The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-07-06
From the National Police Gazette.
FOREIGN CRIMINAL News ).
EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE
A G AIMS LORI LEIG II

ALLEGED MURDERS AT STONLEIGH AZ
BEY.-THIRTY YEARS AGO.-Ihe most cX-
traordinary and intense excitement has been
raging at Stonlcigh Abbey, the last few days,
in consequence Of development Of the most
terrible and bloody kind Of a series Of muir
dcrs alleged to have been perpctratcd by
the present noble possessor Of the Leigh es-
tates. 1t appears that about thlrtyfve years
ago the title Of the present Lord Leigh, then
MIR. Chandos, was contested by q family of
| the Lancashire Leighs, who, however, were
defeated, and eighteen Of them arrested and
consigned to prison for a forcibc entry on
the estates during the absence of the success
full contestant at Paris. From this time
strange rumors got about in relation to the
habits of the?prcscnt Lord Leigh, and certain
dark secrets were whispered of, in his family,
which made the simple village shudder when
they were limited at. In 1912 and shortly
after the contest for the title, a man named
Barnett was called in by Lord Leigh, and
taken to the family vault at Stonleigh Church,
where he was directed to wrench off nine Of
the coffin plates. A short time after this, a
woman named Sarah Silk, since Mrs. Small
bones, who seemed 10 be acquainted with all
the family secrets, was discovered burning q
number Of the old family portraits, but when
questioned on the subject, at the time, re-
fused TO give any account Of the circumstance.
On her death bed, however, some years after,
she said her conscience troubled her for some
great crimes she committed for the LGgh
family, and that she had once poisoned man.
In 1914 Lord Leigh employed number
Of laborers to build massive bridge in his
park. Barnett, who had torn Off the coffin
plates, was the foreman. The names of the
men, Matthew Billinge, William Forbes, AL
cxander Munro Thomas Proud, Joseph
Smith, John Wilcox, William Wood and
William Blissett. These men were at work
on the bridge for long time, and rumor said
that they had possessed themselves of some
very extraordinary secrets which, however,
hone of them seemed disposed to say much
about. Lord and Lady Leigh used frequent
y to superlntend the work, and it seems that
they had heard Of the talk of some Of the
workmcn about the doings Of the family
There was huge stone to go in one OF the
abutmcnts of the bridge, and it had large
cavity some ten feet deep to receive it
When the bridge was nearly finished, Lord
Leigh showed great anxiety to get it done
and made the men work nearly all night
One night, at near l 2 o'clock, Lord and Lady
Leigh with some Of the members Of their
family came down to the place where the
men were at work. Billinge and Forbes,
were in the hole spreading mortar for the
reception Of the stone, and the stone was
poised above the hole and hanging from a
crane all ready to be lowered. Two Of the
men named Shaw and Munro had hold Of the
winch, and Barnett the foreman had hold of
the guide rope, when the Lord looking round
and seeing none others near, gave the word
to let 90. At the repetition Of the order the
men let the winch fly, and the stone descend
ed upon Billinge and Forbes, dropping in
the socket, and giving no evidence of the
deadly work it had performed, except about
a pint of blood that worked up through the
crevices of the stone. On the following day
Barnett saw the bodies of Proud and Smith,
tied in sacks and buried in the other abut-
ment. Shortly after, Bsset was shot by the
Lords game keeper. The rest of the men
took good care after this not to breathe
word of what had taken place, but dispersed
in different parts Of the country and one or
two more of them shortly after died. Moth
ing more was thought, or at least heard of
the matter, until a few months ago, when Bar
nett hearing that the present representative
of the Lancashire Leighs was about to revive
his claim of title, disclosed the foregoing facts
to that persons solicitor who laid them before
the authorities Of Warwick, In pursuance of