The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-03 00:00:00

Sheffield Trades' Union Commission.

TWENTY-FIRST DAY (TUESDAY).
The Commission resumed their sittings to-day.
Mr. Overend, the chief examiner, who met with an
accident a few days ago, came into the court sup-
ported by crutches, and during the day he reclined
on a couch.
Mr. John George Robson, manager for Mr. H.
E. Iloole, stove, grate, and fender manufacturer,
was the first witness. He said in 1861 there was a
dispute with the fender-grinders in Mr. Hoole's
employ, in consequence of a non-union man having
been engaged. The reason of his being engaged
was because the union men had been out drinking
and neglecting their work. Mr. Iloole asked the
foreman if he could not find some steadier men, and
be got a non-society man named Taylor. The first
day he worked at the wheel the whole of the grinders
turned out. On the day afterwards Mr. Iloole re-
ceived threatening letters. The foreman was re-
quested by Mr. Iloole to get men in place of those
who had turned out, and five or six were engaged
from Masborough, all of whom were non-society
men. When the unionists found that their places
were being filled, they desircAl to come back upon
certain conditions being complied with, but Mr.
Boole refused to allow them to be set on. Broad-
head and Charles Bagshaw called a day or two after
the non-society men had commenced work, and had
an interview with them. They offered them £5
each if they would leave their work, and on that
. being refused an offer of £7 10s. was made. The
men, however, refused to leave unless they were
paid £2O each. Another offer, this time of £lO
each, was made and refused. That was in the
month of June. Some few weeks afterwards the
men were intimidated, and three of them, including
the foreman, Mr. Sibray, were attacked, as they
were going home one night, and one of them was
left for dead. The foreman was suddenly sur-
rounded by some six or eight men, and was struck
in the face with some hard substance like stones
tied in a handkerchief ; several of his teeth were
knocked out. After that the men had to be guarded
by the police in going home.
John Sibray, stove grate manufacturer, said in
1861 he was manager to Mr. Hoole. He proved
that in June of that year Mr. Hoole desired him -to
get a man in the place of one who was very un-
steady. He got a man named Charles Taylor from
Masborough, who was a non-society man. As soon
as he commenced working all the grinders left work,
and some other non-society men were engaged.
Some little time afterwards several threatening
letters were received, and a deputation, consisting
of Broadhead, Bagshaw, and some of the grinders,
waited upon Mr. Hoole with respect to the society
men being again employed. On the sth of Nov., as
he was leaving the union wheel, he was assaulted
by two men, one of whom struck him with some
hard substance on the mouth. The reason of his
being assaulted, he believed, was because he had
engaged non-society men. There had been no dis-
pute respecting rules, and he had no private quarrel.
Before he was assaulted he had given notice to Mr.
Hoole, because of the threatening letters ; he was
afraid of what would be done to him.
George Wastnidge, a fender-grinder, of Mas-
borough, said—ln June, 1861, I was engaged by
Mr. Sibray to work for Mr. Thole. Some short time
after I had been there Bagshaw and Broadhead
waited upon me and offered me money to leave my
situation. I refused to do that, and said I was will-
ing to join the union if they would allow me to work
in peace and quietness. Efforts were made to in-
duce me to leave Mr. Hoole's employ, among others
by Broadhead, secretary of the Sawgrinders' Union,
and Mr. C. Bagshaw, now president of the amal-
gamated trades of Sheffield. Broadhead and Bag-
shaw came to me two or three times and offered me
money to quit Mr. Hoole. They said Mr. Hoole
was agreeable to this. I saw Mr. thole, and he
said he knew nothing about it. I continued work-
ing. I went to Broadhead's house on the invitation
of 'Broadhead and Bagshaw.. I saw Broadhead
there. Roddis, Cooper, and Redback went with me.
We had plenty of beer free of charge, and then came
away. Nothing was said to us. I had not much
fear of being molested, but policemen had to
be employed to protect the men on their way to and
from work. I and Cooper were attacked in the
streets one night. On the 23d of November I, my
wife and child, slept in the attic, and Mrs. O'Rourke,
a lodger, in the chamber. About midnight my wife
beard conversation in the street, and then a crash at
the chamber. She exclaimed, " Oh, dear ! what's
that?" And jumping out of bed, looked through
the attic window. My wife then went into the bed-
room, and found Mrs. O'Rourke, with something in
her hands, which turned out to be a can of gun-
powder, with a fuse attached. My wife took the can
from Mrs. O'Rourke, and it exploded in her hands,
setting her dress on fire. My wife ran back to the
attic in flames. I pulled her burniug night-dress
off and then attended to the child, fearing it would
get on fire. While I was doing this my wife, naked
as she was, jumped out of the attic window in her
fright. A ladder was afterwards put up for me, but
it was too short, and after letting down the child I
also jumped out of the window, breaking my fall by
catching the ladder. I was slightly burnt myself. I
afterwards went into the house and found Mrs.
O'Rourke in the zellar. Iler clothes were burnt off,
and she was taken to the infirmary, where she died.
My wife, whom I found in a neighbour's house, was
removed in an insensible state to the infirmary,
where she remained in a precarious state for some
time, but ultimately recovered. I was at the infir-
mary a fortnight, after which I resumed work for
Mr. Hoole. I remained in his employ until April,
when I was sent to prison for an assault. I bor-
rowed money from Mr. Iloole to maintain myself
while I was unable to work. I paid this back by
ss. a week, and when I had douo so I left Mr.
Hoole's employ, not because I was frightened, but
because I was dissatisfied with Mr. Hoole's treat-
ment. 1 thought I ought to have had some recom-
pense for having sustained so much injury on his
account. In addition to personal injuries, my house
was set on fire by the explosion and my furniture
destroyed. So far from making me any recompense,
Mr. Iloole, after putting a sovereign in my hand
on the morning of the explosion, sent for it back in
the afternoon.
Harriet Wastnidge, wife of the previous witness,
was called to confirm his statement. She said—l did
not hear any conversation in the 'street. I was awoke
by the crash of Mts. O'Rourke's bedroom window.
Onlooking through the attic window I saw two men
running away. On immediately afterwards going
into Mrs. O'Rourke's room I saw her standing in a
corner with the can of powder in her hand. The
fuse was throwing out sparks. I told her to throw
the can out of the window, and she said " Here,
take it." I snatched it to throw it out of,the w 1 •
dow and it exploded in my hands. I have no k n:1-
ledge whatever of what followed until I foundev.
my-
self at the infirmary. I was blind a fortnight ;I
have the marks of the powder still in one eye, which
is permanently impaired. I am still also lame of one
knee. I was marked all over with the explosion
and have still fearful marks upon me. A fortnight
before the explosion a neighbour woman called me
into her house and asked if we kept our cellar orate
fastened. I said "No; what for?" She said" If
you do not keep it fastened a man in the next street
will blow you up." I told Wastnidge and he fas-
tened the grate.
Robert Renshaw, after being duly cautioned, said
--I will tell you the whole truth. lan: a file grinder,
ant am sorry to say I know a fender grinder named
Cutler. I often raw him before Wastnidge was blown
up. I met him and Baylis at Green's puhlichonse.
Cutler offered me 101. to " knock IVastnidge 011 the
head." I refused, saying it would he ranch better to
do him at home. Cutler gave the 10s. to buy 31b. cf
Pev;der with. Instead of buying 31b., as he wished,
I got only 11b. l put it into a can and attached a fuse.
ilt h
then went to the theatre, and on returning threw
r"L'l' the window of Wsstuidee's house. I went
into Ebenezer Chapel-yard, and °lay down until a
crowd collected abut the house. Three or four po-
liceman ran to the'
late. I then went toP See
ilizli,tet.iad gone on, and helped
to bring out Mrs.
vlasd.to I was
the state she was in.
additional if grieved to see
job, and /3 have had £6 for the
the money. . Baylis paid
imeelit well. I never got
tt day or two after

the blowing up. I applied to Cutler for £2 more,
and he said he bad paid themoney to Baylis. I went
to Baylis, who had not got the money, and threat-
ened to serve Cutler as I had served Wastnidge if he
did not pay me. Baylis brought me the £2 before I
was out of bed next morning. Cutler was the man
who tempted me to "do" Wastnidge, and who drew
the money to pay me. He employed Baylis to pay
me. They wanted Wastnidge blown up because he
was wrong with the trade. I did not know the man
at all ; I had never seen him, and bad to get Cutler
to show me his house. I know Broadhead, but he had
never anything to do with me. I never spoke to
Bagshaw in my life. Nobody spoke to me but Cutler
and Baylis aboutthe matter. I do not know Thomp-
son, the man who was tried for the murder. -Witness
was severely cross-examined, but he persisted in say-
ing that he alone was engaged in the matter. No
one was with him. Ile repeatedly said Mrs. Wast-
nidge " lied" in saying she saw more than one man
running away. Mrs. Wastnidge at the trial said one
man caught his jacket against the cotter of a win-
dow shutter in running. That was the " biggest lie"
ever told in Sheffield. Mrs.Wastnidge told "nought
but lies" at the trial of Thompson. At this stage
Thompson was called in, and witness said he knew
him by sight, but not by name. He had met him at
public-houses, but Thompson never spoke to him
about doing any injury toWastnidge or any one else
in connection with this matter. Witness said he had
quarrelled with Cutler because he had not paid all
the money he owed him. He had frequently de-
manded money of Cutler, but never in the presence
of other persons to his knowledge.
Mr. Overend—Have you ever mentioned the sub-
ject to other persons ?—Never before to-day.
Mr. Overend—Why have you come to tell us to-
day ?—Well, I will tell you. I came down yesterday
and saw Cutler and his witnesses waiting to give evi-
dence, but you were not sitting. I thought he was
going to do me, so I made up my mint to come and
tell too. I remember seeing Cutler a short time
ago, and he besought me to keep my tongue still or
we should all be ruined.
Cross-examined—l have never said that either
Steel, Hellewell, or Platts had anything to do with
the outrage in Acorn-street. I am confident no one
was with me when I threw the can. into the window.
I lighted the fuse in an entry near, threw the can
through the window, and walked away. I did not
take the can with me when I went to buy the
powder. I bought best diamond powder, but Ido
not remember what I gave for it. Ido not think I
have spoken to Thompson since he came out of pri-
son. I did not go to Powell's, in High-street, a
week before the explosion and ask if they sold fusees,
neither did I go to Wilson's, in Snig-hill, on a
similar errand. I have been engaged well sinking,
and have bought powder and fusees for blasting. I
know a man named Warburton, but I never told
him Ilellewell, Steel, and Platts engaged me to blow
up Wastnidge. It was Cutler who engaged me,
and I would blow him up too—a scamp to engage
to give me £6 to blow up a man, and then only to
give me £5.
Mr. Overend pointed out to the witness the peril-
ous position in which he had placed himself is the
event of his not having told the truth.
Witness--I have told the truth, and I don't care
if I am tried for my life to-night. 'What good will
your certificate do me when every person, as I pass
along the streets, will point me out as the murderer
of an innocent woman ? I have told the truth. If
I bad had an accomplice, and he had been " game"
I would not have told of him.
Mr. Overend—That is what I am afraid of. I
and my colleagues have the fear you are not speak-
ing the truth. We have the impression you had an
accomplice whose name you will not divulge.
Witness protested that he was speaking the truth,
and that no one was with him at the time he com-
mitted the outrage.
The Court was dissatisfied with the manner in
which the witness had given his evidence, and, at the
close of his examination, he was given into the
custody of the chief constable.
Samuel Cutler, fender grinder, was next called,
and was examined as follows :—I am a member of
the Union, and know a man named Baylis. lie was
a member of the Union at the time Kenworthy was
the secretary. I remember Iloole's men being out
on strike, and we were angry with men coming from
Masborough to work for him. Baylis told me that
he and another man beat Sibray. Previously Baylis
asked me to tell him where Sibray lived, but as I
did not know I took him to Thompson, who showed
us Sibray's house. Thompson said Sibray and
Hoole were just the men he wanted doing. I did
not make answer that I knew a man who for £5
would do them all. Thompson said he had been
watching bole, but he had a policeman to protect
him. He said, however, that he was to be got at. I
knew other men were attacked because they were
" knobsticks," but I did not care to know who did
it. I did nothing to Wastnidge beyond getting the
£6 for doing him. Baylis gave him the £6, and be
sail it was for ~ welting them fellows." I saw
Robinson, who was acting as secretary of the union,
give Baylis the money, and Baylis gave it to me. I
went to a meeting at the King William, and there
saw Baylis. He said to me, " Yon red man (Wast-
nidge has red hair) will break up the Union, I
should like to do him one." I said I would have
nothing to do with it, but I took him to Joe
Green's. We there saw Renshaw, and an old man
whom I did not know. We commenced talking
about Wastnidge, and Renshaw said thrashing had
no effect upon him; ho bad better have a bit of
powder. We agreed to give him £5 or £6 to give
Wastnidge a good thrashing—something was said
about blowing Wastnidge up. Renshaw was to
have .£lO if he did it well, £5 if it was a failure. I
agreed to meet Baylis again, and a day or two after
the explosion I saw him. He spoke, saying, " Isup-
pose thou 'last heard of it." I said, " Why have
you used powder ?" and be replied that Wastnidge
could not be got at without. I said they had done
very wrong. Baylis spoke as though he was with
Renshaw when the outrage was committed.
Mr. Overend—Repeat carefully what he said.
Witness—lle said "We ran down into the Wicker,
and never met a policeman all the way, and it was
a good thing we did not." lie said he had pistols
with him, and would have shot the first man he met.
I paid Baylis £6, and he wanted £7. I refused to
give him £7, as I had only agreed that Wastnidge
should be thumped. He said he would make it all
right.

Examination continued—l do not remember that
Baylis ever said in my hearing that he knew a man
who would kill any chap for £5. Did Thompson
know anything about the outrage ?—No ; nothing.
Do you mean to say that you allowed Thompson to
be tried for this outrage, and took no steps to prove
his innocence 7—We agreed to subscribe £1 each to
defend him, and the remainder of the expense,
amounting to from £6O to £7O, came out of the
funds of the union. Hollowell engaged the at-
torney, but we did not tell him to do so. Thomp-
son was innocent. I believe Hellewell did not see
the money paid by Baylis for committing the out-
rage. I only agreed that Wastnidge should be
beaten, and I never gave money for the purchase of
plwotalloivs:ddawevrihet.
askediillynoißultiech:saesstelil:niandwolhzteheni
wsnigioautowldldamoteall,kvyi;tliLtilta.lslar!gaityitli.ins,
yi:.
money, and
terday, and he told me I ought to go to hell for
" snitching" (telling).
What did you say ?—I told him it was his own
fault, as he had gone up and down telling what he
had done. lie slid it was a lie. I then
walked away. I had nothing to do with any other.
outrage. No one ever told me anything about
threatening letters sent to the men at Mr. Hook's.
All I had to do with the outrage in Acorn-street
was to receive money from Baylis, and pay it to
Renshaw. I quite, however, disapproved of the
act. The only persons present when the outrage
was planned were myself, Renshaw, Baylis, and an
old man whose name Ido not know. No one else
to my knowledge knew anything of the outrage,
and I only agreed that Wastuidge should be
thumped.
On your oath had you not deliberated among
yourselves and agreed that ho should be blown up ?
—No, we had not. Baylis and Renshaw wanted to
blow him up, but I would not hear of it. Thompson
also was auxioua that Wastnidge should be beaten,
but not blown up.

You laelieveThompson had nothing to do with the
blowing up ?—I am sure he had not.
You allowed him to be tried for the offence ?
Yes.

If he, had been found guilty and sentenced to be
hanged—you came very near it—would you have
allowed the sentence to be carried out without de-
claring his innocence ?—I could not have helped
myself. I had passed my word to Baylis and Ren-
shaw that I would not tell. If Thompson had been
sentenced to death, I should not have felt very
comfortable. I might have altered my mind even-
tually.

Further examined witness said—l never told the
committee who committed the outrage, or that
'Thompson was innocent. Thompson was expelled
from the union because he made a false statement
after his trial to the Chid Constable of the borough.
1-do not think he was expelled because of the scan-
dal created by the Acorn-street outrage. I did not
attend our meetings for some weeks after the out-
rage, as I felt I knew too much, and I did not like
to face the members. I do not remember Platts
pointing out a man named " Slipper Jack" as a
likely person to do a blowing up, or Thompson
making answer, " He is just the man I would chose
to do it." I was never present at a meeting of our
Union when it was agreed that something should be
done to Sibray. Mr. Bagshaw had nothing to do
with our society, and I am not aware that he bad
anything to do with paying for the defence of
Thompson. I believe Hellewell advanced the money
for the defence, and he was afterwards repaid.
At the suggestion of Mr. Bagshaw, the witness
was asked if he had any authority from the Union
or any of its officers to agree with Baylis and Ren-
shaw for something to be done to Wastnidge.
Witness replied, no; but when further pressed he
admitted that the he received from Baylis came
from Robinson, who was acting as secretary to the
union.

Joseph Thompson, the man who was tried for the
murder of Bridget O'Rourke, and acquitted, was
called. He answered emphatically that he did not
throw the can of powder into the window, that he
did not know who did it till to-day, and that he had
never been asked to injure or beat Wastnidge. He
was one of the men who turned out at Hoole's, but
he was never set to watch Wastnidge. Ile was set
by Cutler to watch Sibray, to learn where he lived,
because " there was a party going to drop on him."
There was no intention to blow Sibray up. He gave
the information to Cutler. While he was in prison
his wife was kept by " the trade," except a few
pounds collected in public-houses.
After examining one more witness the commission
adjourned.

Miscellaneous Foreign News.

A letter from Rome, dated June 19, says :

The series of feste has commenced.

The Pope

Leld a Cappella Papale in the Sistine Chapel the

clay before yesterday, on the occasion of the anni-
versary of his election. The Mass was celebrated
by Cardinal Morichini, the second cardinal created

by his Holiness. The Pope afterwards received
the congratulations of the Sacred College, ad-
dressed to him by Cardinal Patrizzi, subdean of
the Sacred College. The reception was made as
short as possible, in order to spare the Holy Father

unnecessary fatigue, in consideration of the ar

duous work before him. There was no political
allusion either in the address or in the Pope's reply.
Yesterday, and four following days, were to
be devoted to audiences of the various members of

the corps diplonzatique, ministers, prelates, Govern-
fient officers, the Senator of Rome, &c., on the
occasion of the anniversary of St. Peter and of
the Pope's Coronation, on the 21st.

The members of the corps diplontatique are ad-
mitted one after another separately, so as to avoid
jealousies as to precedence ; prelates, college by
college ; State officers, all together.
On the 21st is to be another Cappella Papale ;

the Mass to be celebrated by the first cardinal
created by the Holy Father.
It is announced that his Holiness will take
part in the annual procession of Corpus Christi,
which shows he is pretty well. He walked also
in the Pinico yesterday, and for a long way up the
Corso, followed by an immense crowd of Romans
and foreigners, who hailed him loudly in his cha-
racter both of Pope and King.
The number of superior ecclesiastics arrived has
risen now to between 280 and 300, and the streets
are filled with pilgrims of every degree.
We continue to hear of an occasional isolated
case of disorder which people like to call cholera,
in the most crowded and poorest districts—the
Trastevere and the Monti, but the Municipality are
growing very particular and vigorous in their
sanitary regulations, which will prove of great be-
nefit to the salubrity of these localities.

The only news of brigandage we have heard 0.
late is a report of a band of about forty in the
province of Viterbo, chased over the border by a
detachment of Pontifical soldiers. We seem
guaranteed for F any question of an entente for
some time to come, by the spirit of division which
has been developing in the ranks of the revo-
lutionary party. One faction wants the rising to
begin in Rome among the Romans, only the Ro-
mans wont rise; and another faction wants to
send in a revolutionary column raising the country
as it moves along. There is no doubt that they
are to a great extent kept in check by the Ponti-
fical army, which, in spite of the smallness of
its numbers, is formidable by its enthusiasm and
devotion. Consequently their great work is to thin
its ranks, and nothing is left untried towards this.
The Tivoli poisoning was part of a great scheme
with this purpose, which, however, had no very
extensive success. They arc now bribing a consi-
derable number to come over to their ranks, and,
by suggestions bf discontent, inducing others to
desert. It can only be the worst spirits, however,
who can be thus influenced, and a little such weed-
ing, though it may thin, will not weaken the Pon-
tifical forces.
Most of the foreign bishops have brought consi-
derable offerings to the Holy Father from their
dioceses. Mgr. Ledochowski, Archbishop of
Posen, brings 100,000 thalers ; Mgr. Stercka, Car-
dinal Archbishop of Mechlin, 400,000 francs ;
Mgr. Gainza, Bishop of Nueva-Ciceres, 500,000
francs ; the Archbishop of,Westminster, £5OO, as
you know, and so on. The Florence revolutionary
papers appear to be greatly incensed at this, and
write as if they would like to waylay the bishops
and annex to the Revolution the money of which
they are the bearers.
As St. Peter's day falls this year on a Saturday,
which is kept as a, fast in Rome, the Cardinal Vicar
announces a dispensation for this year only.
The Municipality has voted 50,000 fr. to 'defray
the expenses of a conversazione with musical and
poetical recitations to be given to the foreign
bishops in the Capitol, from the windows of which
they will have the opportunity of seeing the ruins
of the Forum illuminated by Bengal lights.
Pius LX. intends to crown his pontificate by an
act worthy of himself and of his eventful age—so
full both of light and darkness. On the 26th or
the 29th of June he will announce to the assem-
bled bishops his intention to hold a general council
in a year and a half from this time.
Though this resolution has only just transpired,
Italian revolutionists are already up in arms about
They
apprehend its importance better, per-
haps,o move
than
ns inkneyl
Catholics ; and feel the effect such
a m
to have on their late develop.
increase ment, and how it is likely to incr • e the strength
and vigour of the Church.
When one seriously considers the relative situa-
tion clf the world and the Chtirch, one sees, indeed,
tha+ this act is necessary, that it is not the simple
result of the will of one man, but that it issues
from the dictates of the Holy Ghost Himself.
Fur the world has undergone great modifications
of moral attitude, and he whom St. John calls
Princeps lmujus mann reigns supreme, and this, it
must be confessed, is more true of the so-called
Catholic countries than of those in which religious
error is established. Thus, at this very moment
Pius IX. is surrounded by members of the Epis-
copate from England, Holland, America, and the
extreme East, who come to him full of joy and
hope at the daily-increasing proportions of their