Newport Chartists Vol.3, p.3

Description

3

The first two Prisoners will be
indicted for High Treason

John Frost and Charles Walters and
John Partridge's Cases

Matthew Williams - Sworn states I am a quarry man and live at Argoed -
on last Saturday night between 10 and 11 o'clock
I was at the Chartist Lodge at
the house of William Williams at Argoed it is a Beer House there were a great many
there more than I can number there were two persons acting there as Stewards I
can tell who they were the house was full there were fifty or more persons there

The Stewards called seven of us by our names, we were new members they told us we

were bound to come to the Captains Call, the Captain was a Collier I don't know his
name, he took down our names one of the Stewards asked me to give five pence I said
I had no money and would pay them another time some of the men gave five
pence each the Stewards named a captain over me his name was Harry - I should
know him again if I was to see him - The Captain was to give us some instructions
on Sunday morning we were to meet between 9 and10 o'clock in the morning near
The Chapel I was a new member. I was going to my Chapel the next morning
- Our Captain was there three or four more met me there - we stopped there a while
and until we were about 5 in the whole - We agreed to meet between 5 and 6
o'Clock that evening just in the same place the lodge used as Sunday Evening
I went there I dare say there were 100 there. I know a person of the
name of George Reeves. I knew him by that name . I should know him again if I
was to see him there were some of the persons asked what did they want at
Newport, they talked about going to Newport - some asked what we were going to do
there, George Reeves said we were to go there and stop all traffic, all trade and
the Coaches and the post - Reeves said he had been with Mr Frost, somebody did
ask whether Mr Frost was hard by and some said he was at Blackwood
and we were to go forward - After that it was said that if we should not
have Mr Frost before we should not go any further - it was agreed that
we should send after Mr Frost to stop him on the way, he was to
stop at Newbridge again we come there or we were to go no further. We
were to go on the Royal Oak at Cefn by Marching as fast as we could go down
from the Lodge . That Sunday Evening after the Lodge I went home and went to
bed, we went out of the Lodge before 6 o'clock I went home and went to bed
we were to meet again at 6 o'clock - a great many came to the door
and told me they would break the door if I did not go. I was obliged to go
I was bound to go, they put a guard over me. I took a stick which I

[in l. margin]
Captains

Harry

met Sunday Eveg
nr Chapel

G. Reeves

decl-ons

Royal oak Cefn

Pressed


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Newport Public Reference Libraries