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    i8o THE STAK 01 FUHEDOM. [Octob ER 3o

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    CRIMES AND OFFENCES.

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    —It — I Dreadful Murder near Stafford.—O...

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    I8o The Stak 01 Fuhedom. [Octob Er 3o

    i 8 o THE STAK 01 FUHEDOM . [ Octob 3 o

    Crimes And Offences.

    CRIMES AND OFFENCES .

    —It — I Dreadful Murder Near Stafford.—O...

    —It — I Dreadful Murder near Stafford . —One of the most tragical rararders which has been committed in Staffordshire for many years was perpetrated early on Monday morning , the 25 th inst ., near the oimraly town , Stafford . The place where it occurred is situate bmout three miles from Stafford , on the road to Wolverhampton , crown a narrow and secluded lane . The house was occupied by an g € ged couple named Blackband , who , in addition to the land and uiuildings adjoining , were also the owners of several fields of land .

    lafaturally of a penurious turn , and imagining the safest place for his rerealth to be on his own person , Blackband invariably carried about ftoth Mm a large purse of gold , and it is supposed to have been the : n : nowledge of this fact which induced some person or persons to oionceive the horrid idea of murdering the old man and woman for luhe purpose of possessing their wealth . About eight o ' clock in the n « orning information was sent to Stafford that a cottage at Moss Pit varas on fire , and engines were immediately despatched to the spot . ) 0 n breaking open the door of the house , the fire was discovered to raiave originated in one of the bed-rooms , but the smoke and flames prevented any one from ascending the staircase . Ladders were then

    rarocured , and holes made in the roof of the building , and the fireicngines having subsequently arrived , the flames were extinguished . dDn ascending the stairs , the old man and woman were discovered at & he further end of the room on' a bedstead , still burning . Upon ssxamination it was found that the head of Blackband had been frac-Mured by some heavy weapon , the frontal bone being completely BBmashed , and the back of the head opened . The body was reduced aalmost to a cinder , with the exception of the head and one of the Idegs . The bowels , blackened and scorched with the flames , were pprotruding ; one leg was completely destroyed , and almost every umark of identity or recognition obliterated . A small portion of his ttrousers still remained on the lower part of the leg , but all the other

    cclothing in the room was burnt , and the gold was nowhere to be ffound . Across the bottom of the bed lay the burnt and blackened ttrunk of his wife ' s body—the arms and legs being entirely gone . A lblow over the right eye , where the bone was broken , showed , howfever , that she also had been murdered . For many years the old ccouple , through infirmity , had slept apart in different rooms in the Ihouse , the stairs to Backhand ' s rooms ascending from the horse ] place , and those to his wife ' s bed-room , at a distant part of the ( dwelling , from the pantry . At the bottom of the pantry stairs is a llarge pool of Wood ; and it is supposed that after the murderer had ' despatched the old man he proeee 4 ed to the other part of the

    house , where his second victim was descending the stairs , when he immediately dealt the fatal blow which deprived her of life . Having committed this twofold deed of guilt , he must have carried her through the house to the bed-room of her deceased husband , and , placing her on the bed , have set fire to the clothes , intending to destroy every mark which would lead to his detection , by burning the house and all that it contained , and thus lead to the supposition that the fire was one of accident . The dog which belonged to Blackband , and was kept in the house , was found in the well opposite the door , a heavy blow on the head having no doubt previously deprived it of the power of making any alarm . The house doors were all locked when the fire was discovered .

    and the key is missing . It is supposed that an entrance was effected through one of the windows . The murder must have been perpetrated after daylight . At half . past seven a gentleman passed the house , when there was no sign of fire , but he observed a man walking through an adjoining field , as if from the house . It is supposed that the murderer could not have completed the deed without having marks of blood upon some parts of his body or clothes , which may lead to his apprehension .

    A Burglarious Family . — Three of the daughters of the notorious burglar Maggs , a native of Horsingham , Wilts , have been apprehended by the police , charged with attempting to break into a farmhouse at Woodlands , near Frome . The house is not far from the scene of the Frome murder , on suspicion of prepetrating which Maggs and two of his associates were tried at the last Somersetshire assizes , but acquitted . It appears that while the occupants of the farm were at the market , these girls went into the garden , lifted up the sash of the window , and , having propped it up , the eldest was proceeding to assist her sister to get in , when they were discovered .

    On being taken before the magistrates , and the case gone into , the youngest was discharged ; the eldest was committed to Shepton Mallett House of Correction for two months , and her sister for two months , with hard labour attached . Their ages are respectively , six , nine , and fourteen years . The family is a most incorrigible one . Maggs has nine or ten children , all of whom are , it is stated , as expert at poaching and thieving as their notorious father . He , himself , is partly the victim of a bad example , his own father having early initiated him into the

    career of vice and infamy which he has pursued for so many years . His wife was formerly convicted of theft , and suffered imprisonment , and both a son and son-in-law have been transported , the latter for aburglary at Frome vicarage . The gang of which he was the head was for a long period the terror of Frome and the surrounding district , but it is hoped that they are now effectually dispersed ; and as to Maggs and his immediate associates , from the amount of evidence collected against them on various charges , there can be no doubt of their ultimate fate .

    A Female Railway Pickpocket . —A very stylishly-dressed female , of ladylike manners , was brought np in custody at the Leeds Court-house on Tuesday last , charged with robbing the lady of the Rev . John Ward , rector of Wath , near Ripon . On the previous day Mrs . Ward arrived in Leeds by the express train of the Great Northern Railway , and at the station in Leeds was met by her husband . A cab was engaged for her , and just as she was entering it her husband observed the prisoner in the act of withdrawing her hand from his wife ' s pocket . Mr . Ward at once seized both arms of the delinquent , and she then dropped the purse just abstracted from Mrs . Ward ' s pocket upon the pavement . She was given in custody , and , after a full examination before the justices , she was committed lor trial at the next sessions .

    ^ Flight of a Sweepstake Holder . —At the Manchester Borough Court , on fuesday morning , a licensed victualler , named David Duckworth , was called upon to answer to a summons charging him fC i S ? . ? bhnS ^ his house , the Manchester Arms Inn . Mr . Duckworth did not appear , however , and Mr . Beswick , chief superintendent of police , stated that he had left the town : thai he 1 ^ % * that ha J dealt largely with racing " sweeps , " and had gone off with some hundreds of pounds . He had in his p ossess on the proceeds of a sweep for the Cambridgeshire S taCtoCrfnZ Newmarket that day-asweep to which the members had paid halfa-crown each . He was reported to have gone to Australia

    _ Parricide At Sheffield .-Since the last Midsummer assizes the town of Sheffield has been the scene of an appalling number of the blackest crimes . There have been two instances of cool pre meditated murder , and several cases of homicide of a less he ' inous character . Another death has occurred this week , which has led to the apprehension of a young man on the charge of having slain his lather . The name of the deceased was Francis Brice j he was about fifty-four years of age ; he resided in a dingy court in Coalpit-lane andobiamed a livelihood by vending firewood . He had a son re ' sjdmg with him-a violent-tempered young fellow named Richard -Hnee , who has scarcely attained his majority . He works at Mr Patrick ' s sawmill , in Pond-lane . He was of the most dissipated

    —It — I Dreadful Murder Near Stafford.—O...

    habits , and , being of an exceedingly irrascible temper he seldom went home tipsy without creating a disturbance with the family . On Saturday night he was out drinking till past midnight , and when he went home he began to chastise his sister because of some opprobrious epithets that some few hours before she had applied to a young woman with whom he keeps company . The father and mother interposed , and a great disturbance ensued ; but it was an incident to which the neighbours were so accustomed , as coming from that particular family , that they took no notice of it . The

    mother sank down upon the floor in a fit , and the young man , having now less opposition to contend with , was able to indulge his violence to greater purpose . Some hard fighting ensued . The father , having been struck at least once with great violence by the son , and seeing no hope of quelling his rage , ran out of the court and shouted ior a watchman . The next moment he dropped senseless , and , one of his daughters having run to his assistance , he expired in her lap directly afterwards . The watchman came and took the young man into custody .

    Extensive Railway Robbery . —Several robberies have recently taken place of valuable packages of goods from the goods shed of the Midland Railway Company at Bristol , and among others , was one about three weeks since containing £ 35 worth of sewing silk and silk twist , which had been consigned to Mr . Lindrea , of Maryleporistreet , Bristol . Inquiries were set on foot , and the result has been the apprehension of two men named Charles Delatouche and Charles Derrett . It appears , from their examination before the magistrate at the Bristol Police-court , that the prisoner Derrett keeps a shop in Pipe-lane , close to the gate of the railway company's premises .

    About three weeks ago a truss of silk twist , of the value of £ 35 , was sent from a place in Shropshire directed as above . It was seen at the Bristol station at six o ' clock iii the evening , and missed shortly afterwards . Information was given to the police , and Sergeant Summers , of the detective force , discovered that Delatouche had been selling silk of the description stolen . Summers went to some tailors to whom he had sold it , and , having procured some , exhibited to Mr . Lindrea , who stated his belief that it formed part of the parcel . Summers then went to Delatouche ' s house for the purpose of arresting him , but on his way he met Inspector Webb conveying

    him to the station . It appeared that Mr . Webb had received some information , and , on going up Old Market-street , he saw Delatouche carrying a package . He watched him into a tailor ' s shop , and on his coming out he stopped him and asked him if he had not been telling silk ? He confessed that he had some , and that he had sold some to the tailors ;• whereupon Mr . Webb took him to the station . On arriving at Delatouche ' s house , Summers saw his wife and daughter ; the wife was ill . in bed , but , on asking her about it , she at once said that her husband had had silk , and had taken it out to sell ; and that it had been brought there by a young man named

    Derrett . DerrettV house was accordingly searched , and a large quantity of knives were found , but no silk . The knives consisted of clasp and glaziers' knives , which Mr . Wilkinson , the company ' s superintendent , said he . had no doubt were stolen from a packet sent by ' railway , consigned to a person residing at Pontypool . The prisoners , who were very respectably attired , were defended by Mr . Dene and Mr . Crosby , solicitors . They were remanded , as it is anticipated that a clue has been obtained to the mode by which these systematic robberies have been carried on , and , in all probability , further charges will be preferred against them .

    Extensive Robbery of Bank NoTES . —On Saturday information was forwarded to the various metropolitan and City police stations that a man named , Jenkins , recently arrived from California , had been robbed of £ 650 in £ 10 notes , and a draft on Rothschild ' s banking-house for * £ 450 , by some sharkers , in the following manner : •—Jenkins arrived from California on Fridaywith a considerable amount of gold , which he sold at a refiner ' s for £ 650 , receiving the money in £ 10 notes . Upon coming out of the shop Jenkins was accosted by two men , who must have been watching his movements , asking whether he knew where they could sell some

    California gold . They were directed to . the door , and one of them pretended to go into the . shop , whilst the other kept Jenkins in conversation . The man soon returned , stating that he had received £ 1 , 000 for his quantity , and they all walked together as far as the Hugh Middleton Tavern , Islington , where they went into the parlour , and after taking something to drink , began to talk about the advisability of opening an establishment for buying and selling gold . They alt agreed that it would be a profitable concern , and it was proposed that each should make an immediate deposit . Jenkins ,

    who had been promised £ 1 a day , in addition to commission , & e ., as he understood all the qualities of gold , said he had got £ 650 . One of the sharpers immediately produced what appeared to be banknotes for the same amount , and Jenkins and one of the sharpers then went out for the purpose of obtaining a receipt stamp to do the business legally . After ineffectually endeavouring to find a stationer ' s shop , the sharper suggested that Jenkins should go back to look after the person who had been left with the money . He did so , but of course found , him gone , and it was only a ruse by the other also to escape .

    The One Thousand Pounds Fraud at Hull . —At the Hull Quarter Sessions last week , William Cooper Robinson , of Hull solicitor , was tried and convicted of having endeavoured to obtain money by false pretences from Messrs . Charles Wells , of Hull , in August last . The case occupied some hours , and the evidence showed that the prisoner applied to the prosecutors for a loan of £ . 200 on the title deeds of a client named Pritchett , and the

    prosecutors being willing to make the advance on the I O U of the client the prisoner went away , and shortly returned with an I O U for £ 1 , 000 , purporting to be signed by the client and himself , on which he asked for a . loan of £ 500 . This aroused suspicion , and on application to the client , who lived in the town , the fraud was discovered and the prisoner given into ) custody . He was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment . J

    TheDrypool Murder . j—Our readers , says the Hull Packet , will remember that William Fitancis Mapelthorpe , the unfortunate young man who was murdered in May last , -was robbed at the same time of a five-pound note , the nunjber and mark of which were known . It was subsequently discovered that within a period of ten days after the murder this note was jn the possession of a young man named Walter Benson , a strange ^ to the town—of whom nothing was known , and who told a vej : y improbable story as to how it came into his hands . This man was tried at the Hull quarter sessions just

    concluded , and has been ( found guilty of receiving the note , well knowing it to have been stolen , and ior which offence the prisoner has been sentenced to fourteen years' transportation . Whether or not the result of this trial may assist in bringing to light further circumstances in connection with that gloomy transaction can at present be matter of conjecture only ; it is , however , only one step towards the consummation bf the ends of justice , and it is sincerely to be hoped that it may lead to the final and successful unravelling of the mystery which at present unfolds the deed of darkness .

    A Clerical Swindler . —The Rev . J . Berrington , who was remanded to Brighton by the metropolitan magistrates last week , underwent a lengthened examination before the Brighton bench of magistrates , on the charge of obtaining money under false pretences from Miss Richardson , formerl y residing with the family of Sir Charles Habin , of Denton Hall , on pretence of going to Australia on a religious mission . Alter hearing the case at great length , the pr isoner was remanded lor further evidence , preparatory to his committal for trial ,

    —It — I Dreadful Murder Near Stafford.—O...

    Barbarous Infanticide .- —Barnstaple , Saturday -. n " ** quiet town has , within the last day or two , heen shock ^ US"a " - rumour that a young woman named Eliza Boucher a SPr ^ v t ) i " employ of Mr . W . Wadham Hill , hairdresser and perfumJ ^ f in llle street , had been delivered of an illegitimate child , which i l § ' afterwards" destroyed by burning , it in the washho ' use flu ^ appears that her condition was suspected by her mistress wT ^ ' ^ her with being eneeinte , but the young woman stoutly den ^ * an insinuation . Discoveries were made , however , which 1 r ! l doubt of her confinement having taken place , whereupon 1 " ° again questioned as to her conduct . She then admitted th / it T l been confined , and stated that she had thrown the child i ^ river . Subsequently , however , she said she had buried it in th ! ° i ll . and , as if to give a plausibility to her story , she commenced r ' , herself , as if to bring it out . At length , however , all attem 8 conceal the truth failed , and she confessed that she had burT \ * infant in the washhouse furnace , where she had kindled a Jar . p early on the washing morning . She was then , of course , hand f ro to the police authorities ; but she was now too ill to be ' examh > T *

    Murder and attempted Suicide . —A shocking tragedy U been perpetrated at Wednesbury , a married woman having drr ? her child , aged fifteen months ,, in a tub , and afterwards ° ni aT" ^ attempt on her own life by hanging herself . The circum \ ° ftU were investigated by Mr . Hinchliffe , the district coroner . A . inn * of witnesses were examined , and the following is the gist 0 f ?' testimony : —The alleged murderer , Sarah Smith , is the wife oT ^ moulder , employed at the ironworks of Mr . George Adams of J * town . On Saturday evening ^ last-, about five o ' clock , Smith \\ * husband , came home from his work , but could not find hi &\ ' (\

    After looking about the house , he discovered her hanging from ¦ hook in the pantry by a handkerchief , which she had tied round 1 ' - neck . He cut her down , and found her insensible , - but , by prom p t surgical assistance , she was restored . Almost immediately afte wards , the dead body of Smith's little child was found in a tub of water , over which a tea-tray had been placed . The tub wasa 5 mn one—one foot eight inches in height , and one foot two inches ' diameter . After the mother had been taken into custody Mr Chowle , a neighbour , asked her how she could do such a thin * , ™ kill her child , to which she replied , — ' I will tell you all about it

    I left the child in the brewhouse , playing with its chair , while i we ,, | to the cistern for water . When I returned I ( bund it in the tub with its head downwards . I pulled him out , but he was nearly gone . I felt afraid , and I put him in again , and went and hanVd myself . " She afterwards repeated this statement , and denied iVt she had killed the child . Mr . Bailey , a surgeon of Wednesbur ' v having examined the prisoner on the evening of the alleged murder ' gave his opinion that she was labouring under temporary insanity The jury , after a charge from the Coroner , returned a verdict ot " Wilful Murder " against Sarah Smith .

    Attack upon a Keeper in Bedlam . —A man named Wheeler who was ordered to be detained during her Majesty ' s pleasure , for murdering his mother , by cutting off her head with a carving knife , on Thursday made a savage attack upon one of the keepers in the institution . About dinner time , Wheeler managed to gain access to a cupboard , where the tailors' goose-irons are kept , and taking one of them , came behind Hooper , the keeper , and attacked him in a

    most desperate manner , inflicting a very extensive cut on his head , and otherwise disabling him . Immediately upon the other patients becoming aware of the attack , several of them rushed upon Wheeler , whilst others-locked up the knives and forks , to prevent him inflicting further injuries . The alarm bell having been rung , further assistance arrived , when Wheeler was secured and confined . The unfortunate man was after the attack removed to the infirmary of the institution , where he remains .

    An Aristocratic Highwayman . —A most alarming case of highway robbery took place near Penrith , in the county of Cumberland , on the afternoon of the 23 rd inst . The facts are briefly as follow : —Mrs . Williams , the wife of the Rev . Mr . Williams , of Dacre Vicarage , was returning from Penrith in a gig , with a female servant , where she had been on a visit to the Countess Oassinski , when she was overtaken by a youth of gentlemanly appearance , mounted on a valuable pony . He rode past her vehicle , and kept in front till he

    got to a lonely part ot the road , shaded by trees , between Dalemain and Dacre . ^ He then turned round , met Mrs . Williams , and presented a pistpj , at the same time demanding her money . Mrs . Williams at first refused to give it to him , when her assailant said he would count three , and , if she did not deliver her money before he had finished , he would shoot her . Terrified by his threats , she surrendered her purse , which contained a considerable sum in gold and silver . Having made an ineffectual attempt to obtain money from the servant , he asked Mrs . Williams her name and residence

    and the lady having told him , " Well , " said the highwayman , " I'll see if you are Mrs . Williams . I'll follow you ; and , mind , if you have told me a lie , I'll shoot you from behind , both you and your servant ; and if you speak to any one on the way as to what has happened , I'll shoot you . " Mrs . Williams then drove on , the highwayman riding behind as footman . She met several persons , but did not speak to them , being afraid the . t her unwelcome attendant would make good his threat . After following her for some distance ,

    her pursuer turned his pony and rode rapidly away . When Mr . Scott , the high constable , was informed of the circumstances of the robbery , he immediately went in quest of the highwayman , and found that he had gone to Mr . Robertshaw's , the Castle Inn , on the day of the robbery , about four o ' clock , where he had his horse fed . He then went out , and returned again about seven o ' clock in the evening , and requested to stay all night . Mr . Robertshaw refused to allow him to stay , but directed him to the Fish Inn , near to the railway station , at which place he stayed all night . On

    the following day he told Mrs . Hodgson , of the Fish Inn , that he was the son of the Hon . Mr . C , that he was low of funds , and that if he could only get to Keswick , and see James Stanger , Esq ., he would be able to procure a supply . He also asked Mrs . Hodgson to lend him 30 s ., which she did . He then left by the express train for Kendal , intimating that it was his intention to proceed by coach to Keswick from Kendal . Mr . Scott went to Keswick and awaited the arrival of the coaches ; the highwayman , however , did not make return with

    his appearance , consequently Mr . Scott was obliged to - out him . On subsequent inquiry it appears that the young man came by the express train from London to Carlisle , two days previous to the robbery ; that he put up at the Bush Hotel , and after slaying all night wished to know if he could be accommodated with a hack horse , as he wished to go to Corby Castle , the seat of Philip Henry Howard , Esq . . Mr . Birch , the proprietor of the Bush Hotel , was unable to accommodate him , but sent him to Mr . Brockbank , ot Carlisle , livery stable-keeper , where he was furnished with a ponythe same upon which he committed the robbery , and which he left at the Fish . Soon after borrowimr the 30 s . of Mrs . Hodgson , as the

    youth did not return , Messrs . Birch and Brockbank concluded that they were " done ; " consequently Mr . Bird opened the portmanteau which he had ' left at the Bush , in order to trace out the name of the delinquent . The marks on his linen corroborated the statement that he was the son of the Hon . Mr . C- , and it appears worn subsequent inquiry that he has broken loose from the Military School , where he was in training for the army . He has been trying his hand at a profession of his own choosing . He has not been heart of since he left Penrith .

• Citation
  • Northern Star (1837-1852), Oct. 30, 1852, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_30101852/page/4/