|
FRAME BREAKING
18th April 1812
About midnight on Sunday fe'nnight, the Luddites renewed their work of destruction in the neighbourhood of Huddersfield.
They were in considerable force, armed, and their faces blacked. The first sufferer was Mr Smith, of snowgate-head, near Holmfirth; they broke all his shears and dressing-frames. Horn Coat, about a
mile distant, was the next place of action: here they destroyed the frames and shears of Mr. Joseph Brook, broke his windows and demolished his furniture. Mr James Brook, of Reins, near Honley, three
miles from the last place, had also one frame broken, the only one he had, and which had been taken down several weeks. This was near two o'clock; about which time they dispersed, without
breaking his shears.
All these outrages and much worse, are perpetrated without the detection even of a single individual: and, thus escaping, the offenders seem, as must naturally be expected, to
increase in strength and daring.
On Thursday ie'nnight, at midnight, about 300 of these desperate men, some undisguised, some having their faces covered ; some with fire-arms, some with
hatchets, and many with clubs, surrounded the factory of Mr Joseph Foster, at Horbury, near Wakefield, broke into different parts of the shops and houses adjoining, destroyed the frames and shears,
broke the windows and iron-window- frames, damaged a quantity of warp in the looms, and wreaked their vengeance on the machinery in the scribbling mill.— While this was going on, another party
broke open the house occupied by the sons of Mr Foster, in the most outrageous manner. They dragged two of the young men out of bed, tied them together on the floor, and made a third accompany them
with the keys threatening on refusal, to put him instantly to death. The book-keeper's house was also broken into and himself and family treated most brutally. And the miscreants departed letting
the premises on fire! This was happily prevented from extending far: the whole damage is sated at 700l. The men were called over by numbers, as before, and dispersed. Many of them were met on the
Huddersfield road upon Grange Moor returning, about three o'clock. Others went through Horbury on the Wakefield road, saluting the house of Mr Foster with a volley, as they passed, to his great
alarm, as he has for some time been an invalid. It is said that Mr F. intends to apply to the County for reparation. No military were stationed nearer than within 11 miles. This machinery of Mr
Fosters, we understand, has been at work several years.
|
