Historic%20Yorkshire

THE LUDDITERIOTS. 173
Huddersfield. Upon the doorbeing openedtwo wounded
men were found outside, whohad beenleft behind. These
mendied, and a jury returned a verdict of "justifiable
homicide." Twice after this occurrence Mr. Cartwright
was shotat on the high road, but happily withouteffect.
After the failure of the attack against Mr. Cartwright
the infatuated Luddites determinedon the murder of a
manufacturernamedMr. William Horsfall. He was proceeding
along the Huddersfield and Marsden road when
he was shot at from behind a plantation wall. A Mr.
Parr,riding behind,saw himfall and gave what assistance
he could, but the unfortunate gentleman expired at the
Warrener House, a tavernnear,withinthirty-eight hours.
Throughout the year such crimes as these becamemore
numerous as the year advanced. Special enactments
were formed, and so greata number of arrests weremade
that in the latter part of 1812, special commissions were
opened at Lancaster, Chester, and York, for the trial of
prisoners, while rewards were promised and " King's
pardons, " to such accomplices as would inculpate their
fellows. The specialcommissionofYork wasopenedonthe
2nd ofJanuary,1813, andlastedten days, thecharge to the
grand jury beingmadeonthe 4th byMr. Baron Thomson,
who, with Mr. Justice Le Blanc, was the judge. The first
case tried was one in which four men had assumed the
character of Ludditesin orderto plunderthehouse of Mr.
William Moxon at Kirkheaton. They were sentenced to
death. Anotherprincipal case was that of GeorgeMellor,
William Thorpe, and Thomas Smith, who werecharged
with the murder of Mr. Horsfall on the evidence of Benjamin
Walker, the fourth of the party, who were seen in
the plantation. Thesethree were also sentencedto death.
They declined to replyto the questions which were put to
them, and Mellor, the oldest of the party, and notmore
than twenty-three years of age, the General Lud of his
locality, declared that he would not willingly be in the
placeof Walker for his libertyand the reward. The three
were executed on the 6th of January, under the guard of