Page:The Trial of William Booth, of Perry Barr.pdf/3

 on their way thither—prisoner's house is also at Perry Barr, apparently an old farm-house, and 2 or 300 yards from any other dwelling: He described the manner in which the house was blockaded, there being three doors in the passage leading to the parlour, all very strong and fastened with solid square oak and iron bars, immensely strong, and the windows were lined with wrought iron and also barred, so that it was almost invulnerable to the attacks of any assailant.

The posse being unable to obtain admittance into the lower rooms by reason of the doors and windows being so strongly barricaded, and the windows of the chambers being also secured by iron bars, &c. so that they could not get in there; Chillingworth, one of the Birmingham constables, and the next witness examined) proceeded up a ladder in front of the house. On going up the ladder, he saw the prisoner in the chamber over the parlour—he came up to the window—witness asked him if he would let him in—prisoner said he would just now—witness then broke the glass, and the prisoner went to the centre of the room, and witness saw him take some papers from a rolling press that was fixed upon a bench in the middle of the room, the papers appeared to be of the size of bank-notes—witness called out "Booth, you're dropping 'em." Saw the prisoner put them into a fire place, in which there was some fire. Witness then ascended the ladder to the garret window, and with much difficult forced himself through it into the garret, and others of his party followed. After