The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-10-24 00:00:00

THE MURDERS NEAR LEATHERHE.4D.

On Friday last, Bennett, Site man residing In the nest house to
that recently inhabited by John Akehurst and his housekeeper. at
Feteltem, underwent an examination before the Rev. Mr. Bel.
land, in consequence of his daughter, a little girl between-12 and
13 years of age, having in the course of a convariatiro with an in-
divalutl named Jelferies,
.whe was formerly butler in the sseviceet
Mr. Justice Park. dropped several hints respecting the condua
her father and mother on the night of the murders, that were of such
a nature as to cast considerable suspicion against her parents of
having some knowledge of the tlreadfol events that took place in
the next cottage to the one in which they reside. The resuit
the Irquiry, on the occasion, was the discharge of the man, the
;Magistrate conceiving that he was not implicated in the murders.
; It 11811 been etscertainedsiace, and is now considered at Fetch= a
very extraordinary fact, that Bennett, who is repor ed to have been
At work some little distatice from his resider c; in toe fields on the
'Friday morning, upon hearing that A kehurrt and his housekeeper
had leen murdered, did rot quit hi employment. er betray any sur-
prise or horror on being apprized of the dreadful ciecurucanese.,_
It w 11 be recollected that his step-son, John Brown, was tire led
who, upon calling at the cottage beet-r: six o'clock in the enrolee
for the purpose of borrowing a basket, discovered the door and sink
tow cpen, Which led hint to suspect that something had happened
.co the inmates; without, however, lattice. elite in to the house and
riv,certaining the cat 3! himself, I e !merits off te,:h a n o her, a: t',
a.ra:rge to sky, exclaims, " Oh ! mother, blamer Akehurst sort
the old housekeeper are murdered." And she (the mother), by
her own account at the Inquest, deposed that when ,her son gave
the information, she hastened to some of her neighbours, who
accompanied he to Akeltursi's cottage, and they then discovord
that the old purr and his housekeeper were ineralared. Now it bar.
been since, ascertained that the mother, instead of baying in the
ittqt ;twelve called on her neighbours, proceeded to the
Cottage eccampanied only by her son, and subsequently
Mewed ,those persons who live in the neighbourhood, by whom
she. rigs then accompanied to Akehurses cottage. Tire Laic
girl above epoken of, on hearing what heti occurred, ran cif
to her tether, who wax at work in a field, and informed hint
that Master Altehurst and Eliza`xth fiance were murdered. Ben-
nett, by her account—and he has been strictly qnestroned its to that
fact—raid he did not believe it. Site repeated Utat they were, aid
said that all the neighbours knew it; but he nianifestallOO surprise,
kept on at his work, and the girl went home by'llerself. Ott his
return borne in the evening, notwithstanding bin 'having been is-
*tired of the perpetration of the murders of his old nefkLbours and
' acquaintances, he slid not evince a desire to see the birdies or Start
the cottage, and actually, as the writer has been given to under-
stand, kept away from a scere that every other,perion within five
miles vieited, in consequence of the diebolicelatiftisell that had
as recently taken place there. On the mornivartherinterment,
however, Bennett proceeded, for the first time, to the (pane, since
the I orpetration of the murders, and assisted in carrying the
bones to the grave. Sallee the last examination )4t that
much suspicion attaches itself to his whole cortddieieuiasequent t
the mardetr Magistratae rest?
bournood, -. have
Strict

V 7. 111. 1111.111611110.-, ••• •
. .
BIRTft;
At Calais, on the 17th imam, the lady of W. flelsham.i Esq. of
a son.

Ryder. .
Elizaheth, .
Ilrush House.

DIED.
On the 16th instant, at sandwich, lira; Paearnor, wife of John
Paranior. a journeymen bricklayer. After her death, it was foul
she had 1001. out ot interest, and• nearly as much money. in the
hou,e. Bg her narsimontous mode of living she was rtdused to a
parfect wtatkm steleten.
On the I fiskinnitiar, at Clout ford, aged 27, in consequence •of
„being thrown korn a gig, the Rev. W. W. Jardine, eldest 1401 of
J. K. Jardine, Esq. of Wfseoe, Suffolk.
On Saturday, the 21st instant, in London, in the Tilliyor of his
age. Lieut.-General Daniel ItA'Neile.

HIGH WATER THIS DAY AT LONDON BRIDGE.
• Morelia' .... y 9 oa. after 7 1 Emeng...... SI ala. otter
Meted at THE BRITISH PRESS OfAce,hy J. W.CARLTON,No• 141,
lease, sedpubltablel by R. CANNON, SJUT it place.

.I'4l
•
'of

'~ ~

r._
the murdets, that several of the Magistrates resident in the neigh-
hournood, not satisfied of his inputence. have dettgosined that a
more strict investigation shenld take place into rye whole of the
circumstances, and yesterday was =00444 appaddaal for that
purpose.
I esterthor shelter. Mr. Bollard was at Viitstlirtlf Sase-0 fficc.
and bad a ling interview in the private room wlth the sitting Me.
statute. on the subject of tie ;eta' murder* sit rateham.t The
rettrat of Mary Ayres and Page,:ule imp with when
sbe cohabits, la.tnot hem .diaca4ktittlAttantlinit the
arcertiotis of the °niters during tha...pat •-ss

MARRIED.
On the 12th instant, at Eoclestield, Yorkshire, by. the nee. 7. R.
lyder. Vicar, Thomas Rims, of New Inn. London( bolic r,
•:lizaheth, youngest daughter of "ha:lite William Dooth, Esq. ,
Intel House.
On %l'orinesdav lalt, J. 141111hertoRrst• 'target:l, Walwurth,
ot Thorne). Abbey, Cambridgeshire.
On the inAtantOst 'Asiskeld, Dr. floury Fisher, to Prances.
laughter of Robert Cargill, Eat.