The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-02-08 00:00:00

MURDER AND OUTRAGE IN DUM-
FRIESSHIRE.

A murder, hearing a horrible resemblance to that lately
committed at Alton, has startled the county of Dumfries.
The following is the outline of the case :

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It appears that on last Saturday afternoon, between
three and four o'clock, a young nian named Smith,
who earns a living by jobbing and labouring about the
country, was observed by a woman, named Creighton,
to take into a wood near to Cummertrees' a village
between Annan and Dumfries, a young girl, about 14
years of age. The woman, as it turned out, had been
observed by the ruffian, for some time afterwards he
entered her house at Longford cottages and felled her
to the ground. While down he attacked her with his
knife and inflicted five stabs about her neck. He
then dragged the wounded woman into a back room,
she struggling • but while he was intent upon complet-
ing the horrible murder he had commenced, two little
I boys, who were passing on the road with a donkey
cart, on their way to the farm where Creighton worked,
called at Longford-cottage with a message for
Creighton's wife. They knocked loudly at the door,
but could obtain no answer. The noise, however, had
the effect of alarming Smith, who seems to have
desisted from his murderous work, for the woman anon
came staggering to the door with her face covered with
blood and with blood streaming down from her neck.
The boys, alarmed at the horrible sight, called a Owl,-
herd from the neighbouring fields, and in the mean-
time the prisoner rushed out of the house-door and was
seen by the boys, who recognised him, he having been
working on the same farm during the harvest. He ran
across the railway, and was there afterwards seen
washing his hands by some railway labourers, among
whom was a brother of the little girl who had been
murdered. He then disappeared. Assistance was
rendered to the half-murdered woman; the police
authorities at Annan were communicated with, and
the county constabulary at once commenced a search
forthe prisoner on the charge of the murderous assault
upon Jane Creighton.
The fate of the little girl Scott had not then been
ascertained; but the news of the assault upon the
woman having been spread, the parents of the little
girl became alarmed for her safety. They heard that
she had been on the road with the prisoner; and, as
the child did not return home when she was expected,
a search was commenced by lantern-light. Inquiry at I
Annan showed that she had not been there; and the
roadside and neighbouring plantations were then care-
fully examined. At a place about half a mile smith of
Longford.cottage, traces were first discovered. There,
by the side of a plantation, marks were found of a
violent struggle; and crossing the palings, and enter-
ing the wood, the searchers found the little girl lying
murdered. There was a mark around her neck, show-
ing that she had been strangled by a thin ligature—
rrobably a leathern boot-lace---and the condition of her
clothes and person showed but tooplainly that a horrible
violation of her person had been committed before she
had been mar lerad. The police were now informed
of this second outrage, and they continued their
search with redoubled eagerness- 'Under the direction
yf Mr. Jones, the chief constable of the county con-
stabulary, the whole country round was scoured by
police officers ; and intelligence was sent to Carlisle
and other places with descriptions of the suspected
murderer. After he had washed his hands in a pool
near the railway Ire had been seen skulking beneath
some hedges, and he was afterwards heard of upon the
highway, but there traces were lost. On Sunday
morning, however, the police again got upon the track
of the murderer, and he was apprehended about noon
on Sunday, at 35, Queensberry-street, Dumfries, where
he had been lodging previously. His clothes were
found staked with blood, and his underclothing was
similarly marked; and a leathern shoe-lace tied in a
noose was found in his pocket. The little girl had
been rsbbed of about 10s., the purse being found rifled
near her body; and some money was found upon the
prisoner.
The prisoner, Robert Smith, alias Colvin, is between
19 and 20 years of age. He is a native of Eagleafield,
near Kirtlebridge, in Dumfriesshire.