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

Sheffield Trades' Union Commission.

FIFTEENTH DAY (SATURDAY).
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 wal then examined at great length. First he
wr.s asked about the murder of Linley. lie did
shoot him, but had no intention of killing him.
Broadhead bad never given instructions that Lin-
ley was to be shot in the ear. Hawing seen in the
newspapers a statement to the effect that he had
shot Linley i❑ 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 Loxlcy. 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
B.►xter. When asked what reason he had for

blowing up Baxter, he said he had no reason
except that Broadhead ordered him to do it.
He never asked for a reason. He also blew up

Joseph Wilson in Headfort- street, and got £l5
froth Broadhead. He attempted, on Broad-

head's instructions, to blow up Reaney'a wheel, but
did not succeed. Still he received his £l5. He
bad 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 shufing 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 Hellewell, 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 clown—
witness and Hallam—one night just before Christ-
The place was lit up, and they saw two
men, named Wosdhead and JY,:" Woollen, work-
ing. When they first boked through the
window they thought Woodhead was Relic-
well, and would have shot him if they
had not found out their mistake. They
never had a chance at Hellewell. 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 any thing
for the Hellewill job, not having " done it." They
did not get money that easy. He 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 Hallam 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. lie
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.
Mr. 0 verend (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--I didn't do him any harm.
Mr. Overend—No, Elisha Parker you said you
bad nothing to do with, but there was the Hereford-
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-

m as.

reign for it.
George Peace was then called, and he confessed
to haying 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 p irticular 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 instalments under a stone. In all he paid him
about £9. He 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

surprise that he should have taken part in such a
diabolical act as the shooting of Parker. The sur-
prise was increased when it came out that at the
time he lent himself to Broadhead's designs he was
not only saw-grinder employing subordinates, but
a well-to-do farmer and colliery master, and that he
hired one of his own labourers.to do the deed. He
has not prospered since he yielded to the tempta-
tions of Broadhead, but his trade still enables him
to occupy a £lO house in Washington-road and
make a most respectable appearance.
The court adjourned until this (Monday)
morning.

THE LOSS OF THE PRINCE CONSORT

STEAMER.

OFFICIAL REPORT.
To the Lords of the Committee of the Privy
Council for Trade.
My Lords,—ln accordance with your instructions
we, the undersigned two justices of the peace for the
county of Aberdeen, have held an official inquiry
into the circumstances attending the total loss of

the paddle steamer Prince Consort, at about five
o'clock a.m. on the 11th of May last, upon a rock
called the Alten, just off the village of Burnbanks,
about three miles to the southward of the Girdle-
ness, or the entrance to the harbour of Aberdeen.
We have been assisted in this inquiry by Captains

Baker and Forbes, the Nautical Assessors appointed

by your Board, and we have now the honour to
report. The Prince Consort was a paddle-
wheel steamer, built of iron at Glasgow in the

year 1858, and registered at Aberdeen early in
that year, her gross tonnage being 672 and her re-
gister tonnage 392 tons. She was owned by the
Aberdeen, Leith, and Clyde Shipping Company.

She was schooner-rigged, with two masts. She was
222 feet long, 25 feet beam, and had 14 feet depth
of hold. She had two direct acting, oscillating
engines of the combined power of 300 horses, and

was commanded by Mr. Robert Parrott, who holds
a renewed certificate of service dated originally in

August, 1856.

The Prince Consort sustained some

material damage in 1863, which necessitated exten-
sive repairs. These being carried out, she was
classed A 1 at Lloyd's for nine years. The ship
appears to have been well found and equipped in
every respect, having the number of boats required
by regulation, and they seem to have been fitted with

_ ... _
oars and rowlocks ready for immediate use. The
ship had a crew of 32 hands all told, and she pro-

ceeded to sea from Granton on Friday evening,

the 10th of May last, having on board between 60

and 70 passengers, first and second class. The

correct number is unknown.

She was bound to

Aberdeen, Wick, Kirkwall, and Lerwick, with a

general cargo on board, her draught of water being
about 10ft. 6in. By the testimony of all the wit-
nesses the weather was very foggy at the time of the
vessel leaving Granton, but did not appear to have
caused any alarm either to the commander or offi-

cers, the latter asserting that they had often put to
sea in weather more dense than it was on the night
of the 10th. Nor did the passengers seem to
have considered that it was dangerous to proceed.
On leaving the pier at Granton the wind
was moderate E.N.E. The vessel was kept at about
half speed down the Frith of Forth, nothing having
been seen but one buoy, called the Fairway Buoy,
which was passed close to, continuing on her course
till the master supposed the ship to be about N.E.
by E. from lnchkeith, distant about two miles, this
supposed position being verified by three casts of
the lead, which had been taken at short intervals
before 8 p.m., the soundings obtained being 16, 19,
and 22 fathoms. From this supposed position a
course was shaped E. N., 28 miles being run
upon this course. The weather by this time
getting more dense gradually, from this a N.E.
by E. E. course was steered, and, by the
master's showing, half a point was allowed
for the ebb tide. After running 10 miles on
this course the master supposed the ship's position
to be about six miles to the east-south-eastward of
the Bell Rock, but in all probability she was much
nearer, or it would be difficult to account for the
ship's close proximity to the land just before she
struck, as the courses steered were, in the opinion
'of the Court, safe and judicious. Having the
Bull Rock bearing, as supposed, about W.N.W.,
distant six miles, the ship was hauled up to a N.E.

1 N. course true, the deviation being allowed,
and she was kept upon this course till three a.m.,
the distance run being estimated at 23 miles.
From three a.m. the ship was hauled up to N.E. by
N., upon which course she ran 15 miles, and
the master then supposed the vessel to be nearly
eight miles from the nearest land, and more than
four miles outside of the position in which she must
have been at this time (4.45 a.m.), which fatal error
was corroborated by an incorrect cast of the deep-
sea lead, taken by the certificated chief mate by
orders of the master. It appeared by the evidence
of the mate himself that the deep-sea lead line had
been accidentally cut off by the paddle-wheel on a
former voyage four days previous to this disaster ;
and, although known to the master, by some un-
accountable negligence this line had not been again
marked, which was the special duty of the mate,
under whose charge it was ; and this fact, no doubt,
may have misled the mate in his report of the sound-
ings. The Prince Consort had been steaming at full
sped from about 8 p.m., when off Inchkeith. The
logbook being lost in the vessel, the time could not
be depended upon, as it was given entirely from
memory. At 4.45 a.m., a cast of the lead was
taken, and the soundings supposed to have been
obtained were 36 fathoms, which was reported
to the master, who questioned his mate as to
whether he had allowed for the 20 fathoms
that the line was deficient of, and if he was certain
of his soundings, to which questions the answers
were satisfactory. The ship was stopped to take
these soundings, and, after obtaining them, was
started a-bead at half•speed, and the course was
altered to N. E. E. true. At about 5 a.m., 12 minutes
after the ship had stood on towards the land, the mas-
ter gave orders to the mate to make ready to take an-
other cast of the lead, and had his hand on the tele-
graph preparatory to stopping the ship for that
purpose, when breakers were suddenly seen close to
them on the port bow. In this alarming crisis the
master appears to have acted promptly by stop-
ping the engines and putting the helm hard
a-port ; but, unfortunately, the ship was too close to
the danger, as, after paying off about four points to
the eastward, she struck on the Hasman Rocks,
which are a short distance from the Alten Rock,
, where she subsequently was totally lost. It was
most fortunate that the Prince Consort struck
where she did, as assistance was close at hand, and
very promptly rendered by the fishermen, whose
boats were ready for launching in a cove or harbour
just inside of the ilasman Rocks, these men being
aroused by the steam blowing off, the fog having
become so dense that the vessel herself could
not be- seen, though not distant more than
one or two hundred yards. It does not appear
that the ship hung on these rocks more
than a few minutes, but sufficiently long to enabl%
these fishermen to board her and convey to the
shore two or three boatloads of passengers, and a
pilot in one of the ship's boats, which had been
lowered and filled with passengers. After striking
two or three times heavily, the ship appears to have
swung off these rocks, her head paying right round
off to the S.W., when she almost immediately struck
on the Alten, and in about half an hour broke in
two pieces, just abaft the engine-room, the fore
part disappearing, and subsequently.the after part
of the vessel slipped off the rock and sunk in
comparatively deep water. The disappearing
of this ill-fated ship did not take place till
all hands had been rescued from their dangerous
position by the praiseworthy exertions of the Com-
mander, his officers and crew, assisted most ably by
the fishermen, who were the means of saving a
large portion of those who were landed, and in all
probability many of them would have lost their
lives but for their prompt asssistance. Though the
ship's boats did their part, those in charge were un-
acquainted with the different small coves on
the coast, more especially as in such thick
weather such landing places could not be dis-
cerned. The villagers in the neigbourhood ren-
dered every assistance to the shipwrecked passen-
gers that was in their power, supplying many of the