The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-02-06 00:00:00

SHOCKING MURDER AT MANCHESTER.

[From the Manchester Guardian of Saturday.]
It is with feelings of unmingled horror that we communicate to
Our readers the particulars of a murder committed in this tows yes.
tertlsy, under circumstances of more than °winery atrocity, and in
a situation and at a time of the day in which every one would sup.
pose himself perfectly secure from violence.
A few minutes before two o'clock, a smoke was seen issuing from
the windows of an upper room in a warehouse in M arstlen-equare,
occupied by Mr. Thomas Price, fustian manufacturer; and on an
examination of the premises, it was found that a quantity of Roods
in the room (which, we believe, was used as a sale room) were on
tire to such an extent as to render it dangerous for any person to
venture into it on account of the smoke. An alarm being given, se-
veral fire-engines were promptly brought to the spot, and played
upon the premises for some time before the fira was extinguished.
During this period, and, we believe, before any one had ventured
ipto the room, a report was circulated amongst the persons collected
about the tpremises (by whom it may be most important far the
ends of justice to ascertain), that Mr. Price-himself was suffocated
in the room ; but little or no credit was attached to it, as no one
had seen him about the warehouse after the fire was discovered.
However, when the flames were so far subdued as to allow the fire-
men to emu the room, and they began to remove the goods, they
found the unfortunate man stretched upon the floor in a comer of
the room, with one piece of fustian lying under his head, another
over it, and his face, clothes, and some parts of his body, severely
scorched. No doubt was, in the first instance, entertained that he
had lost his life in endeavouring to Rave his property ; but on further
examination it 11704 found that he had received a severe and very
extensive fracture of the skull, for which it was not possible to ac-
count, as no past of the ceiling nbove had given way, and there was
nothing which could have produced it accidentally. An idea was
tken entertained that the unfortunate man had committed suicide
by blowing out his brains with a pistol, Cle wadding of which
had set tire to the goods ; but after a most careful search no pistol
could be discovered. Blood anti brains were found to be scattered
abut in such a maaper as could not have been effected by the dis-
dirge of a pistol ; avid, above all, the wound was such as no pistol-
shot could have produced. The dreadful truth then flashed on she
minds of those about ; Mr. Price had evidently been murdered by
repeated blows on the head; and the murderer had set fire to the
room in order to conceal the evidences of his crime. It was quite
impossible that the tire could have arisen from any common acci-
dent, as there was no tire-place or stove in the room, nor had any
candle been used there during the day. The goods had evidently
been on tire in two distinct places, and could not have communi-
cated from one to the other ; and a piece of fustian had been placed
on Mr. I'rise's head after he had fallen.
The next point to be ascertained was, of mune, by whom this
dreadful crime had been committed ; but we regret to say that at
'present this is involved in considerable mystery. A person is in
custody on suspicion qt' being the murderer; but, under present
circunNumcm, we do not feel jtististied either in mentioning his
name, or in specifying the particular facts which have caused him
to be suspected. Scene inquiries and examinations will doubtless
take place this day, which we hope will have the effect either of
proving his guilt or making his innocence more apparent than It
is at present.
We may state, however, that the last time Mr. Price was seen
was about one o'clock, when he went into kis warehouse, and no
doubt can exist that the murder was committed within a very few
minutes afterwards. We believe he had been out for the purpose
of collecting money ; but whether he had obtained any, or whether
any was found upon his person, or in his cash drawer, we hate not
ascertained.
We regret to add to the above 'levant, that Mr. Price was a
married man, and has, we understand, left a large family of
children.