The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-10 00:00:00

SENTENCES.

Thomas Burns, convicting of assaultinz Dal; 0._,-.cao.„,
;Ali Intent to rescue nimseit n•om his custody, was sentenced
to 18 months.

David Morris, for attempting a burglary on the 29th of
September, at Wavertree, and convicted by the jury, was
sentenced to four years' penal servitude.

MURDER AT STOCKPORT.

Thomas Moore, 27, a factory-worker, was charged with
the wilful murder of his two step-sons, James Higham and
John Higham, on Friday the 2nd of September last.
Mr. Mom( and Mr. OVENS conducted the prosecution,
and Mr. WHEELER was called upon by, the court to defend.
It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner and his
wife were both factory workers ; but the prisoner had been
out of employment for several weoks, and lived with the
wife's father, in Marsland-street, Stockport, but owing to
differences, generally lived separately. Upon the morning
in question, the wife went to work as usual. The two boys
went out to play at nine o'clock in the morning, and were
never seen alive after. The prisoner went to the market to
purchase something for dinner, and returned about ten
o'clock. Shortly after, the prisoner got an umbrella, it was
raining at the time, and said to his father-in-law that he was
going to Hempshaw-lane. He was seen afterwards, accom-
panied by the two children, the youngest of whom had
a club font, going quite in a different direction, towards
Great Portwood, Chimneyhall-street, and Manchester-road,
all of which lead to the Ashton and Stockport canal.
The prisoner was not home to his dinner that
day but returned about six o'clock in the even-
ing, and asked his wife " why she had not sent
his dinner ? " she said "she said she didn't know where to
send it to ; art thou working," he said "yes," she said
"Where ? " he said "at my old shop." The prisoner next
asked if the children had come home, his,wife said not, and
he exclaimed "Oh !•my children are lost." He then went
in search of the children with his wife, and returned about
8 o'clock. Prisoner shortly after gave information at the
police-office. During the day he went to the house of an
acquaintance, a woman named Barton, whom he' lived with
before he was married, and dried his clothes ; when 'she
asked him what was the cause of his being so wet, he said,
"while assisting to put a can of, water upon a person's head
he fell into the water," It was stated that the prisoner was
very fond of his children, and played with them and fre-
quently took them out before the day in question. The
prisoner also made a statement at home that he had sent
the two boys home, and gave them the umbrella. On Mon-
day following the 6th of September, John Watson a boat-
man, was proceeding up the canal to Stockport with a load

of coals, when he observed something. -tumbling over in the
water, which attracted his attention, iut went on to Stock-
port, and returned;, accompanied by , a man ~named.
Creig,• procured a boat, and succeeded in finding
the body of a boy aged eight years, which was that of John
Higham, further search was made, and the body of John
Higham, aged four-and-a-half years was recovered. The
canal was drained out for' the purpose of making further
search, and the umbrella and one of the 'capes that one of
the little boys had on that day was found. The bodies were
conveyed to a house called the " Navigation Inn," and were
examined by a surgeon, who could perceive no marks of
violence, and was of opinion death was caused by drowning.
The two boys were members of the Middle Hill-gate burial
society, and of the Primitive Temperance burial society, and
from £l9 to £2O was payable an the event of the children's
death. . - •

Mr. WHEELER for the defence, made a long speech, and
urged that the pris,mer was never known to it 1-treat the
children, and he frequently took them out, and because he
was on the day in question seen with the children, that he
should be charged with murder; and further urged that
there was not the least marks of violence whatever, that
the children who were fond vf water, might have gone to
the canal in question, and fallen in, that the other might
have attempted to save him, and both perished.
His LORDSHIP in summing up the evidence remarked that
a prejudicial feeling prevailed in theyeighbourhoodof Stock-
port against the prisoner.
The jury retired to a private room, and after a pretty long
consultation returned a verdict of not guilty.
The court rose about nine o'clock.