The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-04-25
MINUTES or EVIDENCE.
BrsOnn rHu

MINUTES or EVIDENCE.
BESoRE THE
ROYAL Commission appointed to Inquire
inIc Trade. Unions.
PREsESr:
me Right Hon. Cir wnuAH EKLE in the CHAIR.
The Right Hos .hs EARL LloHTmLD.
The Right Hon. SIR RDxuED .wAIKEh- HEAD, Bart
X. @. B.
III DASEL GoocH. Bart, NJ. y.
HERxAx MSETALz, ksq,c' b
lASEs BogrH. ESQ. @. ..
TaOsss HUsHEs, ESQ, n. P.
FNxDEicK HARsIsos, Esg.
Mr.. ROBERT APPLEGARrH examined.
lCoNuSUxD.I
Cbsirruap-There was no idea of char
ging the masters with forgery THE last
answer # Mr.. Maplt is, "It was done in bis
Official capacity BY one Of the workmen, in
making statement Of his view of the case
70 one Of the public papers that circulate 10
the district" and he thinks that it was the
4Maf9rdssiFe Adrertise only wish the
state rent bad been modified. as Mr..
Hughes desired so, and to show that 1t was
a kind Of windy statement that had not
much importance in it. | think is right to
say that ! have been round to all the news
paper Offices in that neighborhood, and one
Of the newspaper editors kindly gave me his
own file copy Of bis newspaper, and | have
been through all the papers named by MIR.
Steele, and there is nothing of the kind
mentioned in any Of those newspapers.
Moreover, VI viii find that Mr.. Mault put
in letter one day when he was being ex-
amined lit was in answer to question 42l6)
from Mr.. Harley, in which he says, Il find
YOU state that the bricklayers OF this dis
trict charged our late secretary, Mr.. Steele,
-ts2rViDg the names OF their representa-
tives, and interpossSs ting a rule providing Tor
arbitration after a code had Usen agreed 10
between masters and msn in conference
This is substantially true as to charges made
by the men generally, but not officially, nor
at any meeting of the masters and men,"
Now, think that Mr.. Harley has set Mr..
Mault right on that point. need only FUR
the, add that the men in that district say
th-t they never charged the employers with
anything Of the kind generally. There vas
certainly lot of windy talk about it at the
time, both amongst the masters and men,
both using strong language, but what they
said was this, that the masters obtained the
signature Of their secretary and their dele
gate in an unfair manner, that they ought to
have had the signatures Of each OF the con-
tracing parties at that arbitration, instead
Of sending it to only two OF them indl-
vidualy, and those two state that they
never read the rules at the time they signed
them. and u was unfair on the part Of Mr..
Msult to import statements into the matter
not founded in fact. ] now desire to call the
commissioners attention to statement made
by AR. Mault respecting dispute at WolVer-
hampton. He says, IN answer TO question
ALA, :" In that strike foreman Of brick
layers, who was out on strike with the rest
Of the unionists, was sent to STAFFORD goal
by the magistrates Of Wolverhampton Tor
very aggravated assault upon a Drlcklayar."
have been very careful because this Is
very important thing 70 ascertaln) that the
case ! am now going to refer to is really the
one that Mr. Mault means, and have traced
it by the names which MIR. Aiault mentions,
he says, 81 distinctly remember the name Of
one Of the magistrates, Mr.. Perry, because
the counsel, Mr.. Young, Of Woly champion,
who was employed by the bricklayers, OBJ
jected 70 Mr.. Perry's sitting" Putting all
'hese circumstances together, find tnat this
is ready the case. l have to say, in thu first
place, that it is untrue from beginning to
end thai foreman of bricklsyers was
never sent o Stafford gaol, and further that
be was never charged With an aggravated
assault The newspaper WEIGH contains the
report saTs, CAT the Northampton Police
Court yes terday, before the Mayor (Mr j,
Ford) ana Messrs Z. Perry and Messrs. E,
Perry aud Y. 7. s. SimKiSs, two men, named,
Benjamin Ward, bricklayer, and Michael
Murphy, secretary Of the laborers' society,
were charged with intimidation," and not
l. xnrf,, s,< - L.
man Mr.. Mault names, was also present
The charge against the men amounts to this.
1t Is stated By the man who was really con-
cerned II i've in John street in this town.
/ am a bricklayer's laborer. work for Mr..
Toyatt. q builder in this town, knew Mr..
BENJAMIN Ward. | believe him to be
a bricklayer. | saw him on the 14th OF July.
I met him between Bilstou and Wolver-
hampton. He said it was a shame
for me 10 come and take the bread out Of
peoples mouths, likewise, be said be would
make nv ear-hole bleed. | recollect seeing
him on the 10Th. was sitting IN cart
with man. lie put his hand in a threaten
ing attitude towards me. In company with |
Anthony KiIcoyne saw him on the S lnday
morning, opposite the Cattle Marke. gate. |
He then stopped me, and said it was shame
IL US to come and work there, and If we
did rot desist be would have US punished
and that very quickly. lie said he would
set trap that would stop me coming 10 |
work for Mr. Lovatt." This is the charge
against the man, not charge Of aggravated
assault, but intimidation. But / viii show
you what the result Of the trial was. The
hearing was put of to the next day. and
then, "For the defense, Mr.. Bartlett said be
should call witnesses who would entirely
contradict the witnesses for the prosecution.
One thing kilcoyne admitted" THAT is the
man Who vas threatened), namely. athat be
had I fear and that was borne out bv the
fact that he had gone on with his work -er
since without any molestation. 1t woul. 81
for the magistrates 10 consider whether il
was not passing remark without the least
intention of carrying out the threat. The
offence took place on the 14th ult.. and no
summons was taken out until the firs. Inst.
allowing plenty Of time and yet nothine had
been DONE" So that from the 14th On one j
iaonth until the LIST Of the next tha man
ES.s on with bis r Ssk without bodily fear Of
threat, aaG lever took out the summons I'm.
ii, suppose, be was induced 10 do 90 for a
certain purpose. safer consulting for some |
ame, the magistrates said they thought /
here was sufficient evidence to c0nvict, and ,
the defendant 10 two months I'm. I
pEisonment with hard labor. Mr.. Bartlett al ,
'nee gaze notice TO appeal, and the psoss- 4