Denton Examiner, Audenshaw, Hooley Hill and Dukinfield Advertiser. — 1876-04-15 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

TUE ALLEGED. TRADE OUTRAGE AC  BOLTi )N. On Monday, five men riamed Edwin Ashcroft (aged 30), Jame. Atkin (33). John Barnes (25), Thomas Ainsworth (25), and Thomas Beldam (36), were placed in the dock before the Bolton borough magistrates, (Messrs J. Musgrave, G. Fell. and J. Green), charged first with wilfully, of malice aforethought, killing and slaying one James Thom- ' piton, in Slater-lane, on the night of the Bth inst.' Also, with violently assauliieg James M'Curley, and doing ldin greviovs bodily harm in Slater-lane, on the night of the Bth inst.' Before the above-mentioned five were charged the names of 29 of the men out on strike at Messrs Slater mid Co'd works were rea I over, and they were, at the request of the Chief ()unstable (Mr Beech) disoharged. Mr Hall, the borough prosecutor, said that the prisoners were there on a charge of having killed a man named James Ttioausion. Oa Saturday night between ten and eleven o'clock, Janice Thompson and two other men were in a becrhouse, and on their way home or to the worka wore attacked by a number of men. One of them (Chompson) was killed on She spot by Ws violence of soniebody,and or, of his comp mious,Jauaes ACCurley,wes severe(aimed, inn Ste unable to make his appearance. the other umu (Wright got away witeout being injured. nil,. affair, he beiieved, had arisen from a impute widen had existed for some time past at lerrors Slateee dack-o-'th.lturik. The three icon, Thompson, IVl,Curley, arid Wright) were employed ..t Messrs ZJlateig up to this time, and it was supoosp,l that the nim wt..: committed this outrage were the men who hail unit the employment of  essrs Slater, and felt a grievance wlto respect to these Ines continuing wark. Kllat was the only totive that could be suggests), as these three nien were inoffensive Men, rind had had no angry words at the beerhouss, and there was no reason the outrage except that arising :rorn the diecute ameng their fellow-workmen. Thompson, :d 'Curley and Wright were quietly on their way to works when they were -et upon. At present so „Kr Hall) asked the Bench to remand the pri• miters till Satarday, and by arrangement he had onicie with Mr Richardson, who represented all the prisoners, it was understood that from Saturday the ease should be adjourned for a week, when it would be thoroughly gone into. This was merely a formal adjournment, it being perfectly understood that the trial will not take place until Saturday week. The Chief Consu ble (jlr Beech) then gave evidence to the effect the five men were in custody on a charge of having wilfully murdered James Thompson, and also witn having grieviouoly wounded James ill'Curley, lie bad reason to believe that if the prisoners were remanded he could prove that these men were directly or iudir cctly in the murder of Thompson and the injury of Wearicy, and be wished the remand in order that he might make inquiries into the circumstances of the case.  e—se. The prisoners were accordingly remanded Mr Riohardson appeared for Atkin, ad Mr Fieldiug for the other prisoners. The strike at Slaters bleachworks, which is presumed to be at the bottom of the outrage, took place about the latter end of January, and originated in an apparently simple circumstance. Soule cloth had come to the works to be bleach& I, and also to be stamped in a particular fashion. The men when told to stamp the cloth in the manner desired, refused =loth they were paid extra, as the stamp would be required to have been made at a little distance from what would be the middle of a triangle wheu the corner was bent over. They left work when their own notice was up, and the lirm advertised fur men in Scotland and Ireland. A. number of these nieu commenced work, and M'Cutley and Wright were of the new corners.