The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-20 00:00:00

2 RADES' OUMAGES COMMISSION.

TIIIRTEENTH DAY.
MANCHESTER, Sept. 19.
Edward Hindley sworn—ls a builder at Prest-
v7icb;and;in 1866 bad a contract to do the brickwork
of a reservoir. In March there was a dispute over a
boy. George Ramsbottom, a member of the Union,
said there had been a meeting over the lad, and he
must be bound apprentice. He ordered an inden-
ture, which was duly prepared by a lawyer. Peter

Yateson the next Thursday said they (the masons)

had had another meeting, and would not have him
made apprentice. They would have no more brick-
layers made. He was, consequently, obliged to give

up the contract. The bricklayers belonged to White-
field Club, some of them Salford men, and some
Manchester men. They tried to stop him having
bricks supplied, but did not succeed for a time.
Kay was then sent by the Manchester brickmakers'
club and stopped any more bricks being supplied.

The Union men had worked seven or eight months
with the lad before they interfered. When the
indenture had been made the objection was that the

lad was 17, and too old.

James Thorp said he gave upbrickmaking in July,

866. Had been in the business two years. Sup

plied 100,000 bricks to Mr. Robinson. The yard
was out of the Manchester district, at Prestwich,

and the buildings were in the union.
Charles Johnson, a youth, working as a brick-
maker in Regent-road, Salford, was called and exa-

mined as to whether he had not told Detective Wil-

Hams that he saw Kay and Mannering on the morning
of the sth inst., and that they were dressed up as if
they were going on a cheap trip. He denied that

he had ever said so.

Detective Williams, of the Salford police, said he
saw the last witness a fortnight ago at a brick croft

near Regent-road barracks. He said he knew Kay
and Mannering. Witness took down what he said
in writing. He described to witness the dress of

both Kay and Mannering, and said he saw them
about 7 on the morning of the sth inst. dressed as
though going on a cheap trip. Had seen him again
yesterday in court, when he said he remembered all
he had told him. _

Johnson was recalled, and solemnly swore that he
never said anything of the kind.
Frederick Bagley sworn—ls a partner of Bates and
Co., brickmakers at Droylsden, which is on the fur-
ther side of the canal, in the Ashton district, and is
separated by the canal only from the Manchester brick-
makers' district. Had a plant there value £3OO and
300,000 bricks,the market for which had been taken
away by the Manchester Union forbidding him from
carting them across the canal to builders on the
Manchester side. They had two other yards
about a mile from the other, and the Ashton
brickmakers had given him notice that they in-
tended to work those yards. The result would
be that he would have a stock of three million
bricks, with a very restricted district in which
to sell them. He employed none but union men, but
had 40,000 bricks destroyed in 1863 for having carted
bricks against the rules of the Manchester Union.
John Kettle said he was foreman to Mr. Braman
in building the new gaol in 1864. The bricklayers'
labourers struck in April, and afterwards the brick-
layers and joiners. Three men only remained at

work. The works were picketed afterwards by the

three unions. The three men were beaten on the
way from their work, and two men, John Nolan
and Thos. Daly, were taken into custody for the as-
sault, but had to be discharged through the wit-
nesses being taken out of the way. The places of the
men were afterwards filled up by non-society men.
Had not been threatened, but a man named Gomer
Roberts told him that during the strike the brick-
makers proposed to shoot him, or blow up his house,
but the bricklayers would not take part in the pro-
position, and the chairman left the chair. For some
buildings he had been engaged in he had made a
contract to be supplied by Mr. Pimlott with 200,000
bricks, but had received only 11,000, owing to the
Manchester brickmakers deciding that he must not
have them. This was in July last year, and by this
time 150,000 bricks ought to have been delivered.
When working at the gaol the Bricklayers' Union
sent to Mr. Bramall to say he must discharge wit-
ness, or he should have no more men from their so-
ciety. About three weeks ago the brickmakers, on
application, agreed to let him open his works again,
but the brickiayera interfered and said they should
stop the supply of bricks. So the brickmakers
thought it better to throw over witness than quarrel
with the bricklayers.

Benjamin Bradburn, bricklayer, said he was not a
Union man. In Feb., 1865, ho was working at the
new gaol. On the 22d he was assaulted along with
l\whrm.
eeßaalrleddbuthren and anotherm,,knebtie in
ks.,, llHeeaannsgdahteis by men
compa-
nions received a few bruises,6buttwee mrenefonottrMr.
Daniel hurt.s The
men wereCallaghan--In takenag andan_
imprisonednl w
workeder. They (the Urnßra-
mall as a bricklayers' labourer.
had stopped him working before that because he had
been a member and could not pay 2s. 6d. a week
to the Union, and had been turned out. Witness
described various assaults upon him by Union men.
ei onr g18e6141 esnarwy
tChaer r
assaultsworn—ls
e a
nWilfred,
irailwayclerk,
Upton,
andanGd Bradshaw, the men who were working at the
gaol after the strike. One of the men was Nolan,
and he was afterwards examined before the
magis-
trates. Daly,
Sworealy
he to
could Nolan.
notAnotheridentify.
fy. Was
man charged,dedged
about the streets for a fortnight. Was afterwards
told through his brother to meet two men in
Strange-ways'. He did this, and they said Wilfred
had received £2 to leave work at the gaol, but he
returned
his
evidence to work,
beforeand
tthhee they
magistratesasked w it.n eDasi dt onetswervep re
in-
mise them anything. Afterwards the men met him
and his father in Salford at a publichouse and gave
his father £lO. After that, before the magistrates,
witness said he believed Nolan was the man who
committed the assault, but he could not swear tohim.
William Mills, a joiner, gave evidence of acts of
intimidation by Union men.
George Burton said he had been a member of the
Bricklayers' Society 20 years. There was a certain
amount of co operation between the bricklayers and
joiners some eight months after the gaol strike.
They (the bricklayers) came to a resolution not to
use machine bricks in consequence of the difficulties
thrown in the way after a trial of six or seven years.
Witness considered the machine bricks decidedly
inferior to hand made, except the bricks made of dry
clay, by Platt's machine. The attempt at the gaol
to utilize the clay got on their ground at the gaol was
an utter failure. The bricks were not fit to be used.
Knew a man in the club named Highley. Would
swear he never made a claim on the society for
destroying looks. He made a claim of 225. for
er en-ee.n t epr iindgn
not
i en
eupt
ye s a
lf
ir ot
hme anel d
eonl
tdr be
so,oak indn tson
pa new
p esed
it was because they did not want all their proceed-
ings seen. It was against his opinion, because he
thought there was nothing in them which they should
fear being seen. The society wished it, and so it
was cane. The old book was in the hands of the
president.
Henry Davis, who had been president of the
Bricklayers' Society at the time the last witness
transferred the entries to a new book, produced the
old book, and said he saw no reason why there should
have been any omissions. They were mostly en-
tries relating to strikes, which would be found in the
book produced.
Richard Coppock, bricklayer, said he was a mem-
ber of the society, and acknowledged to some
of the witnesses to London out of the way, when
the men charged with assault on the men working
at the Assize Courts were in custody. They had
£7 each while away and expenses. They were away
for 14 days.
James Powers, president of the Bricklayers' As-
sociation, said he paid the money to the last witness.
The money was furnished by the Labourers' Asso-
ciation. Remembered a strike supported by the
Amalgamated Society costing £920, and this might
occur again if necessary. Each member of the
Union subscribed 3d. per bead per month to the