The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-03-03 00:00:00

NORTHERN CIRCUIT, LANCAgTER,

(From our own Correspondent.)

TUESDAY.
John Whittaker was found guilty of a rape, and sentenced

to transport,tion for life.
James Ainsworth and William Thompson were indicted
for burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling-house
of Thomas Lund, at Wilpshire, near Blackburn, on the 31st
August last. Mr. Cardwell conducted the prosecution; and

the jury found both the prisoners guilty, and his Lordship
sentenced them to transportation for life.

Joseph Abbott was indicted for the wilful murder of Thos.
Isherwood, in the parish of Blackburn. The jury found the

prisoner not guilty

WEDNESDAY

TRIAL OF F. O'CONNOR AND OTHERS

This morning at nine o'clock Mr. Baron ROLFE took his
seat in the Nisi Prius Court, for the purpose of trying the
Chartists. The court was crowded to excess.

About the same time Mr. Feargus O'Connor, the Rev.
W. Hill, the Rev. James Scholefield, and several other of the
defendants entered the'court, and the former took his seat
immediately behind the one usually occupied by the Attor-
ney-General.
Shortly afterwards the Attorney-General of England (Sir
F. Pollock), Mr. J. S. Wortley, Q. C., Sir Gregory Lewin,
Q. C., Mr. Hillyard, and Mr. Pollock, the council for the
crown, entered the court and took their seats.

Mr. Dundas said he appeared for the defendant Robert
Brook. Mr. Baines said he appeared for the two Schole-
fierds, but with regard to the younger Scholefield (William,)
the Attorney-General said he would consent to a verdict of
acquittal. Mr. Atherton appeared for James Fenton and
William Stephenson. Mr. Sergeant Murphy said he ap-
peared for Ruilton, Johnson, and Durham, and Mr. John
Owbrav said he defended the rest who did not defend them-
selves.

Sotne considerable delay took place in endeavouring to get
a full panel of special jurymen, but after calling over the
names several times, only nine appeared.
Mr. Edwards of Roby, Mr. G. F. Barbour, of Chorlton-
upon-Medlock, Mr. J. Malcolmson, of Islington, Liverpool,
and Mr. Askew, of Bury New Road, Cheetliam, Manchester,
were each fined £25 for non-attendance.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL then prayed a tales, and three
common jurymen were sworn. _ _

Mr. POLLOCK then stated the nature of the charge against
the defendants, to which they had severally pleaded not
guilty.

The indictment against the parties is rather lengthy, and
contains no less than nine counts. It found against the par-
ties at the Special Commission, held in Liverpool in October
last, as well as several other bills against most of the defend.
ants.

The names of the parties are Feargus O'Connor, Peter
Murray M'Douall, James Scholefield, James Leach, Chris-
topher Doyle, John Campbell. Jonathan l3airstow, Barnard
M`Cartney, James Arthur, alias M'Arthur, David Ross,
Richard Otley, George Julian Harney, James Cartlege,
Thomas Cooper, Wm. Hill, Robert Brooke, James Taylor,
John Hoyle, John Thornton, John Norman, Joseph Clarke,
John Massey, John Fletcher, Thomas Brown Smith, Thos.
Fraser, John Allinson, James Grasby, Wm. Beesley, James
Chippendale, Samuel Parkes, Thomas Railton, Robert
Ramsden, James Mooney, Thos.Mahon, John Leach, David
Morrison, John Lomax, John Arran, James Shevington.
Win. Scholefield, Richard Pilling, William Aitkin, Sandy
Challenger, alias Alexander Challenger, George Candler,
John Durham, James Fenton, Wm. Stephenson, John
Crossley, Alfred Woolfender, Robert Lees, John Lewis,
Patrick Murphy Brophey, George Johnson, Thomas Storah,
William Booth, John Wild, William Woodruff, Frederick
Augustus Taylor. Thomas Pitt, together with divers other
persons yet unknown, are charged with having between the
Ist of August and the Ist of October last, at the parish of
Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, unlawfully con-
spired together by causing to be brought together divers un-
lawful and riotous assemblies of seditious and evil-disposed
persons in various parts of this realm, and forcing divers of
her Majesty's peaceful subjects, being then employed in their
respective trades, to desist from their respective employ-
ments, and by divers seditious and inflammatory speeches,
placards, and other publications, to create alarm, with intent
thereby to bring about a change in the laws and constitution
of this realm. The other eight counts are somewhat to the
same purport.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL then proceeded to state the
case to the jury. Having entreated of the jury to divest
their minds of all prejudice, the learned gentleman proceeded
to detail the facts of the case, which will be found more fully
in the evidence which was subsequently adduced, he con-
cluded by observing that, for the present, lie left the case in
their hands, trusting that they would do justice, and deliver
their verdict accordingly. _

Mr. F. O'Connor applied to his lordship to order all the
witnesses out of court, which his lordship said he would do
except the reporters, and such as had to prove documents.
The first witness, Joseph Haigh, was then called and
examined by the Hon. Mr. J. S. WORTLEY.—He said I am
a milkman, and live at Ashton-under-Line. In the course of
July last I recollect some meetings taking place at Ashton.
Was present at one held on the 26th July, near Thacker's
foundry. It commenced between seven and eight o'clock,
cont'nued until a little after nine. About three or four thou.
sand persons were present, and one of the defendants, Wm.
Woodruffe, was in the chair. He introduced Wm. Aitkin,
another of the defendants to the meeting. Aitkin, after
speaking about the charter and different things a considera-
ble time, he should advise the cotton lords, particularly the
Messrs. Raines, to keep within the precincts of their own
palaces, as dark nights were coming on, and the day of reck-
oning was at hand. I attended another meeting in the Chartist
Room, Ashton, on the 12th of August, at nine o'clock in the
morning, which was called by the bellman. John Alexander
Stewart took the chair at the request of Woodruffe, who pro-
posed a a resolution "That, in order to facilitate the advance
f wages, all labour should cease." Woodruffe said be had
been the means of calling the meeting. 1 left the meeting at
half-past nine. I attended another meeting held on Sunday,
the I4th of August, on Thacker's ground. Joseph Hilton
was in the chair. One ur two verses of a hymn was sung.
Afterwards the chairman read a communication to the meet-
ing, to the effect that labour should cease until the charter
became the law of the land. Johnson and Challenger were
present when that was read. Considerable confusion took
place, and I left. I saw a procession pass along the streets
on the 30th July, and in the front rank was th? defendant
Woodruffe. It moved towards Stayleybridge, and consisted
of sixty or eighty persons, chiefly women and boys.

Henry Brierly, Of Stalybridge, was then called. He de•
posed to having attended various large meetings at the latter
end of July and beginning of August last, at one or more of
which the defendants, James Fenton, Pilling, Brophy, Wm.
Stephenson, Mahon, Challenge, and Durham, were present
and spoke, exhorting those assembled to go for the charter,
and to keep out of work until they got a fair day's wages for
fair day's work. This witness also spoke to the procession
on the Gth of August, when the mills were stopped, and the
hands turned out, but he did not see any of the defendants
thus engaged, though several of them were first in the pro-
cession. lie also stated, that at a meeting on the 13th of
August, Fenton, Stevenson, Durham, Mahon, Aitken, Wool-
fenden, John Leach, and Johnson, were present. Jonathan
Wild Has in the chair, and spoke of the wages question,
when it was agreed to send delegates to see what was the
highest price paid for work, and the lowest, so that they
might strike fur the medium.

The witness was cross-examined by Sergeant Mußpm-,
Mr. ATHERTON, and Mr. O'CONNOR, and stated that
Bailey's people turned oat on the sth of August. They had
received notice of a reduction of wages to the extent of 25
per cent., and after that they always took the lead. Never
saw any breach of the peace at the meetings.
William Clayton, constable at Hyde, deposed to a meeting
having been held there on the Ist of Aug., at which George
Candelet was chairman, and John Leach, Robert Wild, and
William Moorhouse were present. A resolution was passed,
that if another reduction was proposed by the masters they
should all strike.

Joseph Little was then called, and examined by
Mr. PoLLoox.—l am the special high eonstable for the
Hyde division of Cheshire. On Wednesday, the 7th of Aug-
ust, I attended a meeting on Mottram Moor, and afterwards
made notes of what passed. There were about 400 persons
present. I saw George Candlet there. Wm. Moornouse
was acting as chairman. He addressed the meeting and said—
" My friends and fellow-workmen, I am appointed chairman
of this meeting, and must inform you we are not met here
for a wage question or for a religious question—it is fora na-
tional question ; hut I will not intrude upon your time, as
you will be addressed by my brother Chartists from Staley-
bridge, Ashton, and other places, who are more able to ad-
dress you than I, and they will explain to you that we. as
Chartists, are met here for a national question." He then
called upon some one else to address them whom I did not
know, and I left. I attended another meeting the same day
in the afternoon. Moorhouse was in the chair. Robert
Wild, John Leech, and Joseph Candlet were present. Moor-
house said, at the close of the meeting—" You people have
been told of the evils we labour under, and I am requested to
tell you a meeting will take place to-morrow morning, at five
o'clock, when we will proceed from factory to factory, and
all hands that will not come out we will turn them out—and
when we are out we will remain out until the charter, which
is the only guarantee for your wages, become the law of the
land. I hope to meet you all to-morrow morning at Staley-
bridge, when we shall join hand in hand in this great national
' turn-out." John Leech addressed the meeting, and pointed
me out to the meeting as one of the government men, like
the black-coated gentry who attended yonder church, (point-
ing to Mottram Church,) which was built for a good purpose,
but was now filled by thieves and robbers like the cotton fra-
ternity—but we would all be like them if we were paid £BO a
year for one day's work. But the church is an open hell,
tilled by cotton lords, who are a set of thieves and rogues, and
good honest people they will not allow to enter; but let us
be true to one another, and there is property in this plentiful
country enough for us all ; and if you have not the common
necessaries of life take them, and who can stand against you ?
none. The prisons are full, and in the prisons they do not
want you. The police are not to blame; you must not da-
mage person or property ; but above all keep out of public-
houses, and to-morrow there will be a general turn-out
throughout Cheshire and Lancashire—and they would soon
gain the charter. The meeting broke up at five o'clock.
Next day I attended a meeting in the market-place at Hyde.
John Leech, Candlet,Wm. Moorhouse, and a person named
Stevenson were present. Speeches were made recommending
the people to remain out until the charter became the law of
the land. Moorhouse said they would meet at eight o'clock
the next morning, and they:quietly dispersed. I attended a
meeting on Tuesady, the 9th August, at five o'clock. Wil-
liam Moorhouse was chairman, and Leech and Candlet
were present, and each informed the meeting that they would
go to the Manchester Exchange to meet the cotton lords, and
lie doubted not but they would obtain the advance, but they
were not to return to work until they either got the advance
or the Charter. On that day Messrs. Horsefield's mill was
stopped by a mob, who came from towards Ashton. On
Wednesday morning the 10th, there was a meeting in Hyde
Market-place, at which, Moorhouse, Leech, and Candlet
spoke. They desired the people to be quiet, and Moorhouse
said they were to proceed to Compsall-bridge and Glossop.
and to all the mills, and make them turn out. Leech advised
the people to be quiet, but to remain out until the Charter
became the law of the land. There was a meeting that even-
ing, at which, Leech, Candlet, and a Mr. Crosby, a draper,
was present. Leech said he had attended a meeting of shop-
keepers at the Working Man's Institution, and the shop-
keepers had come to a resolution that they would keep the
turn-outs for two weeks, but he suggested they would not
to be true to one another, and on Wednesday next they put any trust in the false shopkeepers. He exhorteevdwtohuelind
be met by Mr. O'Connor at Manchester,
then resolve what to do. On the 11th, Hyde was in a very
riotous state all day, all labour was suspended, and great
etiotrl clubsn walking
andsticks.about inon a
numbers
o f
Friday morning the 12th August, a large meeting was held
brookf broken persons
procession,namea intor armed thed w
at Hyde, when John Leech, Booth, and Candlet, were
sort
pre-
sent. A person named Charles Swindell was in the chair.
Wardlow spoke, and said they were not to come there day
by day, talking and speaking, but they were to consider how
they should get bread. He for one was going to the masters,
and he demanded a sbow of hands from those who wished to
go to work, but he was hooted down. Leech then spoke,
and after saying that they should not submit to anything but
the Charter. He had been at Stockport the day before, and
he bad headed the people up when they went to the bastile.
He said the Mayor of Stockport had told him, and hundreds
besides, that there was plenty in the store-rooms and mills,
and if they wont] not give it them take it. He, however,
did not wish them to do so, but do as in the time of King
John, when Magna Charta was granted—that was granted in
one day. The people went in a large body to the king, de-
manded it, and it was granted. Be told them to be true one
to another, and the Charta would moon be granted. Samuel