Attack on Conisborough Glass Blowers – Full Story

November 1879

Mexborough and Swinton Times, November 14

A MIDNIGHT ATTACK ON CONISBRO’ GLASS BLOWERS.

Most of the glass bottle works in Yorkshire are set down.

Some of them are employing non-union hands when they are able to retain them, but contrary to the general rule they are rather difficult to get hold of.

The Oaks glass works (Messers. Wade and Dobson, Barnsley)have, for the past few days been employing half a dozen non-union men who, we understand hail from the neighbourhood of Conisbro’.

These men have been in the habit of working up to Friday afternoon, and some of them were then conveyed to the railway station, accompanied by one of the masters as well as Sergeant Spencer and police constable Lofthouse, to prevent any attacks that might be made upon them.

Some of the men on strike are always at the station on the look out for any men that may arrive and appear to be well posted up so far as regards their movements.

On Saturday night two of the non-union men, who are named Nicholas King and Robert Reed, and who come from conisbro’, and are employed at the Oaks Glass works, were returning from the Surrey Music Hall, Barnsley where they had been spending the evening.

On getting near the Rail way bridge, between Pontefract-road and Hoyle mill, they where attacked by a number of men, who pelted them with stones. As soon as they possibly could, they ran back towards the town, when they where met by a strong body of men, who gave them a very hot and unpleasant reception.

One of the men was very severely injured, having been struck with a large stone on the cheek as well as in other places, whilst the other was only slightly injured.

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