was met at the entrance of the town by a multitude of people. A great many who fell into the procession wore mourning, and the members of the St. Crispin democratic club, amongst whom were old John Baines and his sons, wore round their arms badges of white crape. At Huddersfield the excitement was so great that the authorities were very uneasy, they therefore caused Booth's body to be interred as early as six in the morning of Thursday, April 16th. It seems to have been fetched from the Star Inn during the night. It had been arranged that the funeral should take place about noon, and thousands came in the early part of the day to see or take part in the procession, but the hasty proceedings were over hours before they arrived.

CHAPTER XI.

ARRI

THE FLIGHT OF THE LUDDITES. LOCAL REMINISCENCES. "In haste he fled and so did they,

Each and his fear a several way."-BUTLER.

"What is my offence?

Where is the evidence that doth accuse me ?"

SHAKESPEARE.

When it was seen that the attack on Cartwright's mill was an utter failure, the Luddites were not slow in availing themselves of the advice of their leader to disperse as quickly and as silently as possible, Many of them threw down their hammers or guns as impediments to their escape and fled precipitately, wading across the beck to save time. Avoiding the highways for fear of meeting the military, they spread over the fields in the direction of Mirfield and Hightown. Many were wounded besides those who were left so reluctantly on the ground near the mill, as was proved by evidence given afterwards. Marks of blood were in fact found on the roads leading to Huddersfield for a distance of four miles. George Mellor, Thomas Brook, Joseph Drake, Benjamin Walker, and James Haigh took the direction of Hightown. Brook, who was bruised and whose clothes were wet from falling into the mill goyt, and James Haigh, who had been wounded in the shoulder by a musket ball, often lagged behind, but fears of capture urged them onward, and they sped through the darkness as well as they were able until they reached the top of Hightown, where it was determined to procure a hat for Brooke, as his appearance without would, they thought, be regarded as suspicious, if they should happen to be met by anyone. They accordingly called at the house of Mrs. Sarah Naylor and prevailed upon her, partly by entreaties and partly by threats, to lend them a man's hat, promising faithfully to return it within a few days. Having succeeded they then went forward to Clifton, where their pace slackened from sheer exhaustion. Finding themselves unable to proceed they, notwithstanding the risk of detection, determined to knock at the door of one of the solitary cottages and ask for some refreshment.

inmate, a widow, was alarmed by the untimely knocking at her door, and was naturally afraid to open it, knowing that there were many desperate characters abroad, but Mellor was in no mood to waste time in parleying with her, and so alarmed her with his oaths and threats that at last she supplied their wants. Not daring to unbar the door, she handed them some muffins and water through a broken pane, for which they paid her a few pence, and then once more resumed their journey.

The whole of the party appear to have reached their homes or places of hiding in safety; but Haigh suffered so much from his wounded shoulder that he found it necessary to seek surgical assistance, and applied next day to Mr. Richard Tattersall, who lived at an out of the way place about four miles from Huddersfield. The surgeon asked him how he came by the wound, and Haigh replied that he had received it by falling down a quarry. He went again on the Tuesday to the quiet surgery to have his wound dressed, but finding the day after that many arrests were being made in and around Huddersfield, he began to feel alarmed, and slipped away in the night with his master, a man of the name of Ardron, who was anxious to shield him if possible. Ardron took him to the house of a relative named Culpan, who lived at Penistone Green, fourteen miles from Huddersfield, in a lonely house. They reached there between twelve and one at night and roused Culpan and his wife, who were in bed. Haigh appeared to be much exhausted by his journey, and was allowed to rest in Culpan's bed. After resting there a few hours, they started before daylight for Ardron's mother's, who lived at Willowbridge. Finding that the authorities were on his track, Haigh soon after removed to Wragby, and from Wragby to his brother-in-law's, at Methley, where he was apprehended on the 23rd of April.

Thomas Brook, the man who fell into the mill goyt at Rawfolds during the attack and lost his hat, would no doubt have gladly walked home without on that dismal night if he could have foreseen that the borrowed one would have led to his identification. The hat he lost was found floating on the water the next day, and as it became known a few hours after that one of the retreating Luddites had borrowed a hat at a house at the top of Hightown, the authorities were soon on the qui vive and the result was the apprehension of Brook. The hat it seems was taken to John Wood's workshop by Brook, who requested William Hall, a native of Parkin Hoyle, Liversedge, (who afterwards turned infor-. mer) to get it back to the person to whom it belonged.

In tracking the misguided Luddites and endeavouring to pierce the mystery that surrounded that strange organisation, the government made extensive use of hired spies, and there is no doubt that the contemptible miscreants who thus sold themselves to the authorities to hunt down their fellow creatures were often the instigators of the very crimes they afterwards laid to the charge of their poor deluded victims. Many of our readers will remember very well how this was shown to have been done by

the spy,

Oliver," at Thornhill Lees, a few years later, and there is abundant evidence to prove that the government were simply doing then what they had done before in a more extensive way during the Luddite troubles. We may give one remarkable case which took place in this immediate locality as an instance in point. James Starkey, a honest, simple hearted carpet weaver, who resided at Millbridge, in one of the brick houses which have just been pulled down to make room for Mr. Cook's handsome new mill, was accosted one day near his own house by a couple of these government spies. After some conversation, the two miscreants whispered in a very confidential manner that they were Luddites, their errand being to try to find out the best way of destroying Cartwright's mill, and artfully led Starkey to give his opinion on the subject.

'Well," replied the unsuspecting man, "I think it would be easy. The best way, I should say, would be to take a barrel of gunpowder up the goyt, and firing it by means of a train, blow the whole concern up!"

The contemptible plotters no doubt rejoiced to hear the too outspoken opinion. They had gained their point, and soon after left their victim, having taken care to ascertain his name and residence. To the amazement of Starkey, a troop of horse soldiers stopped at his door in the night and demanded admittance in the King's name. The poor man had been warned by a friend just before, that he had been conversing with spies who had betrayed him, and he had therefore some suspicions of the meaning of the appearance of the soldiers at his door, but instead of yielding himself prisoner quietly, Starkey unfortunately complicated matters by refusing to come out, and threatening what he would do to the first man that entered his house or touched his person. A volley fired in the air warned the bewildered man that it was useless to contend against fate, and he came out and was conveyed to prison to await his trial. Although we shall be anticipating, we may as well state here that Starkey had a very narrow escape of being hanged. Mr. Wadsworth, a solicitor, and the Rev. Hammond Roberson, who both knew him as a neighbour, and were well aware that he had had nothing to do with the Luddites in any way whatever, interested themselves strongly in his favour, and got the trial postponed three times at great cost, until fortunately the judges were tired of hanging at the bloody assize that followed, and Starkey was liberated along with a great many others by the proclamation of the king, on bail to enter and try his traverse at the next assizes. He was summoned at the Lent assizes in 1813, but did not appear; one of his bail however came into court and said the defendant had been informed by Mr. Alison that it would be unnecessary for him to attend. Mr. Parke said defendant had been ill-advised. It was his duty to appear personally in court to answer this indictment, as it was impossible that he could know what course might have been adopted respecting him; but it was not his intention to insist upon his appearance. If the defendant had been tried at the late assizes he (Mr. Parke) should have thought it his duty to have laid evidence

before his lordship on the subject. But in consequence of the present tranquil state of the country-the result of those severe but necessary examples which were made on a late occasion-he had determined to lay no more evidence before the court; and to consent to the acquittal of the prisoner; and he hoped this would be considered as a further proof that the government's desire was to do nothing oppressive to any of his Majesty's subjects, and show that their only anxiety had been to restore tranquility and good order. Mr. Justice Le Blanc said there had probably been some mistake in this business. The defendant ought certainly to have appeared in court, but as the counsel for the crown had dispensed with his appearance, and had offered no evidence, they must find him "not guilty." The jury, of course, acquitted the defendant. James Starkey's narrow escape had, as might be expected, a great effect upon him, and he became a very serious character. Joining himself to the Wesleyans, he remained an active and esteemed member of the body at Heckmondwike to the end of his useful life. Another man, a native of Huddersfield, who had almost as narrow an escape, was in the habit of calling to see James Starkey in after life, when the Luddite movement had been finally put down. This man, who was really a member of the Luddite fraternity, had enlisted in the militia and was ordered to be at York on a certain day. It had been arranged that some frames should be destroyed on the evening before the day in question, and the militia-man took part in the business. He was seen and recognised while at the destructive work, and realising his danger he resolved to make a bold stroke to save his imperilled life. Having a friend in the neighbourhood who had a fleet horse, he borrowed it and made for York at great speed. He had some relations on the way who also kept horses, and dismounting from his tired steed at their door, he obtained a fresh one and rode on. He arrived at York early in the morning and walking at once to the quarters, he represented himself as having arrived on the previous evening. The man who had seen him with the Luddites gave information, and swore positively to the fact, but the jury regarded it as impossible he could have been there at the time stated and at York a few hours later, and consequently acquitted him.

Although the military were very industrious in this neighbourhood, it does not appear that any great number of apprehensions took place. The 10th King's Bays, the 15th Hussars, and the Scots Greys seem to have been alternately billeted in the town, at quite inadequate rates, impoverishing the landlords, irritating the discontented and half-starved portion of the population, and contaminating the whole neighbourhood. After evening parade they were told off into parties to patrol the main roads. As there movements were well known and the clank of their swords and the tramp of their horses' feet were to be heard at considerable distances in the stillness of night, it was easy for anyone to avoid them, and the Luddites were doubtless often obliged to them for the distinct manner in which they announced their approach. Practical jokes