Western Mail Tuesday October 12 1926. (No. 51).
Nineteen Persons Sent For Trial At Bridgend.
Nineteen persons were committed for trial at Bridgend on Monday on charges of intimidation
and unlawful assembly at Llanharan.
They were Elizabeth JOHN, Beatrice FROWEN, Albert FROWEN, Ernest BENNET, Elsie BENNET,
Sarah MANSFIELD, Thomas WHITE, Hubert J. BIRD, Arthur BIRD, J. OWEN, Albert SMITH, Charles
FOX, John GREENSLADE, Jennet EMANUEL, Frederick BAKER, Elizabeth RIDDLER, Emlyn S.
MORTIMER, Bertha FARNHAM, and Emily E. DOWER.
Mr. Kirkhouse JENKINS (instructed by Messrs. LEWIS and LLEWELLYN) appeared for the
prosecution, and Mr. Trevor HUNTER (instructed by Messrs. MORGAN, BRUCE, and NICHOLAS)
defended.
Police-sergeant EVANS said he was taking two men home to the Council Houses, Llanharan,
when they met a crowd of about six or seven hundred in the Parish-road. As the men came
along the crowd started hissing and booing and shouting "Blackleg."
Idris EVANS, Council Houses, Llanharan one of the men who had returned to work, said the
crowd was very noisy.
Robert HOWDEN, Danygraig-terrace, Llanharan, colliery repairer, said he had been out of
work since December, and started work at the Meiros Colliery in July. He said " My
sister was one of the crowd, and I saw the police officer rush towards her.
David EVANS, an Army pensioner, of Porthcawl, who up to the coal stoppage was a colliery
repairer, was fined £15 at Bridgend on Monday for distributing documents containing
statements, the publication of which was likely to cause disaffection.
Mr. H. LEWIS prosecuted, and Mr. Trevor HUNTER (instructed by Messrs. MORGAN, BRUCE and
NICHOLAS) defended.
Mr. LEWIS said the defendant, who was chairman of the strike committee at Kenfig Hill, at
a meeting of miners on September 9, distributed a pamphlet in which it was stated that
miners must appeal to the railwaymen and transport workers to place an embargo on coal,
must form mass pickets to stop the scabs, pull out the safety men, and demand a
fortnight's holiday with full pay.
Mr. William WINSLADE, of 76, Red House-road, Ely, Cardiff, has died suddenly while on a
visit to Paignton, Devon.
At the inquest it was stated that WINSLADE, whose age was 54, was taken ill while out for
a walk, and rapidly became worse.
Medical evidence showed death as due to cerebral haemorrhage, and a verdict was returned
accordingly.
Alec BARNETT, a rope splicer, who was doing safety work at the Cwmcarn Colliery, died on
Monday from injuries received at the colliery last Wednesday. He was a married man with
three children.
A young married man, John SMITH, living at Dunvant, near Swansea, was found dead inside
the mouth of an old airway at Killan Colliery, Dunvant. The pit has been abandoned ever
since the flooding disaster, and it is believed that SMITH, having worked in the colliery,
had gone there to coal and that, coming into contact with foul air, had failed to reach
the surface.
Miss Elizabeth MORGAN 57, residing at Clive-road, Canton, Cardiff, and an active worker
associated with Clive-road-hall, was discovered lying dead on the floor of her bedroom.
The only other occupant of the house was the mother, who was at the age of 84 has been
bed-ridden for some years. It appears that on Saturday night Miss MORGAN was in her usual
state of health, when a Miss MULLETT, who assisted her at the house, left.
When no reply could be obtained at the house on Sunday morning an entrance was effected
through the back of the house, and Miss MORGAN was found lying dead on the bedroom floor.
Her aged invalid mother was unable to appreciate what had happened.
Mrs. Elizabeth SPIRIDION 73, the widow of a well known Newport watchmaker and jeweller,
who lived in West Park-road, Newport, was found lying on one of the paths in Newport
Cemetery in a state of collapse. She was suffering from a wound in the throat and a
blood-stained razor was found near by.
Mrs. SPIRIDION was removed to the Woolaston House Infirmary, and it was there found that
the wound in the throat was not of a very serious character.
The injured woman's home abuts on to the cemetery. It is stated that she had been in
delicate health for a long time.
The absence of two Mumbles men, Messrs. W. J. DAVIES and R. DAVIES, sons of Mr. G. DAVIES,
stationmaster at Rutland-street, Swansea, for the night in a motor fishing-boat,
occasioned considerable anxiety.
They went out fishing, but when the gale rose they were unable to make the Mumbles and ran
into Oxwich Bay for shelter. Next morning they reached Swansea after a very rough voyage
in which they were nearly swamped.
John Patrick