Winners and Losers (50 page)

‘The local police sergeant, the Reverend Williams and Father Kelly, all highly respected and esteemed community leaders, have testified that they have always considered the accused to be the sort of men who would help to preserve peace. But, as Father Kelly added, “Now the authorities seemed to be very anxious to hit the men's leaders.” I put it to you that is why all three men are on trial here today.

‘There was much confusion at the pithead that afternoon, but Father Kelly was there. He testified that he saw all three defendants exhorting the men to be peaceable. He saw the police charge the pickets and,' Geoffrey Francis glanced at the judge almost daring him to object, ‘in his opinion, incite the temper of the striking colliers. You heard Sergeant Martin state that he believed all three men were attempting to placate the colliers and break up the demonstration. Therefore I implore you, the jury, to bring in the only verdict possible if justice is to be served here today: Not guilty. Thank you, your honour.'

Geoffrey Francis looked from the jury to the people in the public gallery. Joey's attention remained riveted on his father and brothers in the dock, but he fumbled for Sali's hand. She caught it and held it tight.

The prosecuting counsellor rose to his feet and bowed to the judge. ‘Your honour, members of the jury, I put it to you that you have before you three exceedingly cunning and clever men. You have heard the testimony of the police officers present at Ely pithead in Penygraig that fateful afternoon. The defending counsellor would have you believe that the police imagined what went on that day. Did they imagine the stones that were thrown?' He paused for effect. ‘Did they imagine the injuries, some severe, that were sustained by police officers engaged in preserving the peace and preventing rioting, of which law-abiding citizens have had far too much in the Rhondda and Wales in the past year?' He raised his voice effectively. ‘No one disputes that the police drew their batons. As to it being an incitement to trouble?' He shrugged. ‘What are police officers who are faced with a hail of stones and missiles supposed to do? Stand and wait until they are hit and not lift a finger to defend themselves?'

‘These two men, father and son, are made in the same mould,' he indicated Lloyd and Billy, ‘strike leaders. You heard Sergeant Lamb testify that Lloyd Evans stood on a position overlooking the colliery and shout, “We cannot go on always like this. If we cannot get justice by fair means we will get justice by others. We cannot allow the women and children to starve another winter.”'

‘Mr Lloyd Evans' wife has just given birth to his daughter.' He looked to where Sali was sitting in the public gallery, and repeated,
‘“We cannot let the women and children starve another winter.”
Need I say more, gentlemen?'

A red haze formed in front of Sali's eyes as she was forced to sit in silence and listen to the lies being said about Lloyd.

‘I agree with the learned counsel,' he gave Geoffrey Francis a perfunctory nod, ‘that the testimony of the three defendants differs in many respects from Sergeant Lamb's, but who are we to believe? Strike leaders and troublemakers who have incited their fellow workers to withdraw their labour and bring the coal industry, on which the economy of the Welsh Valleys and indeed the whole of South Wales is based, to its knees? Or a respected, God-fearing police officer and representative of authority?' He bowed his head. ‘Your honour, members of the jury, I rest my case.'

Sali never remembered what she did during the half hour it took the jury to retire and bring in their verdict. She only recalled afterwards –sitting on the bench between Joey and Mr Richards, and Joey's hand trembling and growing cold in hers as they both tried to absorb the implications of the jury's verdict.

‘Guilty on all charges with a recommendation for mercy.'

‘What does that mean?' Betty Morgan whispered behind them.

‘Silence.' The judge glared around the courtroom. He waited for the murmur of voices to subside before looking to the three defendants in the dock.

‘William Evans, Lloyd Evans, Victor Evans, you have had fair hearing and a judgement made on your crimes by your peers. I have taken into account the jury's recommendation of mercy. William Evans and Lloyd Evans, you have been found guilty of riotous assembling at Penygraig on July twenty-fifth last. Thereby I sentence you, Lloyd William Evans, on that charge to one year's imprisonment with hard labour. William Wilberforce Evans I sentence you on that same charge to one year's imprisonment with hard labour.'

Banging his gavel for order, the judge waited until the uproar at his pronouncement subsided. ‘Victor Sebastian Evans, I have taken into account the mitigating circumstances of the assault you perpetrated on the officer you wrongly assumed was threatening your father. However, as you have asked for another offence to be taken into consideration, that of threatening and inflicting grievous bodily harm on a clergyman, I sentence you to six months' imprisonment with hard labour.'

Joey jumped to his feet and began shouting. To Sali's amazement, the other men and women on the public benches followed suit, ignoring both the judge's calls for order and the police officers moving in on them. Numbed by the prospect of losing Lloyd for an entire year, she stared down at the back of his head.

Lloyd's father and Victor continued to face the judge, but almost as though he had sensed her presence, Lloyd turned and looked directly at her. And in that single moment, she felt as though she had seen into his soul and the very heart of the love he bore for her and their children.

‘I'm sorry.' Shocked by the severity of the sentences, Sergeant Martin apologized in advance to Sali and Joey, ‘but I can't allow you more than five minutes and under no circumstances are you to touch the prisoners.'

The prisoners.
The words seared into Sali's mind when she walked into the waiting room ahead of Joey. It was bare, with yellow distempered walls and a wooden floor. Lloyd, Victor and Mr Evans were standing in line, handcuffed and flanked by police officers. At a signal from Sergeant Martin the constables moved to the door behind them.

‘We'll be fine,' Lloyd said unconvincingly to Sali. ‘You look after yourself and Bella and Harry.'

‘We'll come to see you as soon as they let us,' Joey said, fighting emotion.

Victor looked silently at Sali. She knew what he wanted to ask.

‘I'll do all I can to find Megan, Victor, I promise. Take care of yourselves. Joey and I will keep a fine home for you to come back to. I love you, Lloyd. All three of you and you're not to worry about us ...'

The outer door opened and they were hustled away.

Sali had never felt so exhausted and beaten in her life. Joey led her into the corridor where Mr Richards was waiting with Mari who was carrying Bella.

‘I have arranged for the carriage to pick us up at a side door, Mrs Evans, to avoid the crowds. Half the Rhondda and all the Federation members are demonstrating outside the court building. It wouldn't surprise me if the police find themselves facing another riot after such injustice.'

‘Of course, Mr Francis will appeal the sentences ...'

‘But he may not be successful,' Sali interrupted, guessing what Mr Richards was trying to tell her.

‘No, he may not,' the solicitor reluctantly agreed, as the four of them sat in the coach that headed through Taffs Well towards Pontypridd.

Sali tried to put her thoughts in order. There were so many decisions to make. She had enough money to keep herself, the children and Joey in Tonypandy, but she knew that if she continued to pay the household expenses she would only succeed in hurting Lloyd and his father's pride all the more.

But as she tried to concentrate on practical matters, an image of Lloyd, Victor and Mr Evans travelling to Cardiff prison in a Black Maria intruded into her mind. She pictured the indignities they would be subjected to. She had heard so many stories about what happened to prisoners when they were admitted to jail.

Stripped of their clothes, personal possessions and dignity, hosed down with cold water as they were forced to stand naked, locked like animals in a cell ... What was hard labour these days –breaking rocks?

‘Mrs Evans,' Mr Richards touched her arm, ‘have you thought what you are going to do now?'

Sali bit her lip in an effort to contain her emotion and shook her head.

Mr Richards looked across at Mari, who was engrossed in nursing and protecting the baby against the movement of the carriage. Joey was slumped in the corner. His eyes were closed, but it was impossible to say whether he slept or not.

‘Perhaps now is the time for you to consider moving back into Ynysangharad House. The trustees will cover all your expenses. You have no one to pay the expenses of your father-in-law's house.'

‘Move in with Geraint? No, Mr Richards, it is out of the question.'

‘Here, Mrs Evans.' He opened his briefcase and thrust a pile of envelopes at her. ‘Put these in your handbag, I think you will find solutions to some of your problems in the minutes of the last two meetings the trustees held in your absence.'

‘I had Bella -'

‘That was not meant as a criticism, Mrs Evans; we were aware that you were indisposed and could not attend. I will do all I can to help Mr Francis appeal against the sentences but you must also fight, Mrs Evans. Not everyone will see the sentence your husband received as unjust. There are those who will try to use his criminal record against you, to discredit both you and the family you have married into.'

‘Geraint,' she said wearily.

He patted her hand. ‘Come and see me tomorrow afternoon when you have had time to think. We'll talk over things then. I will send the carriage to Tonypandy for you. Shall we say, two o'clock?'

‘Harry will be in school.'

‘I am sure that his education will be able to survive one afternoon off, Mrs Evans.'

She removed her handkerchief from her handbag, covered her mouth and looked out of the window. The sun had set and the gas lamps had been lit. Curtains were being drawn in the houses they passed and she imagined men coming home from work and washing, women carrying the food they had prepared to the table, a family sitting around, eating, laughing, talking ... a sudden vision of Lloyd, and all his family, and the children sitting at the table in the kitchen of his father's house was so acutely real and painful that she blanched.

‘Won't you at least stay in Ynysangharad House tonight, Mrs Evans?' Mr Richards pleaded.

‘No,' said Sali, ‘But I will read the minutes of the trustees' meetings and consider the future, Mr Richards. And tomorrow I will meet you in your office.'

Sali picked up Harry on the way home. Joey helped her and the children down from the carriage and opened the door. To his surprise a fire had been lit in the kitchen and a pleasant smell of cooking and baking filled the air.

‘I've put one of my meat and potato pies into the oven for you, Sali.' Joyce Palmer untied her apron, lifted it over her head and folded it into her shopping bag. ‘Mrs Rodney sent up some bread and other essentials, and the kettle's boiled for tea. The whole of Tonypandy's heard about the sentences and, like everyone else, all I can say is it's an absolute disgrace that good men should be punished for fighting for their rights. And that is just what my Aled would say if he were here. I can't stay. I have my lodgers to see to. There's an apple pie and a jug of custard in the warming tray, don't let them go to waste.' She tickled Bella under the chin, and smiled at Harry. ‘Gorgeous baby you have there, young man, you must be really proud of her.'

‘Thank you,' Sali shouted after her as she bustled out.

‘Sit down, Sali.' Joey adopted a paternal attitude that she found difficult to take seriously in spite of her misery. ‘I'll dish out the food.'

‘You see to Harry and yourself,' she said. ‘I'll bath Bella, feed her and settle her down first.'

‘Sali -'

‘Don't worry, Joey, I'll eat. I promised Lloyd that I'd look after myself, and I will.'

Sali and Joey sat in the kitchen after Sali had put Harry to bed. The baby hadn't stirred in her day cot in the corner, and Sali didn't expect her to until she woke for her midnight feed. It was so quiet that the ticking of the clock resounded like gunshot into the still atmosphere. She started at the slightest sound, half expecting Lloyd, Mr Evans or Victor to walk through the door, even though she knew that was impossible.

She read the minutes of the meetings that had taken place in her absence, re-read them, considered the implications of the decisions that had been taken and set the papers on her lap. She looked across at Joey. He had said very little since they had left Cardiff and hadn't referred to the trial once, but she could discern the same bitterness in him that she had detected in Lloyd, Victor and Mr Evans, for all that Joey had found a job – albeit one more suitable for a boy than a grown man.

‘We have to talk, Joey.'

He looked up from the book he wasn't even pretending to read. ‘What's there to talk about?'

‘The future.'

‘The future is I go to see Mr Francis tomorrow and ask him to sell one of the houses and hope we get enough money from the sale to live on for the next couple of months.'

‘No, it isn't,' she said determinedly. ‘The future is we move out tomorrow.'

‘To where?'

‘Ynysangharad House.'

‘Lloyd said -'

‘I know Lloyd and your father's views and I went along with them before I read these.' She lifted the papers from her lap. ‘Ynysangharad House is Harry's, the trustees have been wanting me to move in there for some time and we'll do just that because temporarily it is going to be very convenient for our new jobs. Gwilym James is opening a new store in Tonypandy. The company is going to need new staff, lots of staff. People who have been trained to do shop work.'