The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-04-06 00:00:00

THE NEWTON CONSPIRACY.

THE QUEEN V. SELSBY AND OTHERS.—This was an i
indictment for conspiracy at Newton-in-the-Willow;,
against no fewer than twenty-six defendants, of whose
names we subjoin the following list :—Henry Selsby,
William Read, John Bonsfield, Alfred Cheese.borough,
Francis Dawson, John Dumbell, Gilbert Gray, Peter
Grundy, Samuel Mills, William Murgatroyd, Joseph
Platt, James Quarry, Nathan Ramsden, Joseph Smith,
Robert Westwater, Thomas Wilson, Thomas Wright,
Joseph Blemiars, John Firth, George Leach, John Ro-
berts, George Scholes, John Thomason, Rowland Wil-
kinson, and Elijah Bowman.
The case for the prosecution was conducted by Mr.
Sergeant Wilkins, Mr, Monk, and Mr. Pollock.
Mr. PoLLocic read the indictment, which charged
the defendants with intending to impoverish and injure
John Jones and Arthur Potts, ironfounders. There were
several counts in the indictment, one of which alleged
that they had conspired to prevent fifty journeymen, work-
men, and apprentices, from accepting work at the foundry.
Mr. Sergeant WILKINS opened the case. Whatever
might be the opinions of those who had counselled the
defendants, their offence was calculated to injure society,
and the jury were hound to find a verdict. The prosecu-
tors were the proprietors of the Viaduct Foundry, at
Newton ; and all the defendants, except Selsby, had
been in their employment, A disagreement arose, and
they attempted to dictate to the prosecutor as to how
they should conduct their business. They came to the
masters, and almost insisted that apprentices over a cer-
tain age should not be engaged, and that no men should
be employed who did not belong to a certain trade's
union, called the Journeymen Millwrights' Benefit Soci-
ety—a society that had the enormous fund of £lB,OOO at
its command. The masters would not submit to this
dictation, and then fifteen of the defendants left, and
those who remained became so turbulent that they were
obliged to be discharged. Then the discharged workmen
formed themselves into bands to prevent workmen from
a distance entering the employment. The learned coun-
sel then alleged various acts of intimidation practised by
the defendants.
Constable Jones, from Warrington, was the first wit-
ness called. He proved the apprehension of several of

the defendants. He also proved the finding of Selsby's
letter on Cheeseborough, and the conversation he had
with Selsby when he arrested the latter ; and when, prior
to the arrest, Selsby mistaking him for Jones, the prose-
cutor, waxed communicative, and admitted that he was
the acting secretary of the millwrights' executive, the
author of the placard, and the writer of the letter to
Cheeseborough, enclosing ten pounds for the turn-outs.
At the house of Quarry, the defendant, a number of
books and papers, and a balance-sheet, were found.
Papers were also found in Bowman's box. Witness had
been several pickets prior to the apprehension of the de-
fendants. They walked backwards and forwards on the
road in the neighbourhood of the foundry of Jones and
Potts. They walked in twos and threes ; sometimes in
sixes and sevens, nines and tens ; and they spoke to per-
sons going along the roads.
Cross-examined by Mr. KNOWLES.—The pickets were
very peaceable. He had never seen them otherwise than
well conducted. Selsby said, when arrested, that if they
had done anything wrong, it was contrary to his instruc-
tions. He admitted that most of the apprehensions had
taken place, and most of the boxes of the prisoners had
been broken open, late at night.
Elizabeth Pendlebury proved that she had pointed out
Quarry's and Bowman's boxes to the first witness. Both
.these men had lodged at her house, and they had been
out of work for three months.
At twenty minutes past six o'clock, the further hearing
of the case for the prosecution was adjourned to nine the
following morning.