atleastastrongsuspiciononthefairadministrationofjustice。’These
protests，however，weresilencedbythejudges，andthoughtheAttorney-General
announcedthathewaswillingthatthecounselforthemagistratesshould
retire，nochangewasmadeinthearrangements。
TheSalisburyprisonerswereunderafurtherdisadvantagepeculiar，it
istobehoped，tothatgaol。Theywereforbiddentoseetheirattorneyexcept
inthepresenceofthegaolerorhisservants。Thisruleseemstohavebeen
construedbytheauthoritiesinamannerthatsimplifiedconsiderablythe
taskoftheprosecution。ThefactsofthecaseofJamesLush，condemnedto
deathontwochargesofextortingmoneyinamob，weremadepublicbyHunt
inalettertotheTimes，22ndJanuary1831。Lushwasaverypoorman，but
whenfirstcommittedhesentforanattorneyandmadeafullconfession。
’Thisconfession，soconfidentiallymadetohisattorney(byanextraordinary
ruleofthegaol)thelegaladviserwascompelledtosubmittotheinspection
ofthegaoler，whichpaperhekeptinhishandsforseveraldaysandinall
humanprobability，thisdocument，oracopyofit，waseithersubmittedto
theinspectionofthejudge，orplacedinthehandsoftheprosecutor，the
CrownSolicitor，ortheAttorney-General：whenthismanwascalledupfor
trial，suchwashisextremepoverty，thathecouldnotraiseaguineato
feecounsel，andhewasleftdestitute，withoutlegaladviceorassistance。’
TheAttorney-GeneralcouldonlyanswerthischargeintheHouseofCommons
bydeclaringthathehadnorecollectionofanysuchcircumstancehimself，
andthatnogentlemanoftheBarwouldavailhimselfofinformationobtained
insuchamanner。Lushcouldnotdistinguishthesenicetiesofhonour，or
understandwhyhisconfessionshouldbeexaminedandkeptbythegaolerunless
itwastobeusedagainsthim，anditisnotsurprisingthathethoughthimself
betrayed。ItisonlyfairtoLordMelbournetoaddthatwhenHuntdrewhis
attentiontothisiniquitousruleinSalisburyGaolhehaditabolished。
ThecasestriedwereverysimilartothoseatWinchester；batchafter
batchofboysandmenintheprimeoflifewerebroughtuptothedockfor
abrieftrialandsentenceofexile。Suchwasthehastethatinonecase
atleasttheprisonersappearedwiththehandcuffsstillontheirwrists，
acircumstancewhichelicitedarebukefromthejudge，andanexcuseofoverwork
fromthegaoler。Amongstthefirstcaseseightprisoners，varyinginage
fromseventeentothirty，weresentencedtotransportationforlifefordoing
£；500worthofdamageatBrasher’sclothmillatWilton。Thirteenmen
weretransportedforsevenyearsandoneforfourteenyearsforbreaking
threshingmachinesonthedayofthePytHouseaffray。Mr。JohnBenettwas
satisfiedwiththistaleofvictimsinadditiontothemankilledbythe
yeomanry，andrefrainedfromprosecutingforthestonesthrownathim。For
thishetookgreatcreditintheHouseofCommons，andnodoubtitwasopen
tohimtoimitateBinghamBaring’sfriends，andtotalkofthatkindofoutrage
as’murder。’
AtSalisbury，asatWinchester，evidenceaboutdistressandwageswas
ruledoutbythejudgeswheneverpossible；thuswhentwelvemen，nineof
whomwereafterwardstransportedforsevenyears，werebeingtriedforbreaking
athreshingmachineonthefarmofamannamedAmbrosePatience，thecross-examination
ofPatience，whichaimedatelicitingfactsaboutwagesanddistress，was
stoppedbythecourtonthegroundthatinacaseofthissortsuchevidence
wasscarcelyregular；itwasintimated，however，thatthecourtwouldhear
representationsofthiskindlater。Butsomelightwasthrownincidentally
inthecourseofthetrialsonthecircumstancesoftheprisoners。Thusone
ofthePytHouseprisonersurgedinhisdefence：’MyLord，Ifoundworkvery
badinmyownparishforthelastthreeyears，andhavingawifeandthree
childrentosupportIwasgladtogetworkwhereverIcouldgetit。Ihad
someworkataplacefourmilesfrommyhouse。’Hethendescribedhowon
hiswaytoworkhewasmetbythemobandforcedtojointhem。’Itisahard
casewithme，myLord；IwasgladtogetworkthoughIcouldearnonlyseven
shillingsperweek，anditcostmeashillingaweekforiron，sothatI
hadonlysixshillingsaweektosupportfivepersons。’Anotherprisoner，
MouldofHatch，wasstatedbyLordArundeltobeverypoor：hehadawife
andsixchildren，ofwhomoneortwohaddiedoftyphussincehiscommittal。
TheyhadnothingtoliveonbutwhattheygotatLordArundel’shouse。The
benevolentLordArundel，ortheparish，musthavesupportedthesurvivors
indefinitely，forMouldwasexiledforsevenyears。Barettagain，another
oftheseprisoners，wassupportinghimself，awife，andachildon5s。a
week。TheusualrateofwagesinWiltshirewas7s。aweek。
Evidenceabouttheinstigationofthelabourersbythoseingoodcircumstances
wasalsoruledout，andmuchthatwouldbeinterestinginthehistoryof
theriotshasthusperished。Whensixmenwerebeingprosecutedforbreaking
athreshingmachineonthefarmofMr。JuddatNewtonToney，counselfor
thedefencestartedacross-examinationoftheprosecutordesignedtoshow
thatcertainlandownersintheparishhadinstigatedthelabourerstothe
outrages，buthewasstoppedbyMr。JusticeAlderson，whodeclaredthatsuch
aninquirywasnotmaterialtotheissue，whichwastheguiltorinnocence
oftheprisoners。Iftheprisonerswerefoundguiltythesecircumstances
wouldbelaidbeforethecourtinmitigationofpunishment。Howeverstrong
themitigatingcircumstancesinthiscasewere，thepunishmentwascertainly
notmitigated，forallsixmenweresentencedtothemaximumpenaltyofseven
years’transportation。InasimilarcaseinWhiteparishitcameoutinthe
evidencethatSquireBristowehadsentdownbucketsofstrongbeer，andthat
SquireWynne，whowasstayingwithSquireBristowe，waspresentatthebreaking
ofthemachine。IntheaffairatAmbrosePatience’sfarmalreadymentioned，
thedefenceoftheprisonerswasthatFarmerParhamhadofferedthemhalf
ahogsheadofcideriftheywouldcomeandbreakhismachine，whilstinanother
casethreemenwereacquittedbecauseoneofthewitnessesfortheprosecution，
ayoungbrotherofthefarmerwhosepropertyhadbeendestroyed，unexpectedly
disclosedthefactthathisbrotherhadsaidtothemob：’Actlikemen，go
andbreakthemachine，butdon’tgouptothehouse。’
TheproportionofchargesofextortingmoneywassmalleratSalisbury
thanatWinchester：mostoftheindictmentswereforbreakingmachinesonly。
Insomeinstancestheprosecutiondroppedthechargeofrobbery，thinking
transportationforsevenyearsasufficientpunishmentfortheoffence。Three
brothersweresentencedtodeathfortakinghalfacrown：nobodyreceived
thissentenceforafewcoppers。Inthiscasethethreebrothers，William，
Thomas，andJohnLegg，agedtwenty-eight，twenty-one，andeighteen，hadgone
atmidnighttothekitchendoorofthehouseofMrs。Montgomery，wifeof
aJ。P。，andaskedthemanservantformoneyorbeer。Themangavethemhalf
acrown，andtheythankedhimcivillyandwentaway。Acuriouslightisthrown
ontherelationsbetweenrobbersandtherobbedinthetrialofsixmenfor
machine-breakingatWestGrimstead：themoboffiftypersonsaskedthefarmer
forasovereign，hepromisedtopayitnextday，whereupononeofthemob，
amannamedLightwhowashistenant，offeredtopaythesovereignhimself
andtodeductitfromtherent。
AtSalisbury，asatWinchester，thefateofthevictimsdependedlargely
onthecharactergiventotheprisonersbythelocalgentry。Thiswasespecially
thecasetowardstheendwhenjusticebegantotire，andagoodmanycharges
weredropped。ThusCharlesBourtonwasonlyimprisonedforthreemonthsfor
breakingathreshingmachine，whilstJohnPerrywastransportedforseven
yearsforthesameoffence。ButthenJohnPerryhadbeenconvictedseven
oreighttimesforpoaching。
InWiltshire，asinHampshire，thejudgeswereparticularlysevereto
thoseprisonerswhowerenotagriculturallabourers。Astrikinginstance
isworthquoting，notonlyasillustratingthisspecialseverity，hutalso
becauseitshowsthatthejudgeswheninflictingthemaximumpenaltyofseven
years’transportationformachine-breakingwerewellawardthatitwastantamount
toexileforlife。ThomasPorter，agedeighteen，ashepherd，HenryDicketts，
agednineteen，abricklayer’slabourer，AaronShepherd，agedforty(occupation
notstated)，JamesStevens，agedtwenty-five，anagriculturallabourer，and
GeorgeBurbage，agedtwenty-four，alsoanagriculturallabourer，werefound
guiltyofmachine-breakingatMr。Blake’satIdmiston。StevensandBurbage
escapedwithtwoyears’andoneyear’simprisonmentwithhardlabour，respectively，
andthefollowinghomilyfromMr。JusticeAldersontothinkoverinprison：
’Youareboththrashersandyoumightintheperversionofyourunderstanding
thinkthatthesemachinesaredetrimentaltoyou。Beassuredthatyourlabour
cannotultimatelybehurtbytheemploymentofthesemachines。Iftheyare
profitabletothefarmer，theywillalsobeprofitableultimatelytothe
labourer，thoughtheymayforatimeinjurehim。Iftheyarenotprofitable
tothefarmerhewillsoonceasetoemploythem。’Theshepherdboyofeighteen，
thebricklayer’slabourerofnineteen，andtheircompanionoffortywere
reservedforaheavierpenalty：’Astoyou，AaronShepherd，Icangiveyou
nohopeofremaininginthiscountry。YouThomasPorter，areashepherd，
andyouHenryDicketts，areabricklayer’slabourer。Youhavenothingto
dowiththreshingmachines。Theydonotinterferewithyourlabour，andyou
couldnot，eveninthedarknessofyourignorance，supposethattheirdestruction
woulddoyouanygood……Ihopethatyourfatewillbeawarningtoothers。
Youwillleavethecountry，allofyou：youwillseeyourfriendsandrelations
nomore：forthoughyouwillbetransportedforsevenyearsonly，itisnot
likelythatattheexpirationofthattermyouwillfindyourselvesina
situationtoreturn。Youwillbeinadistantlandattheexpirationofyour
sentence。Thelandwhichyouhavedisgracedwillseeyounomore：thefriends
withwhomyouareconnectedwillbepartedfromyouforeverinthisworld。’
Mr。JusticeAlderson’smethodsreceivedagooddealofattentioninone
oftheSalisburytrials，knownastheLookercase。IsaacLooker，awell-to-do
farmer，wasindictedforsendingathreateninglettertoJohnRowland：’Mr。
Rowland，HaxfordFarm，Hifyougoestoswareagainstoramaninprisson，
youhaveherefarmburntdowntoground，andthybluddyheadchoptoff。’
SomeevidencewasproducedtoshowthatIsaacLookerhadassertedinconversation
thatitwasthemagistratesandthesoldiers，andnotthemobs，whowere
therealbreakersofthepeace。Butthisdidnotamounttoabsoluteproof
thathehadwrittentheletter：toestablishthisconclusiontheprosecution
reliedontheevidenceoffourwitnesses；thefirsthadquarrelledwithLooker，
andhadnotseenhiswritingforfourorfiveyears；theseconddeniedthat
therehadbeenanyquarrel，buthadnotbeeninthehabitofspeakingto
theprisonerforfiveorsixyears，orseenhiswritingduringthattime；
thethirdhadnothad’muchofaquarrel’withhim，buthadnotseenhis
writingsince1824；thefourthwasthespecialconstablewhofoundinLooker’s
bureau，whichwasunlockedandstoodinthekitchenwherethefamilysat，
ablankpieceofpaperthatfittedontothepieceonwhichtheletterwas
written。Morewitnesseswerecalledforthedefencethanfortheprosecution，
andtheyincludedthevestryclerkofWimborne，anex-schoolmaster；allof
thesewitnesseshadknownLooker’swritingrecently，andallofthemswore
thatthethreateningletterwasnotinhiswriting。Mr。JusticeAlderson
summedupagainsttheprisoner，thejuryreturnedaverdictofguilty，and
sentenceoftransportationforlifewaspasseduponLookerinspiteofhis
vehementprotestationsofinnocence。’Icannotattendtotheseasseverations，’
saidMr。JusticeAlderson，’forweallknowthatamanwhocanbeguilty
ofsuchanoffenceasthatofwhichyouhavebeenconvicted，willnothesitate
todenyitasyounowdo。Iwouldrathertrusttosuchevidenceashasbeen
giveninyourcase，thantothemostsolemndeclarationsevenonthescaffold。’
Thelearnedjudgeandthejurythenretiredforrefreshment，whenacurious
developmenttookplace。Edward，sonofIsaacLooker，agedeighteenyears，
cameforwardanddeclaredthathehadwrittentheletterinquestionand
otherlettersaswell。Hewroteacopyfrommemory，andthehandwritingwas
preciselysimilar。Heexplainedthathehadwrittentheletterswithouthis
father’sknowledgeandwithoutathoughtoftheconsequences，inorderto
helptwocousinswhowereingaolformachine-breaking。Hehadheardpeople
saythat’itwouldgetmycousinsoffifthreateningletterswerewritten。’
Hehadlethisfatherknowinprisonthathehadwrittentheletters，and
hadalsotoldhisfather’ssolicitor。EdwardLookerwassubsequentlytried
andsentencedtosevenyears’transportation：Isaac’scasewassubmitted
totheHomeSecretaryforpardon。
