Star.
London, England, 1820-03-21 00:00:00

The warrant was signed by me and others. The first deposi-
tion, not against you, hlr. Hunt, bat with rsamct to. the alarm
of the town, was made about half-past chef.= or twelve o'clock.
¶%e last deposition was made immediately after you ascentkid
the hustings; it was made by a person named Owen, I could
not swear to your person ;.hut it was made after the carriage
had drawn up, and the people had alighted. I have not got
' that warrant; I delivered it into the constable's hands; it is
often the case for a constable to return a warrant when it has
been served; but at there were Magistrates senior to me in age
and service, it *as not returned to me. Ido not know the
exact terms of that warrant, as I Have dot seen it since. It was
placed fa 'the hands of Naditi, and directed Mtn to arrest Hunt,
Johnson, Knight, and Moorhouse. Owen's affidavit was made
beforethe warrant was granted, and after you had ascended the
hustings. When the warrant was made out, I had a very
strong idea that its service would be a. task of great difficulty.
Neither I nor any of my constables, to my knowledge, called on
the people to make way for the constables to approach the huft.
ings. I was not elected Chairman of the Magistrates on this
occasion because no one • else would undertake the task : the
situation was offered to no one else. I was never in the army :
.1 was for a short time in the Local Militia.

.- -
Mr. Hunt.--I believe you saw very little service until
that day?
Witness.-1 don't call it service. The letters to Colonel
L'Estrange ar.d the Commander of the Manchester Yeomanry,
aver; sent at the same time. The reason why the two forces
did not arrive at the same time was, because it was deemed
prudent that, instead of Colonel L'Estrange proceeding through
a very narrow street, he should advance to the Area by a cir-
cuitous, but mare open route. I think the warrant granted on
the oath of Owen set forth that you, Moothouse, Johnson, and
Knight, were proceeding through the town in a cur.
Mr. Hunt.—Then, as I was in a batouche, that is not correct.
Mr. Justice 14ATLEY.—YOU cannot make any remark on the
warrant, unless it i; prodtved in Court. -
Witness continued—l did not say, that when you approached,
the snob set up a shout of defiance. I said, when tLe Yeomanry
arrived, the people set up a great shout, groaning, hissing, and
brandishing their sticks. When I stated that I wished to ren-
! vey my opinion to the Jury, that the shout was given in defi-
ance of the military, I also said, and I repeat, that that part of
the crowd nearest the military faced towards them. They
hooted; hissed, pointed at them, and brandished their sticks.
I believe these who were nearest to the Yeomanry rather ap-
proached thou'. Then the Cavalry, Li forming, waved their
swords, and advanced to the hustirgs. If I were called on to
state the partietee s pee in which they advanced, I would say,
it was in sornethlre of a trot, or rather prancing; the hotses
were fidgettieg con's:Treece of the nnise, and they were not
in good order. I saw nene of the Cavalry gallopirg. The pace
I whit to describe wa; between walkirg and trotting. I believe
they advanced to the right of the Constables; but the line of
Comtables had, I believe, been previously broken. The letters
I sent to the Officers were writt6 in conjunction with all my
brother '.llagiiteite. The Sr3Ce which the Cavalre made in
their approz.:h was immediately failed up by. the people. I can-
not say that it was filled np by the Constables on tho right, and
the people mithe lefts endeavouring to escape I only know
the space wes immediately filled up. I think decidedly that the
space was filled up br the purpose of desist; them le, and cut-
tMe the ni

Mr. Justice Mt/ay.—Do you thick It was done to pull them
off their horses, and injure them ?
Witness.—l.oertaiply do, my Lord. The impression made on
my mind, at the time, was, that the People closed in order to
injure the Yeomanry. There might be some Candtablzs mixed
with the People: 1 could not sec them. Ido AM knave that
the closing was effected by the rushing in of Mr. Na,:in and the
Constables. I believe the People wished to close on the Ca-
valry. 1 will swear that many of the People did not fly when
the first body of Cavalry rode amongst them. They fled when
they saw the second. The moment Colonel I: Estrange ad-
7aneed with his squadron, the general fight, according to my
belief, took place. 1 saw very fe* children in the crowd. 1
cannot undertake to swear that I saw one. There were a good
many women, undoubtedly. I heard the women particularly,
noisy iu hissing and hooting the Cavalry when they first ap-
peared. When the Yeomanry advanced to the hustings, I saw
bricks and stones flying. I have not stated that they were
levelled at the Yeomanry, nor can I swear it. I wlsh to eanvey
to tile Jury, that those stones and bricks were thrown in defi-
ance of the Minn-. I saw them attacked, amid under thht im-
pression. I deshed Colonel L'Estrange to advaitce. I said,
For Gon's sake, 7.7 haw they're attackinz; the Yeomanry—
save them," or words to that effect. There was not time for
me to consult ray brother Magistmws as to sending in mote
Military, but they were with me at the window, and I should
certainly conceive they h...ard me. I did not take the sesponsi-
hil:tr on myself. They, at that moment, were exprming fear
the.na:lres.

Mr. Hunt. —What fears? Pears that the People would hurt
the Yeomanry, or the Yeomanry destroy the People e
Witness.—l answered that. They saw the perilous situ-
ation in which the T:drnanry were placed. Ido not recollect
how many of the filagiatrates were with me. Some of them
endeavourctl to get Into the crowd, but without effect. I and
my brother Mreistrats, Mr. Tattoo, tricd to get into the crowd,
but were repul;:d. That was after the first body of Cavalry
had arrived, and proceeded with the Constables tover.rds the
hosting-. The attempt was made before the dispersion, and
stance-pi:lst us the athisce of tile Caysary. Nuttier he nor any
of his blether hl.szistrates had atttropted to persuade thc People
to disperse. I saw suns, of the partite march into the field in
beautiful order.

Mr. I lunt.-And this thieg, which was so beautiful, created
alarm in your tender heart?
Wintes...—Thot body, which roanthed so beautifully, did
create went alarm in the town. 30-trah of throe persons had
large s:e:as, I won't say shoultiered like mushets, but they had
them up to tit .'it. 'haul:ler,. Thu applied principally to the pony
that entered from Mosley-street. Ti. others .1 could not see.
Mr. liunt.—Why did you leave the winde* ?
Wintw.—Because I gave n.y orders to Colonel L'Estrange.
Mr. Bust.—Was the carnage too horribi.: to look at ? •
Witnesi.—l would rather nut see any Aivance of the Military.
?fir. iiunt.—Then you gave orders for that 4•Wcis. you had
not the courage : i witness?
Witness.—l ;rave orders to Colonel L'Estrange to advance to
the rapport o; tile Yeomanry; I never thought it would be
nccesrary to disocrse tittin violently. as I thought they would
disperse on the appreheasion of those named in the warrant ;
tied I will add, that we had no previous intention whatever of
disperdng the crowd. 1 winussoi r.oue of the scenes that
took place after. I went down stein just as Mr. Hunt was
brought in prisoner. I did not see any of the killed. I believe
I did see one man wounded, who was brought into Button's
house, but I would rather not swear it. I saw none at the
time, but I have some blot recollection of haying bract a„
wounded person—a woman—carried In a Chair this Or three
hours after. I saw a woman brought into Eturtbn's house in a
faint :tate, hitt not wounded, as I can recolledt. I did not see
I' one woman in a faint stale, and advanced in pregnasey, inl
blood tiowing from her bosom. I think that is the woman to
whom I alluded. I do.not recollect having had a woman in a
fainting state pointed Out to me, and a person asking for a little
water for her; I was so busy looking at you, Sir (to Mr. Bunt).
I do not recollect having said to Colouel L'listrange, in Bus-
ten's house, " There, Sir, is your prisoner ; march him off to 1
the New Bailey; I commit him to your care." I do nut be-
lieve I did. Ido not recollect some person pointing out to ma '
the danger there would be in sending you (Mr. Hunt) among
the Yeomanry and constables (" Who had been already attack-
ing use r added Mr. Hunt). I wished to send you in a coach.
I did not think it safe to send you among the crowd. I had
beard that Mr. Hunt had been struck, but I will not swear it.
Examined by Mr. attaterr—lle and Mr. Tattoo endea-
voured to force their way into the crowd, but could not; they
went down together, but advanced only a short way ; they
found it quite impossible; they had their horses ready to rids
in, if they found it practicable in any way; he conceived it
necessary to disperse the Meeting when be saw the Yeomanry
in what se believed to be serious danger; he knew no other
reason why the military were called its, but the declared impos-
sibility for the ehil power,to matte the warrant ; the service
was attended with *reek danger es Me part of the police, and
artounted almost to an impossibiblit deemed it expedient to
grant the warrant, because they bid not before identified Mr.
`Hunt with the Meeting; the apprehenalen of the ringleaders
silts considered necessary, in consequence of information re-
ceived on eatb, and actual observation of the danger which
. menaced the town then and now ; if the Meeting bad pro-
! ceeded in the town, Manchester would not now have been
, standing; was aware of military training; thought there was
' a man brought to Mr. Buxton a house wounded, don't know
his imam _

By the Count.—l have aid as a Magiataate for stply line