The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-14 00:00:00

7HE SHEFFIELD
MISSION. TRADES' UNION
COM

SEVENTH DAY—TsuRsDAY.
The Commissioners resumed their sitting this

morning.
The first witness was George, or " Putty," Shaw,
who committed gross perjury on Saturday last by
swearing that he had not seen the secretary of his
trade (Mr. Broadhead, of the Sawgrinders') that
morning, when it was afterwards proved that he
bad an interview with Broadhead.
Mr. Overend now told him that, after consulting
with his colleagues, and taking advice in London as
to what should be done with him (Shaw), he had
decided to give him another chance, but that in
making a full and clear disclosure of all the circum-
stances within his knowleige connected with this
inquiry lay hii only hope of escaping a prosecution
fer the very serious crime be had committed. Shaw
00ed assent, and seemed relieved from anxiety.
He then stated that he joined the Sawgrinders'
Union when be was 20 years old, having been ap-
prenticed to a man named Linley, who was after-
wards shot. Linley was an " outlaw"--i.e., a non-
unionist. Witness was now 28 years old. Several

joined the union about the same time as witness ;
among others a man named Dennis Clark, also called
Tucker. About a fortnight after this, witness
being in Broadhead's house, Clark came to him and
asked him if he would do a " job"—blow up

"Topsy" (a man named Hellewell, a non-unionist),
who worked at the Tower Wheel. Witness said he
would do it, and Clark, after telling witness they
should have £3 for it, went upstairs and came
again with three pint cans full of gunpowder.
Clark said he was going up to see " Old Smeeton"
(a nickname of Broadhead), and when he came
dawn he said Smeeton bad given him the powder.
Witness put the three cans under his smock, and took
them to his mother's house, and hid them between
his bed and the mattress. He and Clark after-
wards sold two cans and a half of the powder to a

man named Simmonite, of Cricket-road, a pigeon

shooter at Hyde-park, for several shillings, and
spent the money in drink at various public-houses.
Witness had already strewed the other half can of

powder in Hellewell's trough, mixing it with the
emery, Clark standing by. The emery would con-
ceal the powder. Hellewell would have to stand by
the side of the trough glazing, and as he glazed
sparks would fly off into the trough. Two or three
men—Joey Yellott and Thomas Allan—the witness
remembered, saw him and Clark together. While
the powder was hidden in witness's bed his mother
found it and asked him what he was going to do
with it ; he replied that he was going to harm no-
body. After he and Clark had put the powder into
Hellewell's trough they went to a public-house.
The next morning, Hellewell being at work, the
powder exploded, and the witness spoke of the in-
jury to Hellewell as being simply a blackening of
his face, but he admitted having heard that Helle-
well was kept from his work two or three weeks in
consequence. On the day of the explosion witness
went to Broadhead's, and saw Clark there " draw-
ing his scale." At this point Mr. Overend asked
Mr. Broadhead if he had the scale-book for that
year (1852). Mr. Broadhead said he was afraid
that book was destroyed. Mr. Overend desired Mr.
Broadhead to send for his books, and Mr. Broad-
head at once professed his readiness to do so ; but
Mr. Sugg, who represented the interests of the
Trades' Unions, objected that this would be mak-
ing use of the trade books in a serious charge against
Mr. Broadhead, and that they should not be pro-
duced till the "proper time." A sharp interchange
of words took place between Mr. Overend and
Mr. Sugg upon the subject, Mr. Overend persist-
ing in having the books sent for, saying that the
Court were the judges of what was the proper time.
The books were sent for. The witness then went
on to say that the week after the explosion he
saw Clark, who told him that he had got " three
quid" (.£3) from old Smeeton, and gave him 30s.
About eight weeks ago witness saw Clark in a pub-
lichouse, and Clark said to witness, " If you'll give
the word I can 'lag (transport) old Smeeton." Wit-
ness told Clark to " shut up." Crapper, Woodhead,
and Hallam were present and heard this. On the
Saturday night of that week witness told this to
Broadhead, at Broadhead's house door, and Broad-
head said " You have done perfectly right." Wit-
ness had heard of Clark boasting, and a week last
Thursday Yellott and Green called him out from
his work and told him it was " hot" for him, for
Clark had got 20 crowns from the commissioners to
give evidence against him and Broadhead. Just
before last Sheffield fair, witness, being on the box,
went to Broadhead's for his scale, and a mannamed
Martin objected to his having the scale, upon which
a fight took place between them in the committee
room, Martin trying to gouge witness's eye out.
Broadhead afterwards told witness that if he would
come quiet and sober he would no doubt get his
scale, and at the same time Broadhead put into his
hands a paper, which he and others signed, and
which was as follows :
" Sawgrinders' Committee-room, Royal George,
Carver-street, Nov. 27.
" George Shaw being present, William Broad-
head states he has heard a report that George Shaw
has been circulating, to the effect that he, Broad-
head, had several years ago -employed and paid
Shaw to force his way through the cog-wheel race
at the Castle (or Tower) wheel, Blonk-street, to
commit an outrage with gunpowder upon a person
named Joseph Hellewell. Broadhead, in the pre-
sence of the committee, interrogates Shaw upon it,
on which Shaw declares he has never been employed
for any such purpose. He therefore willingly signs
the following statement :—I hereby declare that I
never at any time was either employed or paid by
William Broadhead to commit any such outrage
as has been described, nor did Broadhead ever
make such an offer to me. " JOSEPII SIIAW.
" (Witnesses) James Coldwell, Samuel Baxter,
Matthew Frith, Henry Garfitt, Alexander
Ellis (his mark), W. Broadhead."
The witness said this paper referred to the affair
that he and Clark were concerned in. He had
never said that Broadhead employed him, but he
had said that Clark employed him. He had heard
Clark say that he would have both him and Broad-
head " run in" (taken to the Town-hall) and
" lagged." He had told Broadhead several times
what Clark was saying, and also the part he (wit-
ness) had taken with Clark, and that he was in a
" mess " through it. Broadhead told him that he
bad nothing to fear, but made no remark about
Clark, nor did he take. any steps with respect to
Clark's statements. The witness would not swear
that he did not say to Hellewell, a few days before
the explosion, in the presence of Mr. Joseph Wil-
son, " If you don't join the union you will have
your head knocked off." He did not know that
Hellewell was fearfully burnt, or that the windows
of the place were blown out. He persistently denied
that when the engine-tenter at the Castle wheel
pointed out to Mr. 'Wilson, in witness's presence,
how the person who had done the deed had got into
the place, he (witness) shook his fist in the engine-
tenter's face and fought with him, and Mr. Wilson
parted them. The reason why he signed the docu-
ment above given was that " they stopped his
scale." He confessed that in substance he told a
lie in order to get his scale. He had no other reason
for signing the paper. Ile believed Broadhead in-
stigated Clark, and Broadhead had a letter, if he
would produce it, which witness wrote to him after
the occurrence, and which Broadhead read in a trade
meeting.

Mr. Overend—Where is that letter, Mr. Broad
head?

Mr. Broadhead—l leave my case in the hands of
legal advistr, Sir.
Mr. Overend—Do you produce that letter, Mr,
Sugg?
Mr. Sung —I do not, Sir.

Mr. Overend—Swear Mr. Broadhead.

Mr. Broadhead was sworn, and he stated, in reply
to Mr. Overend, that he had the letter to which the
witness referred, that it was at his house, and that
it would be necessary for him to go himself to fetch
it. Ile was accordingly sent, in company with a
policeman, to fetch the letter, and the Court ad-
journed till his return.
In a alart time Zr. Bioadhea.d returned with the
letter, which was openly read, And wa,s as follows :-
Sir, Mr. Broadhead,--I signed your document,