Newport Chartists Vol.5, p.85

Description

85
[written faintly in pencil at the top of page]
John Frost, Charles Walters and John Partridge Case

Matthew Williams sworn states - I am a Quarryman
and live at Argoed - On last Saturday night between 10 and 11 oclock
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 Steward called eleven 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 and 10 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 met me there - we stopped there a while
and until we were about 5 in the whole - we agreed to meet between 5 & 6
o'Clock that evening just in the same place - The Lodge met on Sunday
evening - I went there - I dare say there were a hundred there - I know
a person of the name of George Reeves - I know 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 one 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 on further - we were
to go on to the Royal Oak at Cefn ty Marchog as fast as we could go
down from the Lodge - That Sunday evening after the Lodge I went

[in left margin:-]
[l.5] q cannot
[l.7] who was the Steward
[l.13] q see above -
[l.20]Sunday Evening
[l.21]George Reeves -
[l.24] D[itt]o -