The Cotton Factory Times. — 1904-04-15 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

MAGISTRATES.  Although we hie,e not chronicled any of the arrests in connection with the Luddite outrages, for the reason that the parties taken into custody are not concerned in the unfolding of our story, it must i.ot be assumed that the authorities were idle. Arrests were continually being made. The difficulty was to produce proof, and this difficulty, so perfect was the organisation of the Luddites, and ei widespread the terror they exescised over those who were not actually members, seemed to be insurmountable. On the eery day on which Hors:fall was shot there had been an examination before Mr. Radcliff, al three prisoners. On the night previous, the whit of the 27th April, intelligence had been reserved at the Huddentheld Barracks as to the hiding place of three men, who were suspected of complicity its the attack on Cartwright's milL After nightfall the place where they lay was surrounded, and the men arrested, and conveyed to the barracks. The news of the capture soon spread, and during the night the stables near where they were imprisoned were found to be on fire. Undeubestil:. the fire was the work of incendiaries, and it was suspected that the object ' was to distract the attenticia of the sentries so that the prisoners might be rescued. But the ruse failed. The ere was e.etingueshed, the sentries remained at their posts, and the prisoners were brought up for examinatien the nett day. But no direct evidence °animating then with the attack on Caetwriglit's mill (mild be established, and they had to be released. The shooting o' Mr. Hors.fall increased the vigilance of the authorities, arid arrests of suspected per. eons were numerous. Of these we only need to take notice of the arrest of George Mellor. He was arrested because of his violence of temper said the prominent position it was suspected he held in the Luddites movement. Oliver's statement to Mr. Radcliffe as to what he had seen when spying on the meeting in John Wood's cropping shop on the evening of the day that John Booth was buried, and of what he had overheard of the quarrel between Horsfall and Mellor in the streete of fluddereld in the afternoan of the same day, influenced Mr. Radcliffe to place Mellor under observation. In the end he had him arrested, his intention being to make Mellor account for himself during the couple of hours or so that would be occupied in going to and from the scene of the murder of Mr. Horsfall on the day the fatal shot wee fired. There was absolutely no evidence to show that Mellor had anything to do with the murder, and in asking him to account for his time that day Mr. Radcliffe was demanding that Mellor should prove a negative, a course which is oontrary to the whole spirit of English law, but Mr. Radcliffe did mane things in those day that would not bear investigation. The end, however, justified the means, and his methods had a great deal to do with rooting cam the Luddite plots, and bringing the guilty parties to justice, as we thall See later on. . _  It was late when Oliver reached Huddersfield. He slept for the night at the Plough Inn, and earlm the next morning made his way to the court house to interview Mr. Radcliffe, who had left an intimation with the messenger that he desired to see Oliver before the court opened at nine o'clock. Oliver waited upon the worthy magistrate in his retiring room. "I am much obliged to you, Mr. Oliver." slid the magistrate, "for this prompt response to my summons. Now repeat to me what you are prepared to allege against Mellor."  Oliver did NO. "H'io., not much in the way of direct evidence, is it?"  "No. Mr. Radcliffe," said Oliver, "and I think it _mould _he wisest not to put me in the lo."  " Why r  “I don't want to rouse the saspicion of the 'Luddites. I toid you I had certain bmiCae.% to do tek,re I coukt decor* myself to the elucidation of myste-ry. Well, that business is done.”  And you can now foiicrw it ilia inwegtigalhois without intorniption':"_  "1 hope EO. rrhe affair that wan botherixag me is happEy settled. Elo far es I can FAO then, le rio eon wtry I abonld not follow up auth efues aa ray emerge. The examination to-day mar help me. but /Continued au rage 74  Li  1  'I