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9th May 1812
Huddersfield, May 7, 1812.
MR. EDITOR—I am sorry to inform you the Luddites have been very active in collecting arms this last week, and
have been too succesful.—They proceeded to people's houses, in the townships of Almondbury, Wooldale, Farnley, Netherthong, Meltham, Honley, and Marsden, and many other places in this
neighbourhood; they entered the houses by about 20 or 30 in a gang, and demanded all the arms in the house, on pain of instant death. By this means they have obtained possession of upwards of 100
stand of arms since my last letter to you, and not one night has passed without some arms having been so taken. In order to check this alarming evil, Major Gordon has obtained possession of 200 stand
of arms from the inhabitants in this neighbourhood; the military are in this manner daily employed in collecting arms, but they have not yet been fortunate enough to discover the depot of the
Luddites.
A person, of very suspicious character, was apprehended in Saddleworth, last Tuesday, and committed to prison, and will undergo an examination before the magistrates tomorrow.
The
Coroner's Inquest sat on the body of Mr. Horsfall last Thursday, and returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against some person or persons unknown. He was interred at Huddersfield parish-church, in
a very private manner, last Saturday morning—few people knew till the funeral was over. It is presumed the business will be carried on at Marsden as usual.
You was misinformed with respect
to Major Gordon's stable being set on fire; the stable belonged to Mr. Allen Edwards, King-street, who wished this mistake to be rectified; Mr. Edwards is a special constable, and had rendered
himself obnoxious to the incendiaries by the vigilant discharge of his duty.
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