The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-24 00:00:00

Sheffield Trades' Union Commission.

FIFTEENTH DAY (S&TuRDAY).
The interest manifested in the proceedings of the
Sheffield Trades Union Commission had not at all
diminished on Saturday. The court was again

crowded.
The first witness called was Samuel Crookes. Mr.
Overend cautioned him against being in any way
reticent with respect to any outrages which he might
have committed himself, or which he might know to
have been perpetrated by others. He was in the
greatest peril—his life even was in jeopardy; but if
he would now tell the truth, he would obtain his
certificate, and the falsehood which he had already
told to the commissioners would be overlooked.
He was then examined at great length. First he
Ir.S asked about the murder of Linley. He did
aboQt him, but had no intention of killing him.
Broadhead had never given instructions that Lin-
ley was to be shot in the ear. Having seen in the
newspapers a statement to the effect that he bad
shot Linley in the forehead, the witness was parti-
cular in explaining that he having so hit him was
was in consequence of somebody else being in the
room when the shot was fired. There was some-
thing he had previously omitted with respect to
the first time that Linley was shot. He used the
air gun then, but left a pistol in the street to make
it appear that the wound resulted from a pistol-
shot. Besides having shot Linley twice he had also
attempted to blow him up at a time when he was
lodging at a butcher's. Early one morning he
thrustpowder into the cellar grate, lit the fuse, and
let things take their chance. He did not know
much about what family the butcher had. When
asked what he received for that job, he said he
thought it was £l5, but he could not say. He had
had so many cases that he could not well remember.
One of his cases was Samuel Baxter, of Loxley. He
blew him up by dropping powder down the chimney.
That was another of the jobs he did for Broadhead,
and for which he got about the regular thing,
£l5. Thomas Needham assisted him in doing
Baxter. When asked what reason he had for
blowing up Baxter, he said he had no reason
except that Broadhead ordered him to do it.
lie never asked for a reason. He also blew up
Joseph Wilson in Headfort-street, and got £l5
from Broadhead. He attempted, on Broad-
head's instructions, to blow up Reaney's wheel, but
did not succeed. Still he received his £l5. He
had nothing to do with blowing up Firth's boiler,
but wished to explain something. He received
orders to do it from Broadhead, and went to put
some powder down the chimney, but he could not
get it down. He carried a ladder from a place just
below, where they were building some houses ; but
when he got to Firth's place he found that it (the
ladder) was so heavy that he could not rear it
against the chimney. He then tried to thrust the
powder in at the window, but he could not, because
of iron bars. He then placed it on the sill, and
fastening it to some of the iron bars only managed
to blow in the window frame. So he had nothing
to do with the boiler. He believed he got the £l5
for that job too, but he had some difficulty about it.
Broadhead saw that he had not done much damage,
and did not think he deserved the money. In order
to get money from Broadhead the more freely, he
was in the habit of saying that he had engaged
" Nunks," or some other body, who was really ficti-
tious, to assist him, and that he was bound to pay
them. Of course with Broadhead a bargain was a
bargain ; but in many cases, if the thing had not
done any harm, there was a shuiling about the pay.
It was then that he used to tell him he had engaged
another man, and had to pay him. Of course that
was all false ; but it suited his end. On one occa-
sion witness attempted to shoot John llellewell, at
Firth's, and on that job was assisted by Hallam.
Their instructions were to hurt and not to kill him.
The air-gun was the weapon. They went down—
witness and Hallam—one night just before Christ-
The place was lit up, and they saw two
men, named Woodhead and Joe Woollen, work-
ing. When they first looked through the
window they thought Woodhead was Hello-
well, and would have shot him if they
had not found out their mistake. They
never had a chance at llellewell. They had
the Wheatman and Smith job on at the same time,
and Broadhead told them that was the most im-
portant. He was not aware that they got anything
for the llellewill job, not having " done They
did not get money that easy. Ile denied having
shot Elisha Parker, but confessed to going to Derby
to see Needham to make him all square if any one
should question him about the outrage in which he
had been concerned. He got the money for that
from Thompson, the secretary of the scythe
grinders. The same man also gave him money for
Needham's wife whilst he lay in prison. He helped
Needham in one job, putting powder down a
chimney at Dronfield. Witness then referred to
the Hereford-street outrage. Joseph Copley as-
sisted at that, and Broadhead paid. He did not
know that the secretaries of other societies were
concerned in that case. With respect to Harry
Holdsworth, he said that Broadhead hired him to
blow him up, because he had outlaws working for
him. Witness put powder down his chimney. That
was another £l5 job, but he did not always get
paid up. Money was sometimes deducted for
" Natty," which he contrived always to keep a little
in arrear. He had to confess to being concerned
in Sutcliffe's case, although Hallam had not impli-
cated him. They had each a life-preserver, and
each struck him. The price paid for that was £7.
He went with llallam for the last sovereign, and
stood on Snigg-hill whilst Hallam went up a passage
to Bromehead. Hallam had to hold Bromehead up
whilst another man went to get the sovereign. He
also had to do with blowing up Crookes and Ro-
berts. It was for some trade reason, but he did
not remember what. Needham helped him. He
wanted to speak of things he had done more than
ten years ago, but Mr. Overend stopped him, say-
ing that they had no authority to question him about
them. In reply he said he wanted to make a clean
breast of it. Being asked if he had told of all he
knew had been done within the ten years, he said
he could not remember, but there might be some-
thing else, if they read over the cases to him he had
mentioned.

mas.

Mr. Overend (reading)—You shot Linley twice;
blew up Wheatman and Smith, Baxter, Joseph
Wilson, Reaney's Wheel, and Joseph Hellewell, at
Blonk Wheel. There was the case of John Helle-
well you were to shoot.
Crookes—l didn't do him any harm.
Mr. Overend—No, Elisha Parker you said you
bad nothing to do with, but there was the llereford-
street outrage. Are there are any other things
within the last ten years ?—I think not.
He was asked about the threatening letters, and
said he had little to do with them. It was his main
aim to keep quiet, and he " never did a deal in the
note business." He did not do much in rattening
either. He did the greater jobs ; rattening was
not worth bothering about. He had heard of
" Slipper Jack," but did not know who he was. All
he knew about him was that he had a great name.
Mr. Overend asked him what he meant by a "great
name," and he replied, " -Well, you know, sir, I
have a great name now."
Joseph Copley was called, and deposed to having
been concerned in the Hereford-street outrage. It
was his first job of the kind, and he received a sove-
reign for it.

George Peace was then called, and he confessed
to having engaged a man to " do" Elisha Parker
—not to kill him, but to stop him from working.
He engaged John Hall to do it. He did not give
him particular orders as to whether he was to shoot
or to blow him up. Broadhead wanted something
done, but he was not to " injure" Parker. He was
not aware whether Hall was one of the men who
were engaged to shoot Parker. He (witness) only
engaged Hall to frighten him. When asked how
he paid Hall he said he did it by putting the money
by instalment: under a stone. In all he paid him
about £9. Ile was closely pressed about his know-
ledge respecting the shooting of Parker, and at last
confessed to hearing shots. Besides the £9 for the
job, he also gave Hall about £l3 to pay his ex-
penses to America. Peace is in appearance one of
the most respectable working men it is possible to
meet with. His mere appearance created great