The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-02 00:00:00

THE FATAL FIGHT AT BOLTON,

An inquest was held yesterday at Bolton, on the body
of Peter Murphy, aged 21, who was killed in Chapel-
street, Little Bolton, as stated in our impression of yester-
day.—Henry Tempest, butcher, stated that he was at a ball
at the Baths Assembly Room on the night of the 28th inst.
in company with Eli 'William Lever and several others.
They all left the Baths about two o'clock in the morning.
The deceased was intoxicated and very quarrelsome. Lever
was also in liquor, but not so bad as Murphy. They went
to the Museum, in Churchgate, and on leaving there about
two o'clock in the morning, Murphy began to quarrel with
a young man at the top of Bank-street. Lever desired him
to be quiet, and said he would go home with him. Murphy,
however, wanted Lever to fight, but they agreed to go down
Bank-street, and went on arm in arm. Witness followed
soon after, and heard they had been quarrelling in Brown-
street. When they got to Chapel-street they both stripped
to fight, and Murphy called his father to come out and see
fair-pley." The father came out in a few minutes, and his
son and Lever were then fighting. The father called to his
son, "Give it him." Murphy was knocked down by Lever,
and his father, on lifting him up, said, "Ge at him." A
second time Murphy was knocked down, and fell upon his
back, and then his father took him into the house. He
was bleeding above the left eye, and appeared to be insen-
sible. Witness was quite sure Laver never kicked the
deceased. Mary Murphy, sister of the deceased, swore
that she saw Lever knock her brother down, and thrn
kick him twice; once on the left eve, where he
was cut. She also states that her father did not encourage
her brother to fight ; he wanted to separate them, and called
out that his son was murdered. James O'Brien, a piecer,
saw the party at the top of Bradshawgate about 5 o'clock
in the morning, after they had left the Museum. Murphy
was quarrelling with a young man, and when Lever told
him to make less noise and go home quietly, Murphy chal-
lenged him to fight. They agreed, however, to have it out
in Chapel-street, and went out down Bank-street arm in
arm. In Brown-street they got to blows; and when Murphy
was down Lever kicked him on the eye, and blood flowed
from the wound. Catherine Fenwick stated that she saw
the fight in Brown-street, and that when it was over Lever
lifted Murphy up and held him over the rails of her cellar
steps. Henry Peadlebury, a piecer, residing in Chapel-
street, heard the noise and went out. Murphy was coming
out of his father's house, stripped, and his father followed
him. Murphy struck first, and Lever returned the blow.
They both kicked two or three times. Murphy was knocked
down and Lever kicked him on the left eye. Murphy's
father then lifted him up and said, " Go into him quick."
Murphy then rushed at Lever,and they had a second round,
when Murphy fell backwards and was unable to get up again.
The father was encouraging and backing his son, but
nobody appeared to assist Lever. Dr Carruthers stated
that Ae had made a post mortem examination of the body,
and found the cause of death to be effusion of blood on the
brain. The body, in other respects, was perfectly healthy.
Externally there was a ant above the left eye, a swelling
and discolouration on the left cheek, and also on the neck.
The effusion of blood, he said, might have been caused either
by a blow or a fall. The Coroner having summed up, the
jury returned a verdict of Manslaughter against Lever, with
an expression of their indignation at the conduct of John
Murphy, the father of the deceased.