DEATH OF A WELL-KNOWN DESPERADO.

Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue 512, 17 May 1879, Page 1 (Supplement)

DEATH OF A WELL-KNOWN DESPERADO.

William Broadhead, of Sheffield outrage notoriety, has just died. The Sheffield Telegraph says he was brought up as a sawgrinder, and in 1848 was appointed secretary of the saw-grinders' union. He was also a publican, and the Vengeance and other committees vs p d to meet at his house, the George, in Holly-street. At the meeting of the Trades' Union Commission in Sheffield, in 1867, the evidence given by Broadhead caused unparalleled sensation. He openly confessed that he had hired men to shoot non-unionists, and to blow up their wheels and houses. Fifteen pounds was the price he had paid to men named Crookes and Hallam for the murder of a saw-grinder named Liuley. Linley's offence was that being brought up a scissjrs-grinder, he had entered the oaw trade against the rules of the union. As the price of his evidence, Broadhead was certificated by the commissioners. But soon afterwards the Sheffield Bench refused to renew his licence, which he had held for abont 20 years, and as he had also lost the secretaryship of the union, he fell into pecuniary difficulties. A subscription was started to enable him to emigrate, and with the money so raised he went to America. From thence he soon returned, alleging that no one would employ him. Since that time he has led a quiet, obscure life, keeping a small grocer's shop in Meadow-street, Sheffield. Broadhead was 60 years of age. He had been in very bad health and partially paralysed for a long time baok.