The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-07-25 00:00:00

DISCOVERY AND SEIZURE OF PIKES IN

LIVERPOOL.

APPREHENSION OF TWO PARTIES IN

POSSESSION.

Much curiosity, and no little excitement were caused
yesterday, by the fact becoming known that a number of
pikes had been seized in this town, and that two men in
possession of them were in custody, and would be brought
before Mr. Rushton for examination.

The police-court was consequently crowded during the
day, and the room, in Exchange-street East, (both the
usual courts being occupied by the Recorder and the
Assessor,) was suffocatingly warm, and far from odorous.
The examinations in this case were deferred until a long
list of police cases was disposed of, and did not, therefore,
commence until nearly four o'clock. There was a full
bench of magistrates, as listeners only, and round and
about it many of the most influential of our citizens.
Mr. RUSHTON conducted the examination himself, and
Mr. John Yates, solicitor, defended one of the prisoners,
a rather good-looking, light-complexioned youngish mans
named Joseph Curdy. (or Cuddy), as some of the wit-
nesses denominated him. The other prisoner was a very
tall, stout, and also good-looking young man, named
Henry Bannin, against whom, it will be found by the se-
quel, the case was apparently but slight, if not, indeed,
untenable.

The first witness called was Inspector Burrell, who gave
his evidence as follows :—About six o'clock on Saturday
evening last I was in Byrom-street, when I saw the pri-
soner, Henry Bannin, carrying a sack. I overtook him
in Scotland-place, and asked what he had got. He said
" pikes," and that he was only carrying them for another
person. I told him I could not allow him to pass on
with them, and that he must go to Bridewell. The
other prisoner, Joseph Cuddy, came up and said they
were his pikes; that he had only employed the other men
to carry them ; and that, if there were any blame, it
should fall upon him, and not upon Bannin. I asked
Cuddy his name, and who and what he was. He said in
reply, " Are you a magistrate ?" I took him to the
Bridewell. On examining the contents of the sack, he
found it to contain thirty-one pikes—those then on the
table.

[Here the instruments were examined. They were
enclosed in a strong coarse sacking bag or covering, and
some of them had been exposed during the day, before
the examination came on,—as, it appeared to us, a
theatrical display of revolutionary " properties," which
might as well have been dispensed with. These pikes
were of apparently four various sizes, like large halbert or
spear heads, with sockets, and double rounded iron, all in
a piece, and holes for rivets, for the security of the shaft
or handle, with which none of them was provided. The
length varied from 2} to nearly 2 feet, including the
socket. The blades much resembled those of the halberts
carried by serjeants of regiments,—some of these blades
being from nine to ten or eleven inches long, and others
rather short of this. The blades were ground smooth,
and would no doubt mike a very respectable probe if
thrust into the body of any one of her Majesty's lieges.
The lower or shaft part of the implement, was rough, yet
strong, and it appeared that they had been manufactured
rapidly by aid of steam or other such machinery as is
employed in forging establishments.]
Mr. Burrell continued :—Cuddy, when in Bridewell,
stated that he had employed the other man to carry the
pikes from the saw mill in Slater-street, where he had
employed a man to grind the blades.* He added that he
and the man were on their way to Bevington-bush, where
the man who had ground them lived, and which was nearly
opposite to the (Corporation) School. Cuddy added that
he had 100 pikes more than these, which he intended to
send to Waterford on Tuesday, for he had received two
orders from thence, and had sent some off already. He
also stated that they cost about 2s. 9d. each.

The witness was cross-examined by Mr. YATES. to
show that Cuddy evaded no questions put to him, but
was candid throughout. He wished to elicit from the
witness that Cuddy had said that he had supplied some
pikes to a clergyman at Edge-hill, but this met a negative
reply. The pikes, witness said in replies, looked to him
like a preparation for open rebellion, worse than guns or
pistols. The big prisoner was, he believed, a joiner.
Cuddy was, or had been, connected with Dr. Reynolds,
formerly of Leeds-street; and he told witness that be
himself had sold similar things in Leeds-street. He had,
it appeared, lived with a Mrs. Champion in that street,
where they sold knives, and pikes similar to these, and
were not prevented by the authorities.
Mr. Inspector John Eaton was next called, and gave
testimony with reference to what he had heard Cuddy
say, to nearly the same effect as that of Mr. Burrell.
The principal additions were, that he .had seen a bill for
grinding the pikes produced, the amount of which was
6s. Bd. ; that prisoner had told witness that after a com-
plaint made by Dr. Reynolds before Mr. Rdshton, he
considered himself justified in selling the pikes. Prisoner
said he did not know for what purpose the pikes were;
but that more of them were being made, and that he was
employed to get them made. The witness also stated
that he had not heard the prisoner say he had supplied
seine to a clergyman.
Mr. Yates contended that there was no offence what-
ever on the part of his client, for it was not shown that
he intended the pikes for an improper purpose. He
agreed that seditious meetings in which such or similar
weapons were advised to be used, should be stopped in
the bud, but here there was no proof of evil purpose on
the part of his client.
Police-officer Tho 3. Hale (160) was next examined. He
had, it appeared, had several communications with Cuddy,
who hod been salesman of pikes, swords, pistols, cutlasses,
&c. to Dr. Reynolds. He knew this from being on the
beat. The shop was now closed, but he had twice visited
it at night, and he had there seen pikes, with staffs tee
feet long. Wjtness had once been called into the shop
by Cuddy, and bad conversed with him, when he stated
he had two large orders to supply some sacred " (mean-
jog " secret ") clubs. (A laugh.) Cuddy said he was
pikesgDo ri.n g ott
Reynolds
removethe
Doctorh at od
tgboen gone,
a_Manchester,Hn and that
said, in
hiwnehewircoahss s he
cross-examination,
anhpaga
to
oaheicaonrl
that he had not told all these facts to his inspector, that
he had accidentally been in court ; had not been asked to
give his testimony ; and expected no reward whatever for
doing so.
The rrisoner Bannin said, in his defence, that he was
perfectly innocent of any evil intent, and gave a reference
to his employers in Church-street. On Saturday, he was
out of work, and on a promise of Gd. agreed to carry the
bag. He did not know its contents.
Mr. RUSHTON said inquiry should be instantly made,
and if his story were true he should be discharged.
Meantime both must be remanded, and Cuddy until the
case were fully sifted. It was the duty of all who had
the public peace to guard, to be x% ary and alert at these
perilous times ; and his brother magistrates and himself
were determined to use every means to preserve the pub-
lic tranquillity.
The court then rose.

*Of course, although this fact was stated, it is impossible to
suppose that the respectable owners of these mills knew any-
thing of their grinding apparatus being used for such a purpose•
—Ed. Standard.

In the thunder-storm of Friday a farmer, at Henley, in
Oxfordshire, lost 50 acres of wheat out of 70.
On Sunday evening week, the sugar-house of Mr. Parker
at Greenock, was burnt to the ground.
On Wednesday, a fight took place in a field at Finchley/
between two haymakers, when one of them received
blow from his adversary which killed him on the spot.
The dispute was about a loan of 51d.
The Queen and Prince Albert, accompanied by the
Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, and the Princess
Alice, left Buckingham Palace in a carriage and four, at
25 minutes before three o'clock on Saturday afternoon,
for her Majesty's marine residence, Osborne, Isle of
Wight.
MONSTER STRAWBERRIES ! ! !—TIIO Bradford Obser-
ver says,—" A few days ago we were shown two fin°
strawberries, grown by Mr. W. Tuke, in his garden at
Hill-side, weighing three quarters of an house and the
other a trifle less." We wonder what was the weight of
the house ?

THE KIRTON MURDER CASE.—At Lincoln assizes on
Saturday, Joseph Travis, who at the previous assizes
after a protracted trial was acquitted of the wilful murder
at Kirton, was indicted for a highway robbery on that
occasion, accompanied with violence. He was foura
guilty and sentenced to transportation for life.
A SUGAR REFINERY IN MANCHESTER.—The futo'
in Chester-street, Chorlion-upon-Medlock, formerly oc-
cupied by Messrs. Samuel and Henry Marsland, is about
to be converted into a sugar refinery, having been takenfor that purpose by Messrs. Binyons and Hunter. NI
are not aware that sugar refining is at present carried on
in any inland town.
FREE TRADE IN OPERATION.—A good deal of ill-feel:
ing has been exhibited at Birmingham, in consequence/
the dismissal of a number of the hands hitherto employed
at an extensive manufacturing concern in that town, an
the engagement of a body of French operatives in lien °'
them. Great apprehensions are entertained that a COlh'
sion and riot will take place between them.
THE POTATO CROP.—The accounts of the failure of the
potato crop in some parts of Ireland, and particularlY 13
the south and west, are of the most alarming descriptiorl;
It has occurred to some gentlemen, that the contribution
to a fund for the purchase of turnip seed for sowing hp-
mediately might still be in time to palliate a calamity!,
which it is to be apprehended cannot again be relieved DY
any government measure.
On Friday, at Lincoln assizes, Elizabeth Garner'
little girl of pleasing appearance, only 13 years old, Via
capitally indicted for administering to Mary Smith,: s
mistress, some arsenic, with intent to kill her. She :to
put as servant to a bed-ridden old woman, and wishing
be relieved from the place, she gave her mistress the P°__Le
son. The judge told the jury, that infants under 14 lice
not criminally resp,,nsible for felony, but that 1111.1.10
might supply the deficiency of age, and he left it to them
to say whether there was sufficient evidence of malicere.
supply it.' She was foundj guilty, sentence of death.
corded. Theiudge told the prisoner he had no
life would be spared. The old lady is now out
doubt nee,:

DAYS.

TIDE TABLE.
MORN. lEVENG.I HORT.
.1

HOLYDAYS

July.l h. m. h. m.
Tuesday.... 251 5 52 6 32
Wednesday 26. 7 11 7 49
Thursday ..27 8 24 8 57
Friday ....28 9 26 9 54
Saturday ...29 10 19 10 43
Sunday SO 11 7 11 29
M0nday....31 11 50 -

ft. in.
13 11
13 10
14 5
15 6
16
17 5 9
6th Sundqy aftTrinitY
18 1

LIVERPOOL: -
TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1848.
AND T NG,
EVERY TUEPRINTED
SDAYPUBLISHED MORN-- d
By JOSHUA FLETCHER LACE, of 53, Grove street, an
LEONARD ADDISON, of 14, Great Orford-street,
At No. 4, ST. GEORGE'S CRESCENT, LIVERPOOL.

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