The Sun.
London, England, 1847-09-21 00:00:00

LATE MURDER AT SWINTON.

It will be remembered that on the coroner's inquest
held upon the body of Caleb Parker, at:Swinton-
bridge, evidence was given that a young man, answer-
ing to a certain description, was seen drinking at a
public-house near to the spot where the murder was
subsequently committed. This young man was talk-
ing in so strange and incoherent a manner, that sus-
picions were expressed at the time as to his character
—and particularly as he gave no satisfactory account
of himself. This man was the only suspicious
character seen in the neighbourhood on the night of
the murder ; and his description was minutely de-
tailed by a man and woman who had seen him. He
had on a blue coat and waistcoat, and moleskin trou-
sers, in a dirty state, as though he had been employed
as a navigator. This man removed from Swinton,
and was afterwards suspected of committing a bur-
glary at Great Houghton, and also of stealing a cow.
From the house broken into was stolen a quantity of
silver spoons, on which were certain marks; and on
Wednesday afternoon some of these spoons were
found pawned by the prisoner in %Vestbar, Sheffield.
The man's description having been given to the pawn-
broker, he promptly sent for the police, and Inspector
Astwood went and took the prisoner into custody.
He had been drinking for some days, it is supposed
upon the proceeds of his ill-gotten booty, and on the
previous evening, while drunk, had threatened
to stab a woman with a butcher's dressing-
knife. When he was taken to the Town-hall
he was searched, and the lower part of his mole-
skin trousers exhibited several distinct marks of
blood. Whether this may give any clue to the
discovery of the murder remains to be seen,
but the description of the man seen at Swinton on the
night of the murder, and that of the prisoner, corre-
spondent in so complete and extraordinary a manner,
that nu doubt seems to be entertained that he is one
and the same person. At Sheffield he gave the name
of William Shakspeare ; but at Swinton he said his
name was Edward Garland, and that his mother was
an unmarried woman, named Sellars. He was
brought up at the Town Hall on Thursday last, be-
fore the mayor, in company with a man named Thos.
Robinson. Mr. Raynor then informed the mayor
that the prisoner had been taken into custody on sus-
picion of having committed a burglary at Great
Houghton on the previous day, at the house of Mr.
W. Brookes, as above stated. He was offering more
spoons for sale in Westbar when he was apprehended.
From the description given there was no doubt what-
ever that these formed a portion of the property
stolen from Great Houghton. Besides this, there was
another charge against the prisoner, viz., for stealing
a cow, and which he was afterwards seen offering for
sale in Rotherham market. Under these circum-
stances, Mr. Raynor added, he would apply to have
the prisoner remanded. This was accordingly done ;
and Robinson was discharged, the latter having been
taken into custody because he was known to have
been drinking with Edward Garland, the other pri-
soner. The latter appeared quite unconcerned before
the mayor, and treated the charge against him very
lightly. He, however, made no defence, nor did he
deny the charge against him. It is expected that
when further evidence is obtained against him he will
be taken before the bench of magistrates at Rother-
ham.—Sheffield Iris.