The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-14 00:00:00

SERIOUS COLLIERY DISTURBANCES.

On Friday great excitement prevailed in Bird-
well, Pilley, Hoyland Common, and other villages
in the vicinity of the Wharncliffe Silkstone Col-
liery, and it was feared for some time that a serious
disturbance would take place. On Wednesday, the
strike which had lasted so long was brought to a
close, and it was arranged that the turnouts should,
the greater portion of them, resume work on Fri-
day morning, and the remainder in a day or two.
It having been rumoured on Thursday night that
the black sheep would interfere with the turn-
outs returning, the whole of the pits in the
neighbourhood ceased operations, and the turn-
outs in a body, accompanied by 800 or 900 other
colliers, presented themselves at the colliery
about half-past six yesterday morning, and de-
manded the expulsion of the black sheep. The black
sheep, of which there are from 130 to 150, had been
lowered into the pit, and were working at the
time. The proceedings of this large mob were of a
violent character, one person threatening to cut
the pit rope, while others demolished about a hun-
dred squares of glass in the windows of the cottages
connected with the colliery. Much alarm was ex-
cited, and messengers were sent to Mr. Walker,
the managing partner of the firm, and to Mr. Su-
perintendent Hockaday, of Barnsley, for a large
body of police. On the arrival of Mr. Walker, he,
after hearing the demands of the mob, made some
remarks which had the effect of allaying excitement,
and the party dispersed about half-past nine o'clock.
Shortly afterwards a large body of police, armed
with cutlasses and revolvers, arrived, under Mr.
Hockaday, and remained on the spot during the
day. The cause of the disturbance is said to be
through the interference of the Miners' Union, who
are dissatisfied at the terms made by the men, and
insist on the expulsion of the black sheep from the
colliery, and although the turn-outs were willing
to resume work on the terms agreed to on Wed-
nesday, they were prevented. The neighbourhood
of the colliery through the day was visited by many
hundreds of persons. Thursday was a day of re-
joicing by the colliers in the vicinity, who went
from place to place, headed by the Wombwell Main
brass band, but what has not a little reflected upon
the miners is the several assaults which have re-
cently been made upon the police and parties con-
nected with the pit. Even after the settlement of the
dispute a very aggravated assault was committed
upon one of the deputies of the colliery, named
Taylor. He was met on the road near to the
pit by the crowd which was following the band,
and so severely maltreated that medical aid had to
be called in. A night or two previous, as police-
constable Hall was escorting some parties from the
Birdwell-station, he was pounced upon by about
20 ruffians, and beat and kicked in the most brutal
manner, from the effects of which he has since been
confined to his room and under medical attendance.
A few of the black sheep, while at the Gate Inn,
Pilley, were attacked by a large crowd of above
100 persons on the same day, who entered the
house and beat several of them very brutally. The
close of the dispute is said in some measure to have
been brought about by the Rev. Mr. Brewin, of
Wortley, who, having visited many of the turn-
outs, found a desire amongst them to have the dis-
pute brought to a termination. A conference was
brought about, and the two principal points in dis-
pute arranged ' • the masters agreeing to forego the
charge for oil, and the men to pay full price for
coal, in addition to which it was arranged that the
men should have a weighman of theirown, and that
they should go back to their old places in the pit,
so far as they were or became vacant. The de-
monstration yesterday morning seemed in a great
measure to have upset these arrangements, but the
active participators are said to be the miners from
the district, and not the parties immediately con-
( erned. Some explanations were entered into, and at
a meeting of the committee of the Wharncliffe Silk-
stone Miners, held on Friday evening, it was
agreed they should adhere to the terms come to on
Wednesday, and resume work on Monday morn-
ing, and in the meantime they would write to the
other collieries in the district and desire the men
not to interfere.—Leeds Mercury.

WAKEFIELD ELECTION COMMISSION.

The Cominissioners

WAKEFIELD, No

.!...ulned their intiu

19.

- -
Sessions-house this morning. The four missing
witnesses, Mr. J. B. Charlesworth, Mr! Fernandez,
Mr. Serle,•and Mr. Moore were forthcoming at last,
and one of the much-talked-of " strangers" also
made his appearance, but at present their evidence
has not added much to the information already laid
before the Commissioners.
The first witness called was
Mr. John Barft Charlesworth, the cousin of Mr.
J. D. Charlesworth, the defeated candidate, who
said—Previous to the last election I had a conver-
sation with my cousin, in the course of which I pro-
posed I should act as paymaster for the expenses
of the election. I asked him to give me an intro-
duction to Messrs. Beckett, of Leeds, as my own
bankers arc Messrs. Leatham, and I did not wish
them to know what we were spending. He said it
would not be much use giving me an introduction
Without accompanying it with some security, and
that he bad none of less amount than a railway
bond for £5,000. I said I should not want a quar-
ter of that ; certainly-not more than £1,500, and
that I would return him the residue when the elec-
tion was ever. He told me he would consider of it
and next morning he gave it me with a letter ofin-
trodUction. I took it to- Messrs. Beckett, telling
them that I should want to draw about £1,200 on it.
I drew £l,OOO on the 16th April, of which I gave £5OO
-to Mr. Fernandez, and with the other £5OO I repaid.
Mr. H. Brown, solicitor, a sum of £4OO which he
had lent in the previous year. On the 23d April
I drew out another £l,OOO, which I gave to Mr.
Fernandez. He had told me the day before that
though we had a majority in the town the other side
were bribing. so hard that unless we took means to
keep our majority together we should lose it. On
the 23d of April he told me that things were going
on at a great pace, and that if we meant to win we
must do the same. I said I was very anxious that my
cousin should win, and that I would find the money.
I went to Messrs. Beckett's, and drew out .£1,500,
which I handed to him. Oa the 29th of April I got
a note from Mr. Fernandez with these words in it—
" £5OO will be wanted," and I went to Beckett's
and drew £5OO. On the 3d of May I drew out £250,
which I sent to Mr. Fernandez at his request, and
on the sth of May £5OO more, which is not yet spent.
That makes £4,750, so that there is £250 left in
Messrs. Beckett's hands. I took very little share in
the election. I don't think I canvassed more than
two people. Shortly before the election my cousin
gave a dinner party, at which his principal sup-
porters were present. The election was discussed,
and my cousin cautioned every one very anxiously
to have nothing to do with bribery. I don't know
whether this was after the bond was given or before,
I never gave any account to my cousin of the man-
ner in which I had applied the money. I told him
one day that a great deal of money had been spent,
but he turned away and said he wanted to know no-
thing about it. It was Mr. Fernandez who first
suggested that money would be waisted for preli-
minary expenses. I generally gave the money to
him alone, in the room which he occupied in the
Strafford Arms. It was in notes mostly, except one
sum of £5OO, which was in sovereigns. I have
never had any account from him as to the mode in
which the money was spent. I heard it rumoured in
the town that bribery was going bn freely, but of
ceurse I never dropped a hint that I knew anything
about it. My cue was to keep my mouth'shut. I knew
nothing, in fact, of individual cases of bribery until
this commission opened, for I was very little in
Wakefield during the election, and except finding
the money as I have describe], I took no part in it.
I never heard anything of " strangers" being in the
town during the bribery. I never mentioned to
my cousin that I was furnishing money to Mr.
Fernandez; for I am sure that if he had known
that bribery was going on he would have stopped the
election at once.

Mr. Jose Luis Fernandez said—l acted as pay-
master for Mr. Charles worth's party during the last
election. I have heard Mr. Charlesworth's evidence,
and he has given a correct statement of the sums
which passed through my hands. I believe these
sums, with the election auditor's expenses, repre-
sent the whole cost of the election. The arrange-
ment between myself and Mr. J. B. Charlesworth
that he should find the money was my own.sugges-
tion ; for having had experience in former elections
I knew that money would be required for paying
watchers, messengers, &c., and for securing the
show of hands on the
.nomination day. When I
first applied for money to Mr. J. B. Charlesworth
the canvassing had begun on both sides; and I had
a pretty good idea that the other side.had begun to
bribe. I knew they said they could riot win with-
out bribery, and I had little doubt that they would
win if they bribed hard enough. The whole of the
£3,750 which I received has been expended with
the exception of about £l7B which I have in hand.
I gave Brear altogether £1,400. To Mr. Thomas
Alder I gave £1,035 for the *etchers and similar
expenses, to Mr. Shaw £4O, to Mr. Stephenson
£226 for bringing in colliers on the nomination day,
to Mr. Cuttle £l6 for stationery, to Mr. Bayldon
£6l, to Mr. Serie £lOO, to Mr. George Moore £530
in different sums, and to John stead £23. I paid
the Strafford Arms' account, which came to £l3. I
have £l7B in hand, and that leaves a " leakage" of
£ll3, which I can't account for. This with the
election auditor's accounts represents the whole ex-
penses of the election. The first time that bribery
was mentioned was by Brear. He came into my
room one day about a week before the election, in a
great state of excitement, to tell me that the other
side were buying our voters over, and that unless
something was done the election was lost. I then
got £l,OOO from Mr. J. B. Charlesworth, and
next morning gave Brear £5OO. I knew he was a
very zealous partisan of Mr. Charlesworth, and
would expend the money judiciously. I did not
tell him to keep any account of how he spent it.
—nor did I ever ask him—in fact, I carefully
avoided knowing anything about it. He came again
on the 29th to ask for more money, and I gave him
£5OO more, and I subsequently gave him another
sum, which. he says was £3OO, but which I believe
to be £4OO. I know nothing personal of individual
cases of bribery. I never offered a bribe myself. I
never heard during the election what the price of
votes was: I did not ask—and I have no means of
knowing how much as paid for votes—except by
rumour. I don't know at all whether £5O was the
largest sum paid on our side. I attended the meet-
ing which was held after the election to discuss the
expediency of petitioning against Mr. Leatham's
return,, and I have subscribed £5O towards the ex-
penses of it. About £5OO was promised by the
persons present. I have paid mine, and I know
that Mr. J. B. Charlesworth has paid his subscrip-
tion of £loo—but I don't know whether anybody
else has paid. I have no idea whether the costs of
the petition have been paid. I never heard that they
were to be paid out of a fund in London. Of course
I had a very good idea why the petition did not
pray for the seat. I' was concerned in the election..
of 1857,and I am aware:that Mr. Joe Charlesworth,
who has since died, found what money was wanted
on that occasion. I received aboat £l5O from him,
out of which I paid £4O to Mr. Serle for his ser-
vices. I paid the account at the George Hotel,
which was about £3O. I paid £5O or £6O to Mr.
Brooke Naylor, which he said he was out of pocket
for rejoicings—" tea drinkings," and the like. All
the old women in the borough were at the " tea
drinking," I believe. (Laughter.) I know nothing
about the "strangers" being in the town. I never
saw them, nor had I any notion that they were here.
Mr. George Moore said—l formerly • kept a
draper's shop in Wakefield, and now keep one at
Bishop Auckland. I am frequently engaged in elec-
tion matters, and was engaged in the last election at
Wakefield. It was by the invitation of Mr. Shaw,
the spirit dealer, that I came. I had the manage-
ment of the Northgate ward, and my committee-
room was at the Borough-market Arms. I had no-
thing to do ith bribery. I never offered a bribe
to any man, but confined myself entirely to can-
vassing and-keeping a strict watch over the voters
and bringing them up to the poll. I paid some
S:6O for watchers, and al: the innkeepers' accounts
passed through my hands. The first b itch was paid
by a stranger. I happened to go into the commer-
cial room at the Strafford Arms, aenad.slas,a? them
gentleman whom I had met some
at the Turk's Head in Newcastle.y casually
t
I might have to be examined before an electinon'tcoondlo-
mittec, I thow4ht it better to have nothi
with paying the accounts; and I asked thenstran..er
to pay them for me. I gave him from £4OO to £5OO
for this purpose, and sent•Doeigsou, the sheriff's
officer, round with him to point out the houses to
him. I have no idea who he is or what his name.
is. I believe he is a commercial traveller, that is
all I know of him. I had never seen him but once
befoee, and I have only seen him on .:e since. That
is the only mystery about the election so far as 1
am concerned. The second batch of accounts was
paid by Mr. Roberts, a commercial traveller of
Bradford, who travels for Mr. Show, the spirit mer-
chant here,
Mr. Sergeant Pigott—Do you mean to say that
you don't know that there were strangers in the
town during the bribery ?
Mr. Moore—Well, to tell the truth, it was I who
engaged one "stranger."
Mr. Sergeant Pigott—Who is he What is
his name ?
Mr. Moore—Well, I'd rather not disclose his
name yet, but I can produce him if xiecessary. The

secret has been so well kept that it would be a pity
to disclose it before it is necessary. (Laughter.)
Mr. Sergeant Pigott—Can you produce him to-
day

1;Ir. Moore—Oh, yes, he is bard by. I eaabZing

him in at once.
Mr. Sergeant Pigott—We shall be delighted to

see him.
Mr. Moore then left the court, and in about five
minutes returned with the mysterious " Man in the
Moon," who tallied pretty correctly with the de-
.ser;ption given by many witnesses—middle height,
light beard and moustache, with a scar over his eye.
Mr. Moore's examination then proceeded—This
gentleman's name is Whitehead. he lives at Brad-
ford, and he came over to Wakefield by my invita-
tion. When I got here I found that Gilbert was
at work, and having been engaged with him in
former election matters I thought it necessary to
keep a watch on what hp was doing. I sent for
Whitehead. and told him to go and live at Wain-
wright's Hotel, and bring me all the intelligence
he could pick up. After a time he came and told
me that both sides were bribing hard, that Brear
was bribing for the Conservative side, and that it
was no longer a secret. I said, if that were the
case he might be of some use to Brear, and I
directed him to go to Brear. What he did in con-
junction with Brear he will tell you himself. After
the election he brought me £l4O, which he had not
expended. I was engaged in 1857, but I know
nothing of any corrupt practices during that elec-
tion. In fact I don't believe that there were any.
Mr. J. Whitehead the " Mysterious Stranger,"
was next examined. He said—l am an uphol-
sterer at Bradford, and have always been in the
habit of taking part in electioneering affairs. I
came to Wakefield at the last election, and my first
employment was to watch what the other side was
doing. ,Moore then recommended me to go to
Brear's and see whether I could make myself useful
to him. I met Mr. Alder in the street, and he
showed me the way. I went in and had some con-
versation with Brear, and we made an appoint-
ment for next morning. We met behind the
Corn Exchange, and he gave me £4O to buy the
vote of a licensed victualler named Johnson. I
went with him there, and after asking him for
his vote I put the £4O down on the table, and
covered it over with a newspaper for him to take it
away, but he shook his head and would have
nothing to do with it. I saw Brear again next
day, and got £460 from him in two sums. £2OO of
this I gave to a friend of mine named Dan Robin-
son, whom I brought over from Bradford to assist
me, and directed him to" operate" on Pickard, Gos-
ney, and Mead. I offered bribes myself to various
persons—to the Hallidaya, father and son; I offered
£lBO for the two votes, but they refused it. I can-
vassed Blackburn's wife for his vote. He is a grocer,
and I bought a ham at his shop for £25. His wife
promised he should vote for Charlesworth, but he
did not. I gave Jacob Wood, the tailor, £45 for
his vote. (This man swore that he had not received
a farthing for his vote.) To David Turner I gave
£3O after the election. I also gave Matthews, the
umbrella maker, something, but I don't know how
much. I did not ask him directly to vote for
Charlesworth, but I made him understand that if
he would vote for us he should have money for it,
and he made no objection, so I put the money down
on the counter where he 'would see it. I also can-
vassed various other voters, but I think I have men-
tioned all that I actually bribed.
Mr. Sergeant Pigott—l suppose you know that
you went by the name of the " Man in the Moon"
while you were here ?
Mr. Whitehead—Well, I believe that was my
designation.•
M Sergeant Pigott—And there is no doubt
about your identity ?
Witness—Oh, dear no; I'm the man, sure
enough. (Laughter.)
At the conclusion of this witness's examination
the court adjourned until this day at 10 o'clock.