Samuel Slack Eyewitness Account

• Place: Manchester
• Role: Spectator
• Occupation: Warehouseman

Watched from second floor window of his house and saw swords of Yeomanry moving up and down, and people being trampled.

Account

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Samuel Slack sworn: examined by Mr. Evans.

Q. You live in Windmill-street?

A. Yes.

Q. You did then?

A. Yes.

Q. On the 16th. August, 1819, was you in the employ of Messrs. Macfarlane and Barbour, shippers, at Manchester?

A. Yes.

Q. Was you at the meeting?

A. I was.

Q. What position was you in?

A. I was in my own house.

Q. How far from the hustings?

A. From thirty to forty yards.

Q. In what room of the house was you?

A. The second room over the parlour.

Q. Had you a full view of the meeting?

A. Yes.

Q. Were the people peaceable, or otherwise?

A. Peaceable, previous to the hustings being cleared.

Q. Did you feel any alarm for the safety of your property?

A. No, sir.

Q. Did you see the Yeomanry come on the field?

A. I did not.

Q. Did you see them after they were on the field?

A. Yes.

Q. Did you see them move on towards the crowd?

A. They were advancing into the crowd when I got into the room.

Q. Did you see any resistance offered to the Yeomanry?

A. Nothing more than might be expected from the density of the crowd.

Q. Did you see what the Yeomanry did?

A. They went forward down the field, with a view to clear the field, disperse the crowd; many were knocked down, and the horses trampled over them.

 

Cross-examined.by Mr. Littledale.

Q. How did the Cavalry go up to the hustings?

A. I could not see whether they struck forcibly on the people, because the hustings were between myself and them.

Q. Then you could not see whether they struck the people or not, on going up to the hustings?

A. They might; I could see the swords ascending and descending.

Q. Whether they struck you do not know. Do you remember Mr. Hunt being taken, and the other persons?

A. Yes.

Q. At that time, were not the people throwing stones at the Cavalry?

A. I did not see any at the time they were taking him from the hustings.

Q. However, you did see stones flying in all directions?

A. After the hustings were cleared, and they pushed below the house I was in; then stones were thrown after they had passed, but I could not see where they came from.

Q. In all directions?

A. No; only in one direction.

Q. Were there not some iron railings that fastened the cellar in the street that gave way?

A. Yes.

 

Re-examined by Mr. Evans.

Q. What was it forced down these railings?

A. The pressure of the crowd.

Q. And what caused the pressure of the crowd?

A. The Cavalry driving the people.

Q. My friend asked you whether you know the people were cut or not?

Mr. Justice Holroyd.—He said he saw swords ascending, and descending.

Mr. Evans.—The result of the swords going up and down, must have been that some persons were cut.

Q. Did you dress the wounds of any persons on the ground?

Mr. Serjeant Hullock.—I object to the question.

Q. Did you dress the wounds of any persons laying on the ground?

Mr. Justice Holroyd.—He would not be able to say who the person was, but from hearsay.

Q. When the stones were thrown as you mentioned, you say the Cavalry were driving the people down the field?

A. Yes.

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