The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-10 00:00:00

I.TIE BIBCHES7ER MURDER.

Five men, named Duncan M'Phail, Daniel Carr,
William Woods, and Benjamin Hartley, who stood
remanded on the charge of murdering an old woman
named Ann Walne, at Ribchester, on tho 11th ult.,

-- .
were again brought up on Monday, at the Black.

burn Police-court.

__
The court was crowded, and the greatest excite-
ment prevailed on account of it being understood
that the prisoner Hartley, who had previously in-
timated as much, would make a full confession.

Benjamin Hartley was first placed in the dock.
Mr. Higgs, superintendent of police, said that
hey would first take the case against Hartley, who

had made a statement of the whole circumstance

Inspector M'Nab said, that at the request of the
prisoner Hartley he visited him in his cell. Heard
him say that he felt very uneasy, and that he wanted
to make a clean breast of the affair, as he had no

rest for several days. He was duly cautioned, and
he then said :—" I am a steam-loom weaver, and
live in Blackburn. I have known Duncan M'Phail

about three months. I became acquainted with
him at Thomas Bowling's. I have known Daniel
Carr for about 15 years. I have known Geo. Woods
about 6 months. We were al) friends. M'Phail came

to my house in the week before the murder of Mrs.
Walne, and said that he had been over to Ribchester ;
that he had seen an old woman who kept a beer-shop

',Mrs. Walne), and that she had sold a cow for her

. ..
rant. He then said, 'We must have the money,
for I am fast for it.' He said, 'Dan and George

and thee and me will be enough.' I then said that

I cared nothing about it. He told me that he had
seen the others, and that we were to meet on Friday
night following, at six o'clock, on Salford.bridge,
in Blackburn. On the night named M'Phail
brought his trap to the bridge, where we all met
him; but we objected to go, as it was moonlight.
We did not go to Ribchester that night. We went
home, and on the road we arranged to go on the
following Sunday evening. We met at Dan Carr's
on the Sunday evening; but George Woods was
drunk, and we decided not to go to Ribchester that
night, but that on the following Monday evening,
whether the weather was wet or fair, we would go.
M'Phail accordingly came to my house on the even-
ing of the 10th ult. He said he had seen the others,
and they had gone on to Salford-bridge. We then
set off together, and on the road met the other pri-
soners, Dan Carr and George Woods. William
Woods was not with us. Carr had a cane with
lead on the end of it. George had a stick like it.

He had also a crow-bar with him. M'Phail had a
dark lantern and a pistol with him. I had no wea-
pon. We then started for Ribchester together. It
was a rough night. We got to Ribchester about
eight o'clock. We went through the village, and
as we were going on M'Phail said, There's a foot-
path up to the old woman's house; let us take it ;
it will be the quietest.' As we were going up the
fields we came to a barn. We went into it, and
stayed there until about twelve o'clock at night.
M'Phail had some rum with him, and we all drank
of it in the barn. At twelve o'clock we left this
barn, and went to that belonging to the old woman
on the opposite side of the road to her house.
We laid down on some hay near the cows.
When we had been in the barn for some time
M'Phail said, It's time to begin.' He then
went out. Carr followed him, and then Woods, and
I last. They told me to stand at the end of the
house for the purpose of seeing if any one came up
the lane. They said they would go and examine
the window at the back of the house. tihortly after
M'Phail came and shouted, ' Come here.' Then he
said, ' I will get up the steps at the end of the house
and jump over.' M'Phail said they bad got the
back window out, and then he said, 'ln with you.'
George Woods got in first; I followed ; and then
Dan Cerr and M'Phail. Dan lighted the lamp, and
he and M'Phail plundered about downstairs. George
and I went upstairs. As soon as we got upstairs
we saw the old woman. She was sitting up in bed.
George said, Where's thy money ?' She began
screaming, and I got hold of her and held her down
on her back. George then commenced rooting about
the bed. Then we went downstairs. When we got
down Den and M'Phail were looking about into the
clock and the cupboard, and all around the house.
They had a lighted candle. At this time the old
woman screamed, and George and I and Dan went
upstairs. I held the old woman on the bed, and
Dwaoaknmeadnle,ress hwsdeoiauud. cthis cane and said, "I'll make her
m
but
te
htheemniaasied it,
med a
abulodweaatugthhte
my
hand. Ho hit my left hand. [Hartley has a bruise
on his left hand, apparently caused by some heavy
blunt instrument.] I asked him what he was doing,
and he replied, Have 1 hit thee?' After that he
struck the old woman twice on the side of the head,
and she screamed out, Oh, dear me, you have killed
me!' George Woods held a light whilst this was
going on. We all then went down, when Dan said,
' She must be tied.' George then got two handker-
chiefs, and he and I tied the old woman's hands.
Whilst we were tying her down Dan and M'Phail
were searching the room. We then left the old woman
moaning. When we tied her hands we had no light.
When we first went upstairs and when George
asked her where her money was, she made no reply.
We then left the house and ae alked up the road,
thethrough Lf, oonmg r dogneg,
raind on t
d g
et o
rPreston.eston7 a n Whilstdwh when
u la° ten
Ribbleton Moor, near the latter place, George took
the lead out of his stick and put it in his pocket.
Dan Carr gave his stick to George, and he took the
lead out of it, and then threw both sticks away.
M'Phail and George went through some brickfields.
When we got to Preston we went into a publichouse
near the House of Correction, and had two glasses
of whiskey each. We paid for our own drink with
silver. After that we walked down to the Preston