of the factory obliged them to be at their work at 5 o'clock in the morning, and continue, with the exception of meal times, till seven o'clock in the evening. Also, that for all the time they were absent on their own account, the operatives were to pay a fine equal to "the time and a half;" i. e. if a person was absent five hours, he should be fined the amount he could earn in seven and a half hours. This is the standing rule in that mill.
On the 27th of October, 1845, these six girls, after leaving work at the dinner hour, did not return to it again that day, and were absent about five hours, viz: from 2 till 7 o'clock. On the following morning they were at work at 5 o'clock as usual, (not knowing that they had done any thing wrong, any further than breaking the rules of the mill, for which, they were aware, they would be fined to the amount of seven and a half hours' work,) and continued to work till 5 o'clock in the evening; when they were apprehended while at work, by four men, and taken to a private office and examined. They there stated that "They had no desire to desert their service, but had merely taken that afternoon for recreation."
They were kept at this office five hours, and were afterwards carried to another private office, where the magistrates were, together with one of their employers with his overseer or manager. They were then told they must sign a paper which was placed before them, and it is worthy of remark that Mr. Baxter was observed to whisper something to the magistrates before the sentence was passed upon them. And what does the reader think that sentence was? Why, nothing less than ten days' imprisonment, with hard labor. This mock trial was conducted with closed doors, no one was allowed to enter, even the few relatives of these poor girls were refused admittance. Their relatives were also refused to see them during their
