Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-02 00:00:00

CONFESSION OF MURDER.

A great deal of excitement has been created in Wey-
mouth during the past week, says the Sherborne Journal,
in consequence of a rumour that an old woman on her
death-bed had confessed that she was a participator in a
most foul and cruel murder, committed more than half a
century ago, but the real perpetrators of which at that
time could not be discovered. About the period men-
tioned great alarm was felt in the town in consequ sties, of
the discovery of a human body wrapped in a linen sheet,
lying near the foot of the old bridge, on the Melcombe
Regis side of the harbour. On examination it was Lured
that death had been caused by a blow on the too of the
head, causing a severe fracture of the skull, as if committed
by some iron and blunt instrument. Blood was traced
from the spot across the bridge to a house in which the
deceased woman resided, situated in High-street, near
Boot-lane, This was then the only house of ill-fame in the
town. It is supposed that on the night of the murder,
the unfortunate man. whose name was Tillroyd Morgan,
by profession a jeweller and engraver, was at this house
in company with a farmer, named Hardy, who resided at
the village of Chickerell, but who died many years since.
A quarrel is said to have arisen between these parties,
which resulted in a death-blow being inflicted upon
Morgan. After the fatal blow had been struck, the body
of the deceased was wrapt up in a kind of sheet or sack,
and was then placed on Hardy's horse (which was standing
at the door of' the ill-famed house at the time of the occur-
rence), and brought it to the bridge, the intention of the
murderers being to throw it into the, water. Ia this, it
would seem they were baffied,, for the night was dark, and
they, on landing at the Melcombe side, dropt their burden
in the street. As daylight dawned a workman near the
spot saw the bundle, and on opening it a most horrid
sight presented itself, the head of the unfortunate man
being completely smashed in. An alarm was instantly
raised, and a search instituted, which resulted in spots of
blood being traced throagla the whole of the route they
had taken, and to the very door of the house iu which the
murder was committed. Suspic',on was at once raised as to
the guilty parties, and the deceased woman and her
associates were at once arrested and brought bermes the
tribunal at Dorchester, but the evidence failed to substan-
tiate the charge, and they were acquitted. Hardy is said
never to have been a happy man afterwards. Al anecdote
is told of the horse, which we believe is true, that so
sensitive was the animal of the deed which had been
committed, that it would never pees that house afterwards,
and his master was compelled to get rid of him. A few
days ago. the last of the survivors of those supposed to be
participators in the dreadfulaleed died—Prisehla Guppy.
On her death-bed her state of mind was truly frightful ;
she had attained a great age, being upwards of ninety.
It is stated that, previons to her decease, she confessed she
was a participator in the murder, having beat him on the
head with a flat piece of iron, or heater, such as is used in
ironing linen. She implored the Divine Creator to laws
mercy on her soul, and forgive the sins she had committed.
When she was arraigned before the bar of justice on the
trial she had the gold watch and chain of the murdered
man concealed in the hair of her head, and after the
commission of the crime Hardy went home to his own
house and immediately on entering put back the clock
two hours, He retired to rest, and a short time afterwards
awoke his servant, and told her to go down stairs and see
whet was the time, when she returned and told her
mister very innocently the hour, not knowing that the
clock had been altered. Tale servant was brought forward
on the trial, and thus her testimony as to his being at
home at the time the cr;eae was supposed to be camniitted
led to his acquittal. The body of the murdered min was
interred in the churchyard of St, Mary's Ceu rob. where
now to this day may be seen his tombstone wish the
following inscription :—" This stone was erected by public
subscription, in remembrance of the cruel murder commit-
ted on the body of Tillroyd Morgan, who lies here, on the
27th April, 1792, aged 22:"

BORROWING NEWSPAPERS FROM THE POST-

OFFICE.

At the Bow-street Police Court, Lond)n, an Monday, a
postman, named Collins, was brought before Mr. Henry
for steeling a newspaper in its progress through the post.
Mr. Cole, inspector of letter carriers, slated that, on that
morning (Monday) he went down to Stoke Newington,
where the prisoner is employed, and saw him at the pest
office. He a-,ked the prisoner if he had any objection to
show the contents of his pocketsT The prisoner said " No,"
and produced-the newspaper in question, which he said he
had taken home to read on Sunday,- and had now brought
back to forward it. It was . addressed to a farmer in
Wigton, N.B. Tao prisoner said he had been in the habit
of doing this. He was not aware of its enormity. Mr.
Henry hoped that it would go.forth that the postmen were
not to take newspapers home to read, even it they returned
them after reading them. Thire were great complaints of
the delaying of newspapers. A postman who delayed a
paper in this manner was liable to au indictment, even
though he did not intend to keep it. Mr. Sculthorpc, the
deputy controller, remarked that the irregularities at this
office had been so great that he had given instructions for
the posting of four letters addressed to persons within the
district, to test the honesty of the persons employed. These
letters had not been discovered, but a thorough search
would be made before the next examination. The priso-
ner's house had not yet been thoroughly searched. From
the articles found on the prisoner, it appeared that he had
been carrying on a system of stealing the stamps from
letters and substituting old stamps torn from other letters
Which had gone through the post. It was part of his duty
to eallect letters within the district, some of which would
be directed to persons also within the district. These he
would take home, change the stamps as stated, and then
deliver them, without taking them to the office at all. tin
him were found about eighty old stamps, which had been
gummed over again ready for use ; a bottle of gum, and a
number of stamps, evidently torn from letters. He was
remanded for further examination.