Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1879-04-23
NUMBER %.
WILLIAM BRoADHEAD.

NUMBER rs.
!. WILLIAM BRoADHEAD.
;. A Shef6eld Rattenger Whose Crime
!. Gave Reade the Idea Of Novel.
The English mails bring particulars {
the death Of the notorious Willial
Broadhead, whose crimes inspire
Charles Reade with the idea of hi
. novel, "Pnt Yourself in His Place.
Broadhead died of softening of the brai
at the age of six three, leaving q wifi
and ten children. He had served hi
apprenticeship as q sawgr;nder, and il
1S4S was appointed secretary of the Saw
grinders Union, very powerful ant
sterply.constituted society. Broadheat
also kept a small tavern, the George, il
Holly street, frequented by the oper
atives employed in his trade. He was ,
man of considerable natural abilities,
although of scant scholastic acquire
ments, astute, clear minded, endowed
with an i,on will and much strategic
resources, but wholly without scruple
| Under his management the system oi
terrorixing masters and recalcitrant
unionists was carried to its utmost
lengths. The vengeance Committee
were accustomed to blow their victims
ur with gunpowder. Wherever the
Sheffield "Mary Anne" went she
carried canisters full of that explosive,
and down chimneys and through doors
and windows death and destruction were
dealt to those who had offended against
the regulations Of the trade, or those
who we're in arrears with their Datty"
money. 1t was always shrewdly suspect
ed that Broadhead was concerned in these
crimes, but it was not until October,
1866, that matters came to crisis. A
can of gunpowder was exploded under
the house of man named Fearny-
hough, and, although no harm was done
to human life, much damage was caused
to property. a thousand pounds reward
offered by the Sheffield manufacturers
and an additional reward of ElO0 promis.
ed by the government failed to bring to
light the perpetrators of the outrage, all
completely in which was indignantly
repudiated by the trades unions. In
proof of their sincerity they offered q
supplemental Ei0O for the detection Of
the perpetrator. In an article published
shortly afterwards by Sheffield news
paper it was strongly insinuated that
Observation-Disclosures he was not men,
toned by name--kncw something about
the outrage. The secretary called on
the editor to complain of the structures
passed by implication on his conduct,
consulted his solicitor, and = meeting of
the union representatives declared that
if he had to sell his shirt to meet the
costs he would take proceedings against
the paper in which he had been 30 cruelty
illuminated. At last, mainly at the
instance of the editor in question, q
commission was appointed to investigate
the whole system of trade outrsges at
Sheffield, and absolute indemnity
promised to all witnesses who would tell
the truth, however deeply they might
have been compromised in the crimes
committed. Two of the men examined
who had been Broadheads hired bravos
began to make appallingly damaging
revelations concerning him, and he,
finding the tolls tightening around him,
at length fully confessed his guilt. The
narrative of Broadhead began in 1853,
when he procured the hamstringing Of q
horse whose owner, one Parker, had been
guilty Of working with non-uni0nists.
This warning being disregarded, Broad
head hired two men to shoot Parker, and
Parker was shot on Whit Monday, 1854,
In August, 1859, he caused his bravos to
trace one Linley from house to house to
murder him. The victim was found at
last sitting in the room of q public house,
and he was shot from yard and through
q window by means cf an air-gun. He
died some weeks afterwards from the
effects of his wound. Previously Linley
had been blown up once and shot once,
always BY Broadhead's direction. It
was declared by Broadhead that he
intended the man to be shot and not
slain outright, and he added that it was
with "very great pain" that he had con-
sented to the proposal for shooting him.
/" II came upon him." he remarked, as
an unpleasant subject" For the shoot
ing of Linley he had paid ELS and he
took some E200 out Of the funds Of the
union for the purpose OF bribing the
ruffians who executed his murderous
behests. Before having Linley killed
Broadhead secured the blowing up Of
Samuel Bsxtor, of Loxlsy, another inn
penitent and self-willed sawgrinder. A
couple of months after the shooting of
Linley, one Hslliwell, who had not been
brought up ~ sawgrinder, waA for the
ofFense of working at that trade blown
up with gunpowder, which was ignited
from the sparks Of his glaseE" ~ he
began to work. Broadhead then deliver
ed three cans of gunpowder to Q man
named Clark for the destruction OF the
interloping sawgrinder, and half = cam
full had been placed BY Clark in Helli-
mans trough. The poor man was not
killed but only blinded. Broadhead
drew up . plan for shooting him, but
refine uished, and blew up part Of the
factory of MessrA Wheatman 4 Smith
who had ahmed greatly BY introducing
new mode Of grinding saws. At the
Close OF the sittings OF the c0mmiasion
Broadheod received, according to the
pledge given to the guilty Witnesses, :
certificate of indemnity, though BY his
own admission . murderer and suboyu-
er of murderer The Sheffield mag.
istrstes declined to renew his license a. =
publican, and 4 subscription having bean
raised for him he emigrated 70 America,
that soon he returned to England and 10
Sheffield to vegetate in 0bscuFity - the
copper of . chambers shop, and 70 die
ct last paralyxed and imbecile. He wns
kntrits, it was reported, in his lAttsr
daya -