The Express.
London, England, 1863-01-05 00:00:00

TEE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, jAbilildefi 5,

HORRIBLE MURDER NEAR WIGAN.

One of the most horrible and revolting crimes
which it boa ever fallen to our lot to record was committed
LP on Frisky night or .4os Saturday morning, at •
small colliery, situated is sow Wigan, sod not more
than • mile or • mile and a from the boundary of the
borough. The particulars of the affair, so far ea we have
been able to glean them, are as follows :--The scene of the
murder is the Bawkhouse, or Buttes-pit, • colliery belong-
leg to the Earl of Orawford sad Bakarres, and sheeted not
more than 600 yards distant from the Bed Rook-
bridge on the aural from Wigan to Lancaster.
It is in the township of Haigh, and is not more than a few
minutes' walk from the Worthingeo• paper milk, where
only last month a watchman wee brufelly assaulted by •
couple of burglars who intended to sock the counting-house.
The seam worked at the colliery is the Arley Nine, and as
the pit makes • great deal of water • pumping metre has
been erected, and is kept at work night and. day. On
Friday evening, about six o'clock, • man named John Ber-
ta), a fireman, came on duty oo the night turn, he having
to attend to the tire and keep the engine at work. He was
healthy and in good spirits, and be wee left by his brother
workmen, who little thought they had then seen him
for the last time. At three o'clock next morning the
fireman who bad to relieve Barton same to his
work as usual, but we astonished to find the
fire under the boiler completely out, the steam very low,
and the engine stopped. He sought in all directions for
Barton, bet as be was not to be found be proceeded to his
madame, • short distance from the pit, to me if he wee
there. Barton's eon, alarmed at the disappearaucie of his
father, got up and assisted in the search, and on • minute
examination of the cabin, near the fireplace, blood wee dis-
covered sprinkled upon the floor, and a crowbar was also
found with blood upon it. Information was now given to
the police, and the tidinp spreading rapidly through the
neighbourhood a further sod complete investigation was
made, when drops of blood were traced from the chin to the
fire-hole, and the plate in front of the furnace was also
found to be smearedwith pre The horrible supposition which
this circumstance gave rise to, viz., that Barton bad been
murdered and his body then thrown into the boiler tire, to be
consumed, was, we regret to state, immediately confirmed.
The ashes of the furnace were carefully raked out, when
several small articles were discovered, which pieced the fact
*boost beyoud doubt. What woe found may be epitomised
an a couple of handsfol of what appear' to be the charred
remnants of human bones, a few buttons, a hackle, a couple
of double teeth, and a few small nails, used in the making
of boots, and termed " sparrablea” These latter were
found at the extreme end of the furnace, and the teeth near
the door, thus leading to the conclusion that the body bad
been put in feet foremost. The fierce draft of the furnace
would soon consume the body and leave but the fragments
we have mentioned to tell the horrible tale. The motive of
the murderer or murderers it is difficult to conjecture.
Barton was • respectable, quietly-disposed man, and the
idea that he was murdered in revamp by any enemies he
might have bad is entirely scouted by the readmits of the
data& The most probable suppositioo is, that the inten-
tion wee to rob him, as he was known to possess a rather
valuable silver watch, and that the thieves, instead of stun-
ning him only did more then they intended, and killed him,
sad afterwards threw the body into the furnace as the
asaket mods of disposing of it, and the one least liable to lead
to detection. No traces of the watch have as yet
been found, and it is probable • little odd money Barton
had upon him was all the booty obtained in return
for the perpetration of the atrocious crime. Barton was
about 60 or 60 years of age. He we married end has
several children. The fsmily are highly respected in the
district, one of the brothers of the murdered man holding
a farm in Haigh under the Bail of Crawford sad Balcarrea.
The police were most amiduous in their exertions during
the whole of Saturday, and the affair is now in the hands
of men who will, we believe, discover the criminals if dis-
covery is parable.

THE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE LONDON AND
NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY.

On Saturday afternoon Dr. Lanktster held an
inquest at the Lord Walloon Tavern, Uaiveraitystrnes,
Totteohan.-oourt•road, on the bodice of William Coker,
aged 44, and William Jeffreys. aged 37, plat►layen in the
service of the Loudon nod North Western Railway Coro.
patty, who kin their lives through injuries received in the
Primrose-hill Twine' by a passing train.
After a short deliberation the jury retuned a verdict cf
" Accidental death " through neglect of the rules laid down
by the company for the workmen's safety.

-InitUttiat.7

--
111arlO7OLITAN °ovary °MITS.
Bitting days appellisijor th• present week.
MarylebsseemL— Maeday, lea ; Tnenday, O.
plionyno, erkitensadagroes.—Tkursday, 9.
finoannrren, Oktatreet-read.—Thursaay, Jan. 8 : Saturday, 10.
Bow, Bow.road.—Friday, JIM 9.
arrscnayst, Great Presont.strest.—Thureday, Jan. 8; Yd.
datasaytt, Camberwell New-read.—Tharsday, Jan. 8.

THE POLICE COURTS.
MANSION HOUSE.
William Farraar,a mapectablo.looking middle-egad Ma,
who was brought before the Lord Mayor in the earl, poll
of ism week, upon • ablaze of cionspiring with a=
named Charles Frederick Hank and off in
fgg by messiof false pretense.,the Mai of 8601.aPd a-
wa
hem the Bon. Richard Camden Bingham, was again
at the bar before the Lord Mayor, to undergo •
her examination upon that charge.
The prosecutor was sworn, and identified the defen-
dant Hunt u the person alluded to under that mime in his
evidence.
The

Laing lasted for upwards of three
hours and a 14 the cams was again adjourned.

GUILDHALL

Elizabeth Tinworth, and Thereat Tieworth, her husband,
were charged, the former with stealing a puns from Miss
Cherry, and the latter with attempting to rescue his wife.
Colonel liillyard said be was wining out of St. Paul's on
Friday afternoon with Miss Cherry, when the latter called
out that the female prisoner had stolen her purse. He im-
mediately seized her, upon which she aid it was a little boy
who had taken the parse, and the next moment she pointed
to the purse, which wee lying on the ground at his feet.
While be wu picking up the puma, the prisoner suddenly
wrenched herself out of his grasp, and ran away. The male
prisoner then ran up, and tried to prevent his securing the
female, but he managed to catch her. The man again tried
to rescue her, but he (witness) continued his hold. The puree,
unfortunately, be had not put into the hands of Mir Cherry,
as he intended, before he started to catch the prisoner, sod
it wee banded to another person by mistake,
Belford, • ipolice (inflatable, deposed to the attempted
rescue by the male prisoner, and said be knew the female
prisoner had served a four years' sentence for steeling a
watch. _ .

triaL--.prisoners denied the charge, and were oommitted for
The
BOW-STREET.
_ . .

Three lads, named Collins Wriihr, and 27torse, who
stated that they got their living by selling newspapers at
Regent•circus, were charged by /Folios-constable F 120 with
having in their possession a sirloin of beef, value 11. lbs.,
which had been stolen from the shop al Mr. Domeier,
butcher, of Great Rumen-street, Covent-garden.
Policeman F 120 stated that about novon o'clock on Fri-
day morning he was peening along Maidea-lane, on his return
home. after coming off duty, when he mw the prisoners
carrying something balky in a sack. Upon seeing him they
threw it down and ran away. He followed them, but lost
them in the humid. He then took the meat to the station-
house, and was again on his way home, when he met the
prisoners again in Russell-street, a few doors from Mr. Dos-
motor's shop. About 20 minutes had elapsed since he first
saw them.
Mr. Demeter said that the sirloin had been stolen from
his shop that morning. The shop was open at 6 o'clock.
The prisoners protested that they were not the persons
whom the constable had seen in Maiden-lane. They did
not now know where Maiden-lane was. They lived in
Gray's-buildings, a little passage leading out of Gee'ecourt,
Oxford-street ; and when stopped by the constable they
were going to Holywellatreet to buy their papers. They
had for six years sold papers at the Regent-circus, Oxford-
street. Thorne said he could produce witnesses to prove
that be was at home until half-part 7, not having got up till
7 o'clock. They all declared that they could produce good
witnesses to character.

The Constable—There warn en officer here who can give
theme character.

Thoroe—l an quite certain he can't say anything
against us.
Mr. Heart'—What do you mean by saying that he can
give them a ' character".
The Constable—He knows them from teeing them about
Gee's-court making a great deal of noise.
Hr. Henry—That is not what anybody would suppose
you meant by giving them a character. You should nos
hays used that expression.
Thorne—l wish you would send for my father. He keep
a stall in Oxford-street. He came to me at 7 o'clock and
called me up! and I gave him 10a to go to market with. I
have given him 10s. every Saturday for years. Then there
is the coffee-shop keeper where I breakfasted. I bad a
ha'porth of coffee and a peon'orth of bread and butter.
And there were two boys I met in the street up that
way.
The Constable said be had been to the coffee-shop, but
the landlord did not remember the circumstance.

Mr. Henry desired him to go and fetch the coffee-house
keeper and the other persons mentioned.
The constable went away, end in the course of the after-
noon returned with the coffee-house keeper and a crowd of
the friends of the prisoners.
The coffee-house keeper swore that Collins and Thorne
breakfasted at his house shortly after 7 o'clock.
Mr. Henry said, if that was so, they could not have been
in Maiden-lane, a distance of two miles, at ten minutes
past seven.
The constable said he was positive they were the boys.
Mr. Henry said it seemed almost incredible that they
could have gone back to the very spot where the robbery
was committed if they were the persons, especially as they
must surely know that he would take the meat to the
station, in doing which ha would pass Mr. Doesetor's
shop.
The coffee-shop keeper stated that when the constable
drat called on him it was about 3 o'clock.

The constable mid that was impossible. as he did not
take the pumpers till half-put 7.
Mr. Henry said that was clearly an error.
Two labourers, well acquainted with the prisoner'', proved
having met them in Clouit-street at a quarter past • .
Mr. Henry, after careful consideration, was convinced
that the officer was mistaken in their identity.
The prisoners were discharged, but the constable still
persisted that be was right.