The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-11-16 00:00:00

DREADFUL MURDER AND ROBBERY AT HOR
WICH, NEAR BOLTON.

On Friday last, between twelve and one o'clock, one of the
most atrocious murders known in this neighbourhood for
some time past was committed upon the highway leading
across the moors from Horwich to Belmont, at a very dreary
spot, about half a mile from a place called Five Housei,
about two miles and a half from Horwich, and nearly the
samedistance from Belmont. The unfortunate victim was
a travelling Scotchinau, named George. Henderson, a young
man, 20 years of age, and a native of Annan. He had beep
in England about five months, and was in the service of Mr.
John Jardine, of Blackburn, as an apprentice. On Friday
last, Benjainin Burrell, another young Scotchman, in.the
service otThir. John Foster, of Blackburn, having to pass
overthe same dreary waste of country, agreed with the de-
ceased to meet bins nn the road, and afterwards to dine with
him at Belmont. Mr. Burrell arrived at the Five Houses at
ten o'clock, and waited at Mr. James Garbutt's, a beet seller
and owner of a colliery in the neighbourhood, about an hour
'and a half; but as Henderson did not arrive during that
'time, Burrell desired Mrs. Garbutt- to tell him to make haste,
'and that he, Burrell. would wait for him at dinner. About
twelve o'clock, the deceased arrived at Garbutt's; and hay-
ing received information that Burrell was gone forward, be
immediately loft the house, and walked on at a good speed.
In about a quarter of an hour afterwards; a boy who had
been taking his father's dinner to a colliery near, hearing
'some one groan, looked into the ditch by the road side, and
found poor Henderson lying shot through
.the head with his
pack under him. The boy screamed, and a young woman
who was on the road screamed also. They then ran to the
coat-pit, which is only about 300 yards from•t he spot, and in-
formed the hanksman, who immediately came to the assist-
ance of the wounded man. The banksman souk him by the
band, and said, " I think you are hurt, sir." The deceased
said, "I am robbed, Jamie, and I should have sent a parcel
off on Monday." He did not utter a sensible expression
afterwards. 'He had a companion called Jamie; and, being
delirious at the time, was probably alluding to him. On re-
moving the deceased, it was found that several slugs or shot
had entered below his right ear, and had passed through his
head, removing the left eye entirely. The right eye also lay
upon his cheek. His pockets were turned inside out, and
the only money found upon him was Is. Ild. in copper in one
of his ,waiccoat pokets. He was immediately removed to
Garbutt's, who, on hearing the tragical intelligence, got all
the workpeopie out of the. Fits, dressed and unpressed, just
as they were:. and the Moors were scoured in all directions.
Four men were taken, but of three there was not the slight-
est suspicion. The other, Roger Horrocks,.owe of the Bol-
ton watch, was found in a "turf cess " with agun at his side,
certainly a very suspicious' circumstance; but he was gene-
rally believed so be innocent. Immediate inquiries were
made at the instance of Mr-. WrigliCand Peter Ainswurtb,
Esq. M.P., and from tiarious• circumstances which came to
Lot, it was deemed necessary to apprehend James Whittle,
a young man, 22 years of age, who resides next door to Mr.
Garbutt, and is employed as a collier at Mr. Ainsworth's
pits in Halliwell., Mr. Garbutt had immediately sent off a
man on horseback, to Belmont, for Mr. Burrell, who on his
return stated,-tnat when he arrived at nearly the same.spot
as were the event had taken place, a tall, .white-looking
young assay, dressed in blue clothes, with a gun in his hand,
carne up to bins and said, " Is there any game about here ?"
NE: -Burrell replied, .".1 believe there. is. The man then
said to hint " If you will go with use a bit, you shall have the
first that I kill." Mr. Burrell told him he had business to
attend to, and that he was bound to proceed on his journey.
He then walked on a few yards, and, on turning round to
look at the man, found him with his gun levelled as if to
=shoot him, Burrell immediately asked the man what be was
about ; upon which be lowered his gun, and pretended to
have been aiming at .some birds, Burrell then proceeded,
but he kept his eye upon the man as he went along. When
this was related, suspicion immediately fell upon Whittle,
who was exactly the sort of person described, both in dress
and appearance. Whittle had been seen by several persons
with a gun on the moors that morning; and it was found
that he had borrowed the gun from Mr. Lambert, at Hor-
wich, on Thursday morning, and had returned it about half-
past one, on the day of the murder. He was also seen op-
posite Mr. Garbutt's house, without a gun, at the time the
alarm was given, and made off without rendering any assist-
ance, and did no: return home till night. lie has also led a
dissolute life of late.