.

THE PRESTON STRIKE.

The latest from treston is that the operatives on strike
are as determined as ever to resist a reduction of 10 per
cent. in their wages. The masters shew no sign whatever
of rescinding their proposition. On the 7th of next month,
when the longest notices will expire, about thirty mills
will be closed and upwards of 16,000 hands on strike. On
iaterday the operatives at another mill (Mr. Maynard's)
struck work, their fortnight's notice having terminated.
The operative weavers, who are by far the largest
section of factory bands in the town, continue to
express their willingness to submit to a reduction of
5 per cent„ which will bring them down to the standard
list—a minimum scale of remuneration, agreed to nine
years since, and based upon the average wages paid
throughout the town at that time. But they will strike
rather than make a further concession. The entire num-
ber of weavers on strike is about 1,500, exclusive of depen-
dents, who will swell the ranks into more than 2.000-
evttsaa pael. Sew Gays meetings in support of the
isreston weavers have been held at Chorley, Black-
burn, Darwen, Clitheroe, Clayton-le-Moors, Accring-
ton, ITaslineen, Ramsbuttem, and Padiham. They
have been addressed by deputies from Preston, who
attended in accordance pith requests from the various
cli. tried mentioned, and at each of them resolutions in
sups ort of the Preston operatives were carried. Levies
amount on the average to about 2d. per loom were
agreed niew at al of them, and the money will, in the
course of the next few days, be forwarded to Preston. The
operatives persist in raying that the notice for a reduction
has been withdrawn at the five mills of Messrs. Haw-
icins ; but that tirus has not dune so, and it is certain
:hat the notice has been torn doe n. The spinners
and minders, upon whose will depends the employment
of the great majority of the operatives, will accept
no reduction. They are being paid in accordance
with the standard list, and insist upon either its strict
secognition or an appeal to arbitration. They have good
premises of support, and will be able to maintain their posi-
#ion for a long time. The addition made to the hands on
strike during the week has been about 200 ; the number of
mills at which strikes have occurred is seven ; and there
are now nearly 3,000 operatives out of work. The card-
room bands, who number about 2,000, are more strongly
opposed to the 10 per cent. reduction than the spinners,
for they allege that they are now being paid 20 per cent.
below the generality of similar operatives in Lancashire,
Cheshire, Yorkshire, and Derbyshire. The delegates
ent out by this body to lay their case before the
,psratives c f surrounding districts returned on Saturday
with very favourable reports as to the support which
would be given to them if no arrangement is come to
eefore the general notices expire. There are sixty of the
card-room hands now on strike. These operatives have
two associations and an " institute," and the women, who
have a union among themse'ves, are very fiercelyopposed
to any reduction. The card-room hands on strike receive
Ss. per week—a sum amounting to more than some of
them got when working short time at the wages now paid.
Throughout the entire operative community of Preston
there is a determination to resist the 10 per cent.
reduction. The masters, on the other hand, say that it
must be submitted to, and some of them are prepared to
keep their mills standing twelve months, presuming that
there is no change in the markets, rather than give way to
the claims of the operatives.
Another large meeting of delegates from various towns in
.:ancashire was held at the Weavers' Institute, Preston.
an Sunday. The early portion of the meeting was taken
up with the reading oi' reports as to grants made in
different places for the weavers on strike. The best
eeports—those announcing the most money in comparison
with the number of operatives—came from Darwen,
Chorley, Haslingden, and Padilsam. It is stated that
Blackburn has yet done nothing worth mentioning in the
latter of contributions, the political excitement there
' being the alleged reason ; but the cotton trade of Black-
burn is very depressed, and if there were no " political
excitement" many operatives would not be able to give
money to aid the Preston hands. The legatesave
resolved that 4s. per head should be given this week to
all operative weavemon strike, whether they be in or out
of the Union.
A meeting of delegates representing the card-room opera-
tives has also been held in Preston. There were represen-
tatives from twenty distriets present. At the commencement
of the proceedings the local secretary made a statement
explanatory of the present dispute, and contended that the
Preston card-room hands were now, without any further
reduction, paid lower than operatives similarly em.
played in 107 places in Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire,
and Derbyshire. The delegates were very decided in their
opinions as to the unfairness of the proposed reduction,
and unanimously resolved "that all the districts in the
association support by every legitimate means in their
power the card-room hands of Preston when they come out
on strike, by putting on levies and making subscriptions;
he card-rooms of all the mills iu Lancashire."

The practice of advertising by stencilling on the,.
foot pavements and parish posts, &c., in Wandsworth end
Clapham has become such a nuisance that the District
Board of Works has found it necessary (sags the South
London Pre.--s) to undertake the prosecution of one person
caught in the act, as a warning to others.
THE SOUTH WARWICKSIIIRE ELECTION PETI-
TION.—The petition, against the retarn of Mr. John
Hardy, one of the Conservative members f,ur South
Warwickshire, will be tried at the Shire Hall, Warwick,
on the sth May, and subsequent days. It is not yet
• known which of the judges will try the petition, but it is
surmised it will be taken by Mr. Baron Martin, as Mr.
Justice Blackburn will be engaged with the Stafford
petitions. The petition, which is presented by four
Leamington tradesmen, alleges that Mr. Hardy, by
himself and others on his behalf, was guilty of bribery,
treating, and undue influence, whereby he is incapacitated
to serve in Parliament, and therefore that the election is
null and void. The 5e.mat0t,„5.1.1..1 for eithgrof3kt
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