Newport Chartists Vol.9, p.21

Description

21
William Voss saith I am a Constable of Brecon - On 2d of
Decr inst I accompanied Jonas Williams to the house of Lewis Hugh
of Trallong - I went to apprehend the prisoner - we found him there -
the prisoner asked me to go up stairs to change his clothes - He went up & I
followed him - he then pulled his Trousers off & pulled out some money to put
in the other Trousers he was going to put on - he said he would give me
5£ to let him go and he rattled something in his hand which I did not
see, but believe it was money - the last witness told him he was his prisoner
and asked him how his wound was getting on - he cried and cried bitterly
Before we left, the woman of the house made him a cup of tea and told
him "My good boy tell you the truth, it may be better for you" I also
said we did not want him to tell us any thing - that we did not want to
hear it - he then began telling the story how he was forced to go to Newport -
He then said that on Sunday Evening prior to the 4 th of Novr it was uncommonly
wet - He accompanied a great number of people down to Newport - he came
to the Westgate - at that time he had a cleaver - first of all he had a club
he saw there a great number that were shot - that he was very near the
Westgate Inn and he turned his head back and saw the soldier level his
piece at him, he felled down on his hands and knees and while he was
in that posture he received a ball in the back or he should be killed
if he hadn't fallen down - he said many times he wished they had
killed him - he said there were thousands at the Westgate, and
were running away in all directions when the soldiers fired - he got
up as well as he could and got to the trams which he went by to Blackwood
and then from thence to Tredegar - and from thence by tram to Tally boat [*]
and thence by canal Boat to Brecon and from thence he walked
to William Hughs before light in the morning - he told me he went
there thinking to get well and then to marry Hugh's daughter - neither I nor
Jonas Williams said any thing to induce him to make the above statement
I asked him if he could bring any one to prove he was forced and he said he
could not, they had all fled the country - he said Frost was with him going -
down to Newport - He also added he thought he was far enough out of the way at
Hugh's house - he said he did not know Frost personally but he understood he was
there - It is 46 miles from Newport to Tally boat, [*] but the way the Prisoner went
in must be 56 miles to Trallong ---

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[Newport Reference Libraries embossed stamp]

[* bont?]