Meeting At Mexborough
Summonses issued for Compelling
Owing to a large number of Denabyites having marched to Barnsley and back – a distance of over eighteen miles – on the previous day, the muster at the colliery gates on Wednesday morning at four o´clock was not so large as usual.
The morning was misty, and as nothing could be seen of the new arrivals the miners slowly departed homewards.
A number of men have been served with summonses on account of their share in the proceedings on Tuesday. Their manes are Thomas Wood, Alfred Hatton, Patrick M´Hale, William Wrigley, Jno. Briggs, Wm. Barnes, Thos. Hall, Thomas Farnell, Andrew Finlan, Wm. Cooper, Thomas Barker, Benjamin Hatton, Michael Dugan, Peter Hatton, Henry Hatton, John M´Hale, Alfred Stevenson, Jos. Edwards, Jos. Cain Watkinson, William Watkinson, and William Wathey.
These men are charged on the information of Mr. Chambers that they ” on the 12 th of May, at Denaby Main, for the purpose of compelling Thomas Leaming and others to abstain from doing an act which they had a legal right to do, to wit, to work at the Denaby Main colliery, did unlawfully, wrongly, and without legal authority follow the said Thomas Leaming and others, with two or three other persons, in a disorderly manner, in or through a certain road there, contrary to the statute in that case made and provided.”
It is stated that eighteen other persons are to receive summonses for committing a similar offence against a deputy named Schofield.
A meeting of Denaby Main men was held in the Lodge room at ten o´clock, Mr. P. Hatton in the chair.
The first business before the meeting was the confirmation of the previous resolution – the Chairman said they had heard it times enough before, but it would not be out of place to read it again. He then read the resolution referred to, which was as under :-
” That we, the miners of Denaby Main, stick firmly together, man to man, until an amicable settlement can be arrived at.”
The resolution was unanimously confirmed by the meeting.
The Chairman then said they would doubtless be aware that some more men had arrived at the colliery. On the previous morning they went to the colliery to see some men who had arrived, but they could not be discerned. Rumours had been heard to the effect that the first batch came from Sheffield. He had received information that morning respecting the new workmen. It had been told him the greater portion would not go to work without seeing the general body of the men. They should have an opportunity of seeing the general body before long.
They would have a meeting on the Pastures as quickly as possible, and try to get them on their side. They should promise to keep themselves quiet, and treat the new workmen as they ought to do ; it would be a bigger victory if they could get them away peaceably and quietly, than if they got themselves into any bother.
With reference to the summonses, the Chairman observed that some men had to go to Rotherham to answer a charge of intimidation. He never saw anything so peaceable and quiet ever since he had been at Denaby Main. Their character during the struggle would bear investigation, and they had only to refer to Capt. Russell and his men for proof of his assertion.
A great number would go to Rotherham next Monday, but he hoped the chairman of the Rotherham Bench would not treat them the same as was the case last Monday, and that he would not bind their wives over because they themselves had done something wrong.
He thought that meeting should pass a resolution condemning the action of the chairman of the Bench of Magistrates last Monday. The Home Secretary should be written to on the question. He did not see that a man should be bound over when he had not been charged with anything.
It was decided that the newspaper report of the proceedings should be sent to the Home Secretary, and also to Messrs. Burt and Broadhurst, and that the latter should be asked to bring the subject before the House as speedily as is possible. It was decided to employ a solicitor to defend the cases on Monday.