The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-22 00:00:00

NORTHERN TIMES.-LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1856.

FRIGHTFUL MURDER

YESTERDAY

Between 6 and 7 o'clock yesterday morning, a most
cold-blooded murder was committed in Prince William-
street, Toxteth-park, on the body of a female who is
known in that locality by the name of Sally Drummond.
The perpetrator of this dreadful crime is a notorious
character, and known to the police as a most
desperate villain, and who goes by the name of Fergu-
son, or, as he is commonly called, " Fagan," but who
has an almost innumerable amount of aliases attached
thereto. The locality in which the murder was com-
mitted is. perhaps, one of the worst in Liverpool, the street
being inhabited principally by thieves and prostitutes.
From diligent inquiry, we believe the following to be the
circumstances of this melancholy affair : —The unfortu-
nate deceased had lived with her murderer for some
time, but lately had left him and had cohabited with
another man, who went by the cognomen of " Billy,"
(or William.) Yesterday morning the deceased and Billy
were drinking at a public-house at the corner of Wolfe-
street, when Ferguson went in and asked the deceased
for a jacket she had belonging to Tommy. She said she
had sold it; and he then asked her to go out with him,
when she replied that she would not go out with such a
thing as he was. Some mare angry words ensued be-
tween them, but after a time they became more friendly,
and she did accompany him to her mother's abode, a
cellar in Prince William street. At the time they went
in, the mother of the deceased was lying in one corner
of the room. As soon as they got into the house the
quarrel was renewed, and some very angry words passed
between them, and the deceased was soon after heard by
the mother to give a faint cry out, when Ferguson said,
"God bless you; now I will take you to the hospital."
He was, as is supposed, in the act of doing so, but had not
got 100 yards, when she fell a lifeless corpse at his side.
Information was then given to the police, who conveyed
the body of the deceased to the dead house. After the
deceased had expired Ferguson rushed into the public
house where he had left Williams, and stated what he
had done to the girl, and also threatened to serve•him
(Williams) the same. The parties in the house, not
believing his statement, permitted him to go away. The
police, however, were soon after him, and upon his
knowing that they were in the street he came out of a
cellar and said to them, " I will not trouble you to search
for me, here I am, I am the man who did the deed."
Previous to this, however, he had made an attempt upon
his own life. The knife with which the horrible deed
was perpetrated is a common clasp knife, the blade being
about three inches long, and made like the blade of a
razor, tapering towards the closing point at the haft.
The instrument was very sharp: It was found by
Detective-officer M'Culloch, in the petty of the house,
where the prisoner had thrown it after he committed
the fatal act.

The inquest will be held this day (Tuesday),
before the borough coroner.

EXAMIN ITION OF THE PRISONER,

John Ferguson, alias John Williams,f,alias Fagan, was put
to the bar at the police-court, on a charge of wilful murder,
by killing and slaying ono Sarah Drummond, in Prince
William-street, Park, by cutting her throat with a knife, at
six o'clock in the morning. The prisoner is scarcely five feet
high, and dimunitive in other respects also. He is a very
ill-looking person, of about twenty-one years of age. He was
born in the neighbourhood of the Park, and, according to the
report of Inspector Horn, has been a thief from mere child-
hood. He has been in gaol upwards of thirty times, for
having robbed ships, and for other thefts'about the docks. His
throat, on the left side, was covered with sticking plaster, as
he made an attempt to commit suicide, just at the moment
he was arrested. The prisoner was in custody of officer John
Pharo, No. 392, and M'Culloch (detective), who held him by
the arms, to prevent him effecting any further injury to
himself. He was ghastly pale, and this, added to his naturally
ill-looking face, gave him a most repulsive appearance.
Inspector Kehoe stated the charge against the prisoner, and
said, as the case was to go before the coroner, ho requested a
remand to this day, as the coroner was not able to proceed
in the case at present. It was, he said, more than suspected
that the murder arose out of the burglary case which his wor-
ship bad just before disposed ot. All he had to do
was to ask for the remand. The prisoner was then,
without further remark, remanded accordingly. He had al-
most to be carried out of the court, as he rolled to and fro, as
if drunk ; but such was not the case, although ho had been
drinking at an early hour in the morning. When he entered the
next court, in which were several of his comrades prisoners,
some of whom called out, "Jack, what did you get ?" he
replied 'as follows, and in a brutal manner—" I will go for
assizes to-morrow ; b—y end to them all, I have only once
to die—so keep up your hearts, my pals" He was then re-
moved in close custody.

BURGLARY BY " TICKET OF LEAVE" MEN

ARREST OF A PORTION OF A GANG OF ROBBERS,

Three desperate-looking fellows, named John M'Bride,
Thomas Garnett, and Robert Roberts, the two first transports,
who returned about eight weeks ago, were brought up yester-
day rnerninz before Mr. Maxwell, by detective officers Povey,
Sullivan, M'Cullough, and Horn, on a charge of having broken
into the shop of Mr. Robert Gilbert, jun., grocer and pro-
vision dealer, Mann-street, Park. It appeared that the
prisoners belong to a desperate gang of town marauders,
whose depredations for some time past have caused much
alarm. The returned convicts, no sooner arrived in town,
than they joined their old comrades, and commenced a new
career of crime. The police said, the murder, we this day
record, and which was perpetrated in the Park yesterday
morning, had some connection with the case now before the
court. It was stated, that the person now in custody on that
charge, was concerned with the prisoners in this robbery, and
that the dispute, which led to the tragedy, arose out of a
feeling that the murdered woman was about to "Snitch"—
that is, to inform on the gang. In the present case, from
the evidence of the officers, taken collectively, it appeared
that for some weeks past, a number of daring burglaries
and robberies had been committed in the Park and neigh-
bourhood. The police were on the look-out, and on Saturday
they received information, that a public-house in Sun-street,
in the Park, was set—that is, marked out for robbery that
night, by the prisoners and their gang. About twelve o'clock,
the officers proceeded to Warwick-street, where they observed
the prisoners. They watched them from 12 to 2 o'clock in
the morning, when the prisoners proceeded to Mann-street,
where the police still watched them. They lost sight of thorn
for a short time, and as the officers imagined the prisoners
had gone to rob the public house in Sun-street, they pro-
ceeded there. Not finding them, however, they again returned
towards Mann-street. On their way they heard a whistle,
and on proceeding to the shop of Mr. Gilbert they found the
door open. Police-officer Sullivan entered, and found the
prisoner Roberts in the custody of a Mr. Timothy Gill, who
rents the house (the shop excepted). Mr. Gill stated that he
was awoke on Saturday night, and on getting up he discovered
some men in 'the back part of the premises. He seized the
prisoner Roberts, but the others got away. Two coats had
been removed, but they were subsequently found on the
stairs. Sullivan, on a further search, discovered a pair of
government (transport's) boots, and an odd boot, also, on the
stairs of the house, and a key outside which opened the shop
door. The officers, after securing Roberts, proceeded to the
lodgings of the other prisoners, situate in Clive and Henderson
streets, judging that they would make their appearance
towards morning. In this they were not deceived, for the
prisoners, Garnett and M'Bride came, one without his boots,
and the other with one boot only ; the boots found in the house
in Mann-street proved, on trial, ',to be the missing articles.
This evidence was deemed conclusive, and do prisoners were
fully committed for trial at the assizes.

POLICE
COUNT.-YESTERDAY.
(BEFORE MR. G. MAXWELL.)

BURGLARY.—John Woods, a labourer, about 26 years
of age, was charged with having broken into the house
of Samuel Greet', Harding-street, Windsor. Mrs. Green
said she went to bed at ten o'clock on Saturday night,
having fastened up the house as usual. About midnight
she heard the grid of the area raised, and some one go
into the cellar. She called a lodger in the house, who,
having produced a light, went into the cellar, where he
found the prisoner, 'whom he instantly seized. The
prisoner coolly asked him if " John Green lived there ?"
The inquiry was answered, and the prisoner handed over
to the police. In reply to the magistrate. Mrs. Green
said the grid was fastened when she retired. The
prisoner had not taken any thing, for, in fact, he had
not time. The prisoner now said, he went into the
cellar out of the cold, as the night was very inclement.
The magistrate cautioned the prisoner, as to his future
conduct, and discharged him.
THE HORSE TRlM—Charles Williams, who stood
remanded on a charge of having swindled a farmer,
named Woods, out of .£lO, for a horse, was again
brought up. This case was fully reported in our paper
of this day week. The prisoner was,again remanded.
AN OLD Traci( REVlVED.—Patrick Boyle was charged
with having swindled a Mrs. Mary Thomas, by per.
striding her to purchase a valuable black silk handker-
chief for le. He had a really good handkerchief tied
up nicely in paper, and he sold it to her for Is, but
after the bargain had been concluded, he managed to
change the package for one which was similar in form,
bnt which proved to be some old paper. He was
remanded.

(BEFORE MESSRS• .BENN AND MAXWELL.)
Mrs. Alcoek, of Lord Nelson-street, charged her hus-
band, John Alcoa, with having assaulted her. It
appeared that the defendant bad already suffered three
months' imprisonmeza for a like offence, and that he
was in the habit of ill-treating his wife when he got
drunk, which, it would seem, was frequently. The
complain:. in the present case was proved by Mrs. Alcock
and her servant. The defendant asked for a postpone-
ment, on the ground that he was sorry for what he had
done, but their worships round, and OCIlt 11.1411 V) g3Ol
Fgtin fcir Ouse Uloaa