Newport Chartists Vol.5, p.44

Description

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44
Regina v. Unknown Persons
Examination of Benjamin Strickland of
Quarry Mawr in the parish of Machen
Upper - Who States that on Sunday night
the 3rd of November instant about 20
minutes after 10 o'Clock I was at home
at my own house - I way lying on the
bed in my bedroom on the second floor -
when I heard from the outside the
word "halt". Immediately after I heard a
very loud knock at my door - I got up from
my bed and went to the window and opened
it when I saw nearly three hundred Men
all about the door in the front of my House-
I said "What do you want" - some of them
said "you must come down stairs" - I
answered "I will come down directly" - I
put my Hat on and went down stairs-
______________________________latch
My front door was fastened with a ^
bolt and a chain - the chain is about
three feet and a half in length and when
loose the door may be thrown open for
about four or five inches - I threw
the door open - one of the men entered -
He had no arms but a lighted Candle in
a Lanthorn - Another man standing
upon my left hand had a Spear in his
hand - He held his Spear
against my side - I said what do you
want- at the same moment another
man (a short man) levelled his Gun

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at my Head - I should think the barrel
was from three to four feet in length -
I said "come less of that I can use those
tools as well as you can" - and
pulled a pocket Pistol from my waistcoat
pocket - I struck the Gun and Spear
up and presented the Pistol - one said
"Where is your Gun" I said "I lent it to one
of Sir Charles Morgan's keepers on
Friday last"- They then said "Where are
your Pistols" - I said "one is in Bristol
being repaired the other is in my pocket"
they said "Where are your Cannons" - I
said " I lent them to a friend at Machen"
one said "you have two Swords, where
are they" - I laughed & said "the Children
have been playing with them until they
have hacked them to pieces" - They
said "Well we Shall See" and rushed
into the House - I should think there
were upwards of one hundred and
twenty in the House at the same time -
I took a Candle (lighted) from the Stairs
and went into my office with them - over
the fire place I had a new powder flask
hanging - one of them unhung it and
asked what was in it - I told him to
shake it - there was nothing in it, it
had never been used - I said "put
that down - there's no Arms here" - They
put it on a table in the middle of the

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Room - & there it remained - One of the men
went to a Desk in the Room upon Seeing which
I said "Do not touch anything there - It is
not my property it is the Company's - They
left it untouched - They then proceeded to
the Parlour door which was locked - one
of them said "perhaps you have the arms
here" - My Wife gave me the key - I opened
the door and showed them into the Room
and said "there's no arms here and
nothing but my books and papers - touch
nothing" - All I lost from that Room
was a Walking Stick and a yard - Whilst
I was with them in the Parlour another
party of them went into the back kitchen
and took from thence a new Lanthorn and
and from the dairy from three to four pounds
of Candles - All the bread and Cheese -
they attempted to take a Leg of Pork out of pickle
upon which my Wife remonstrated when one
of them Struck her upon Head with the
bludgeon - and Sing out for me - I
rushed out of the Parlour and again took
the pistol out of my pocket and went towards
the Dairy - On my way I met the party
coming out - about a dozen Men - my
Wife said to me one of these men has
struck me - I went back to the front
door when one took me by the Collar and said
"you must go with us" - I said "I had the
Rheumatism I cannot Walk " another
took hold of me - I said I will not go -
someone outside said "He has no arms

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"don't injure him nor his family" - They then went away
Several of them were armed some with
Guns, Spears and other Weapons - About
12 o'Clock I went from my House to the
Full Moon kept by Henry Lewis to see
if I could identify any of them - I
saw Thomas Batten - I told him to go
home - I also saw a man of the name
of Pillinger - I think his Christian
name is Edward - I asked him what
he wanted amongst such a crowd as
that - He said He was compelled to
go with them - He had no weapon
with him - the House was crowded
to excess - The men were all drinking
I saw no Arms with any in the House -
I remained there until three o'Clock
in the morning - I then returned home
and went to bed - I am unable
to identify any of the men who were
in my House -
____________ Benj Strickland

[left margin:]
Xd
Mr Strickland
Depo:
Reg. vs Thomas Batten
Edwd Pillinger

[r. margin]
[?] 642...