The Tamworth Examiner and Working Men's Journal. — 1875-10-16 (Tamworth, Staffordshire, England)

TWENTY-SEVEN TRADE UNIONISTS COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.  At the Shire Hall, Nottingham, last week, twentyseven men and two women were charged, on remaud, with has jog intimidated several workmen employed at Messrs. Sylvester and Bridgett's lace factory, Lenton, near Nottingham. The case excited the greatest possible interest, the street and approaches to the court being crowded with unionists. This was the first case of the kind which has been heard in Nottingham under the new Act, the following being the section under which the summonses had been issued:—" That it shall be unlit% ful for a number of persons to follow others in disorderly manner, with a view of preventing them working for any employer, &c.; and, also, that the defendants may übjezt to the exercise of the magistrates' summary jurisdiction,and,thereupon,the case to be sent for trial.* Mr. Laurance (barrister) represented the employers, and Mr. Heath (the trade union candidate at the last elec.. .  io-a) defenaed. It.9pears. that for many. months past  their Las btdu a striCe.st thd prosedut.d-s' faxtory,'.ll,l in consequence non-unionists have been employed. This enraged the men who were out so much that they loitered about the premises, and when the new hands were going home at night across Nottingham Park, they taloned them, called them "black sheep," used very bad language, and threatened what they would do when dark nights came on. This practice had been indulged in to such an extent that it became very dangerous for the complainants, who were often followed by about one thonsend people. A large nnmber of witnesses were examined, after which the Bench decided to commit the men for trial at the assizes, and to discharge the women.  ALLEGED PLOT TO POISON THE PRINCE  Mr. Ernest Ride&le Ellaby, of 5, Lanstiown place, barri,ter. has applied to Mr. Knox at the Marlborough itrpet police Court repeatedly, to ask the magistrate to allow his to make a declaration which he had reduced to writing. and which covered air or seven closely written pages, to the effect that a relative who had married his sister had, as he believed, administered drugs to him for the purpose of intercepting a book which he proposed to dedicate to the Prince of Wales, that book being in poetry. and showing conclusively that he was of sane mind ; next, that he had discovered that a conspiracy existed to kill the Prince of Wales by of to him poisonous drugs, that the proofs of poisonous drugs having been admini,tered were these—the Prince was getting stout, stoutness being one indication of poison; that he had been to a fancy ball in the character of Charles I.; that he had taken his children to Sanger's and the Holborn Amphitheatres, and had gone to Mentone in Passion Week. lie had additional proorthat a plot existed to poi,. the Prince of Wales, to destroy the Throne, and to wake the Prince's children unfit to reign. That proof would be found in contemporaneous leading articles of an induencial newspaper to which his brother-in-law was appointed medical murderer. He had made ineffectual attempts to gain an interview with the Prince of Wales, that he might warn him against going to India, as it was intended when he got out there that he should be destroyed by an attack of artificial cholera, produced by certain drugs. Mr. Ellaby said from the nature of his application and statement he should not be surprised if the magistrate considered he was labouring undernieund delusion. Mr. Knox said the appli, ant's assertion of a terrible censpiracy, the object of which was to poison the l'riuce of Wales, can only be attended to us information in writing. Mr. Ellaby promised to do what was proper, as his proofs were conclusive, and then left the court Mr. Knox requested Warrant Officer Day to look after the applicant and see that he did no harm. On the 7th inst. Mr. Ellaby again came to the court and was taken into custody by Sergeant Day. Dr. Take, on being sent for was requested to give his opinion of the state of Mr. Ellaby's mind. Alter being with him privately for a few minutes, Dr. Take stated that the defendant beyond question laboured under mental delusion. The defendant here entered upon what appeared to be a very consistent line of argument to show that Dr. Tuke was in error in stating that he was not sane. Mr. Knox directed that the defendant should be removed to St. James's Workhouse, preparatory to being sent to an asylum. The defendant was then removed in the custody of Sergeant Day. It appears that the defendant has been a source of great annoyance to the Prince of Wales both by writing and seeking interviews.