Historic%20Yorkshire
Historic%20Yorkshire
Historic%20Yorkshire
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174<br />
THE LUDDITE RIOTS.<br />
two troops of cavalry and largebodiesof infantry. John<br />
Schofield was charged with shootingat John Hinchcliffe.<br />
The latterwas a parish clerk and singingmaster, and was<br />
called out of bed on the night of the 22nd of July, 1812,<br />
and taken into the road, where, after a futile attempt to<br />
escape, he was shot in the eye, the use of whichhe entirely<br />
lost. The counsel for the defence included Mr.<br />
Brougham (afterwards the famous LordBrougham), and<br />
the plea set up was an alibi. The prisoner was pronounced<br />
" Not guilty." The 8th ofJanuarywas givento<br />
investigating cases where persons had administered the<br />
Ludditeoath, andthose foundguilty of this weresentenced<br />
to transportationfor seven years.<br />
The next day nine persons were charged with being<br />
concerned in the attack on Mr. Cartwright's mill. Six<br />
were found guilty and three acquitted. Other prisoners<br />
were then tried for minor offences, and those found guilty<br />
sentencedto sevenyears' transportation.<br />
The prisoners condemned to die werefifteen innumber,<br />
and as the dock was too small to hold them, they were<br />
ranged on a form in the sight of the judges. The Clerk<br />
of the Arraigns asked the usual question why the judgment<br />
of death should not be awarded them, and each in<br />
his turn prayed for his life. Baron Thomson and Mr.<br />
Justice Le Blanc assuming their black caps, the former<br />
addressed the condemned, pointing out the enormity of<br />
their crimes, the importance of an example, the little<br />
chance of mercy for them, and their impending death.<br />
One of them swooned early during the address, and the<br />
groans that burst now and againfrom these young men<br />
as it proceeded, were heartrending in the extreme. But<br />
a short time was allowed to elapse between sentence<br />
and execution, and during this period the prisoners<br />
behaved in a very penitentmanner, but did not make any<br />
importantrevelations. At eleven o'clockon the Saturday<br />
morning,the 16th of January,the Under-Sheriffdemanded<br />
the bodiesof the condemned. They were then singing a<br />
hymn which one of them dictated. On arriving at the