The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-22 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

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MURDER AT CASTLeTOwft, NEAR IIETm001).--it
sheckiug murder was committed cm Saturday evening, upon
a labouring man named James Duckworth, of this plus.
originating, it is believed, from revengeful feelings. It was
committed upon the carriage-drive leading from a newly-
erected hall, belonging to Mr. Richard:Kay,cotton manufac-
turer, near Cattletown. Duckworth was in the habit of
sleeping at the ball. Oa Saturday evening, a few minutest
after eight o'clock, sa John Kay, a groom, who lives dose to •
the entrance gate*, was coming down from the hall to go
home for the night, and was about one hundred and eighty
yards from the gate, he distinctly heard four blows struck in
the direction leading to them. Imagining that a cow had
got upon the lawn, and that some person wu heating down
the turf, with the view of obliterating the traces of its hoofs,
he determined to take the trespasser, if he could catch him,
up to the house, and ran towards the spot from whence the
sounds proceeded for that purpose. It had been raining a
great deal during the day and evening, and though not
a fine night, the moon shone a little, and he had net
got far before he perceived something lying on the ground
in the middle of the carriage-way. He hastened to it, and
the moment that he reached it heard the gate close with a
" bang," but neither heard nor saw any one. He found
Duckworth lying on the ground, with his face downwards,
and in a pool of blood. He lifted up his brad, bat it fell
again to the ground, as if lifeless. He ran Lome, told his
father and brother, who were there, and also a next door
neighbour, named John Leach, whet he had seen, and
then hastened to the hall to tell Mr. Kay. Meantime, s
wheelbarrow was procured, and the man taken te the Dog
and Partridge public-house. This public-house is very
little more than a hundred yards from where the bogy
was found ; in fact, there intervenes, between it and the
gates, a row of four houses and a large barn. A new land-
lord, named Thomas Fenton, had entered upon it that day,
and this event caused it to be very full of company in the
evening; so many as forty, we are told, being there at one
time. Amongst the company was Duckworth, a titan named
James Tetler, a spademan, who was discharged from the hall
four or five weeks since, another named Benjamin Gernett,
who worked there 12 months since, and a third named George
Wolstenholme, who was at work there till Monday, when he
was apprehended ensuspicion of being concerned in the mur- .
der. From what we have been at presentable to :earn, itippears
that they had beau there a considerable time ; ever since
dusk, when Duckworth slid he must go home. Wohrenholme
induced him to stay a while longer, and, it is said, went out
himself. Duckworth, at length went out, and was im-
mediately followed by Teller (it is not positively atte-r-
-tained whether Garnett went out at the time or Lot), who
returned in a very short space of time; and on his return
made use of a very remarkable eepression to a man named
John Stott, who is also employed by Mr. Kay as foreman
of the spaderuen, namely, " I'll gan you summit, he'll not
goo up yon to neet." Almost immediately afterwards the
intelligence was brought of the finding of the body, which
was brought into the house ; all the company, except Tet-
ler, Garnett, and Wolstcnboline were anxious to see the
body, and saw it, and the two latter eventually " swore" that
they would see it, and did accordingly, but Tetler did not
see it, though he betrayed very great anxiety about the man,
and frequently asked how he was going on. Mr. Pickford,
surgeon, was sent for and attended Duckworth.
who was quite insensible and never rallied even so
much as to open his eyes, but died about eight o'clock
on Sunday. morning. A police-officer was sent tr, and
en examining the spot where the body was found,
several foot-marks were found, as were also two pieces of
oak about four inches thick, which had formed a cast leg
used for propping up the shaft. It had originally been
rather more than four feet long; the shorter ince, about
saves inches in length, was found just opposite the spot
where the body was reined, sticking in a perpendicular posi-
tion in the soft soil to the left of the body, as if being broken
by a violent blow, it had risen a considerable height, and
fallen in the position in which it was found. The other and
longer piece was also found nearly close to it, but it had evi-
dently been thing carelessly up the brow of the lawn, which
outside forms a kind of sloping terrace, and had rolled down
again. This cart-leg, it is positively ascertained, had been
taken from a cart which stood in the yard of the public-hoar. e,
and which having been the property of Mr. James Helmick,
the outgoing landlord, had been valued to the present one.
We should have stated that when Duckworth was toned his
blob were in his trots- en pockets, so that there is no doubt
that he was felled to the ground by a sudden violent blow,
end that it was followed up by others, which occasioned
VW noise heard by Kay the groom, who it appears was on the
spot, but just too late to save the poor fellow's life. The
murderer or murderers must have bean cline at Duckworth's
heels after be had entered the gates, and were enabled to
approach him without noise by means of the grass birder on
the aides of the road, escaping back again under cover of the
raised lawn, for had they run down the carriage
way Kay must havo beard them, and if they had
gone down the opposite side of the lawn he must
have seen them. In the meantime, and before the police
officer canoe, Tetler and Garnett had left the public-house and
gone to the Farewell Inn, at Castleron Moor, whs re they
were found about 10 minutes past 12, by Sergeant Pridden
and another officer, who, after examining their shoes, and
seeing that the nails and make of Tetley's corresponded
exactly with those near the body, took them both to the
polioe-etation at Heywood, and, in consequence of further
information, the same officer apprehends I Welitenholme at
the place where the murder was committed. On Monday an
examination of the prisoners took place at the police-station,
Heywood. They were remanded till Wednesday. The in-
quest on the body will be held at 11 o'clock to-lay. The
deceased, James Duckworth, has left a wife, aed five or:aix
children.
CHESHIRE.
REPRESENTATION OF STOCKPORT.--A report wag
' prevalent in Stockport, yesterday, that Mr. Hull, one of
the members for this borough, against whom a petition is
pending, was about to accept the Chiltern Hundreds, and
that Mr. Alfred Orrell, el-mayor of Stockport, would be put
forward by the same party, and with the greater chance of
success, because a whip and a free trader. Mr. Orrell is a
large mill-owner, and at was understood that he would have
been the candidate in place of Mr. Heald before, but that he
was then disqualified by his position as returning officer.
Our correspondent had not been able to aseertnin if the re-
port was well founded.
DURHAM.
GREAT DAMAGE TO THE SNIPPING in Stinderletrid
Harbour was done by a flood on Sunday night. A corre-
spondent in that town says :—On Friday night it commenced
mining very heavily, and continued to do so all day on Sl.
Outlay, to a late hour in the night. The river Wear wee, in
consequence, much swollen, but about three o'clock on Sun-
day morning, soon after the ebb of the tide, the fresh water
from the higher parts of the river in Weardele came down
in such torrents, and flooded the harbour to such an extent,
that great numbers of ships and other craft below
the bridge were torn from their moorings, cast adrift,
and hurled baler the fury of the waters in all dins-
non* the rash was dreadful, and as the waters
were robin inodetibly. to the mouth of the river,
the ships wen Mrs against each other, and caused the
most miens derers. Sterna, bows, bowsprits masts, bul-
warks, were entrod, and it le said awn dra.2o vessels are
complete wteehs, end that about 30 MOMS are greatly Oa.
nage& Four or& we yeah sear the pier, and one was
driven to sea mad mat ea are near the north pier, the
crew of which ware lakes oat by trans of the rocket appa-
ratus. The life-boat was also lannened, to be ready in case
of emergency. This state of dairy and direful alarm con-
tinued tell daylight, when is et 3e rosining ships were
secured, and the flusieunewhat skated. It is said one man
was killed and leveed
Mal
ethers thowillally Wand.
=
RITIZSINTATION 01' Rear—The Suasez Adrertiser
=day says:—The writ he the election of a repro-
of One borough in pollialment, is the room of our
late raptor member, arrived en Beaday morning, end it
ea
peeetil the election will take plies either on Wednesday
celiaereq_ .
_At meant Mr. Herbert Muesli Curteis (who
cease Seward to the sans *ideal prinelples as his es-
teemed thew) is them* rididate. .4boeses from two
*ear geaGeren hate ben pared, but la aeither use has
my caller step Impe . salsa. We bane this bas arisen
Ina the anepeni el the most influential electors in
=may, who one dams= from she .ret_ett they
the late aseastar, that hie eft ereate succeed
bin without Wag subjeeeed te die • contested
iPwhich would Its dimmer le hi Seitrar at so early
eline his lobo% es& We err comider
film ash. tliese grabs afar= teen N afloat
SO widths bee be Wend by n leafMe In the con-
senellieve p etiellesit leneese; bat be mitt be a bold
vela 114bennIl eaten en the superhard it the last MD-
pillialarly with the rota adr t list election
=ln munry, when it will be rellemethred that Hr.
=OM more than two tore. Asia= Circumstance
iitot °mute gab= thiaboase dmMetr is, that the
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