Newport Chartists Vol.15, p.70

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[top right margin] 70
Thomas Saunders - I am a Farmer - I
I live at Tyn y Cwm in this County - Near
the Welsh Oak - I was at home on Sunday
the third November instant - about 12
o' Clock on that night whilst I was in
bed I heard a noise on the Tram Road
- my house is near the Tram Road - I
sat up in bed for a minute or two - In about
five Minutes ^ after I lay down again -
A man came to the door and called me by
my name "Thomas get up" - His name
was Andrew Crowgy - I said "What
do you want" he sd " Rise directly - come in-
a Minute and I'll tell you"
- ^ said he I got out
of bed and opened the door - Crowgy
came in - He said if you like to go out
to make your escape, go in a minute
because there is hundreds of the Chartists
on the tram Road, and there is hundreds
more of them coming there is no doubt
of it - they have searched every House
in Abercarne and draw'd us out of
bed and they have made me go
without a bit of victuals - If you like
to go out I'll go back and tell them
there is no one here - they have watch'd
me coming down to your House -
If I can make my escape myself I will
Cut off from them as Soon as I can"
I put my Clothes on and went into the
Barn - I remained there about an
hour when the Barn door was
burst open - I jump'd down from the
Straw and asked them what they wanted

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they said "Is this your Barn?" I said
"yes" - they asked me to let them shelter
there a bit - I gave them leave -
this was about one o'Clock - I asked
them where they were going - they said
they had orders to stay at the Welsh
Oak until they should have an
answer back from Frost - that
him (Frost) and five more were gone down
to High Cross to see if thePontypool
Men were come there according to
their promise - or else if the Pontypool
people wouldn't come there that night
that every one of them was to return
home - I then left them there -
cautioning them to be careful of
their lights - I don't know any of
the men who were there - not one -
I went into my House - It was very
wet - I lit a good fire - In about
an hour after I lighted the fire, about
three o' Clock, three Men came and
knocked quickly at my door - I went
to the door and said from
the inside "What do you want" -
They said Will you please let us come
in and warm a bit - we have been
out all night - I opened the door and
said "Come in then" - I asked
them where they were from - they
said from Gellygare I didn't
Know one of them - In about half
an hour more came - until the House
was full - I walked from my House

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to the barn - the men there were Smoking
and drinking - I think it was Spirits -
I returned to my House again - When the
men were nearly ready to go a man
having a Stick with a Spear at the End of
it in his hand came in - There was
about 9 or 10 drying themselves by the
fire and this man said to them "Come
be off - its time to go" - they said
the state we are in is enough to kill
us - let us dry ourselves a bit - there
is plenty of time - they remained in -
He said to them
if you don't come I'll send in
half a dozen Guns and make you go -
and then he went out - this was
about half past 6 in the morning -
In about 10 Minutes after this man
went out Zephianiah Williams
Came in along with another
Man - I don't know the other Man -
Williams said to the Men drying themselves
"Come walk on my Men Now we're
bound to go" - they then went - Williams
went out of the House to see the men out
and then returned and asked if he should
warm - I said "Yes by all means as
as well as the rest" - He came back
into the House with the other man -
He went to the fire - He was very wet -
he had on a blue Coat - rather dark
trowsers - And a bit of a Stick in
his hand - I asked him where they were
going - Whether they were going to Monmouth

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He said "Why do you ask that?" - I
I said because some of the Men that was
here this morning said you were
going to Monmouth to draw Vincent
out of Prison "- He said - We don't
attempt to do such a thing as that -
We bain't agoing no further than
Newport" - He remained at my
House about ten Minutes - It was
exactly Seven o' Clock by my Clock
when he went out - the Men
in my Barn and in my House
were armed - Some with Guns
some with pikes - others had
old scythes - some had Sticks
one of them tapped me on the
shoulder and Said "come, come
along - you bain't better than us" -
I said they had done damage to
my Corn and that it would take
some time for me to repair it -
He said - Well if you wont come
with us we'll send others to fetch
you in a rougher manner than
we

[signed]Thos Saunders

[in left margin]
Reg v Z. Williams
Evidence of Thos Saunders
[with pencil annotation]
This has been copied