Source: Reports of the Criminal Cases tried in the Municipal Court of the City of Boston before Peter Oxenbridge Thacher (Boston: 1845)

October Term, 1840
Commonwealth v. John Hunt, Patrick Hayes, Daniel O’Neal, Supplier Woods, Michael O’Connor, Edward Farrington, John Odiorne, and others unknown.

Dennis Horne, a journeyman, said he had never suffered from the interference of the society. Had heard Mr. [Edward] Farrington and Mr. [Patrick]Hayes [defendants, union leaders] reckon up the fines which had been imposed upon Jeremiah Horne, before he could be permitted to join the association. The whole amount was seven dollars. He was fined one dollar for going off with the books; fifty cents as an initiation fee; fifty cents for the breach of a rule; and five dollars for slandering the society. Witness undertook to settle this affair with the members. Mr. Woods said he supposed that if the society would give Jeremiah Horne one hundred dollars, he would settle it. Told him that Horne didn’t want the money, he only wanted his rights. . . . At the last meeting of the society, on the first Monday of October instant, Mr. [John] Hunt, one of the prisoners, was the president, and Mr. [John] Odiorne, secretary. . . . The witness joined the society with the hope of raising the price of wages. Flour was higher than it is now, and wages were lower. The members had a “strike” soon after the formation of the society, and raised the price of wages. Witness said that boots were made better now than in 1835, but that the wages were not so good, and more time was spent upon them than formerly. Had known the society to take a vote about leaving a particular shop, and carry it; also known them to sustain a member who was on a “strike.” There had been two general “strikes” since the formation of the society. At a “strike” on Mr. Howard’s shop, the society voted to pay the members out of work one dollar per day. . . .