The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-07-15
Near The eallows.

| one OF the most famous in English GRIM
inal annals, not alone because of the
mans daring, cleverness and success
characteristics that have made him
such hero that already two London
school-boys have narrowly escaped death
by strangulation while "playing
peace''-but as well as for the fact that
his confession set at libertylan innocent
man whom the hangman had measured
and weighed for the rope Hereafter the
name of William Habron will take
conspicuous place on the list of innocent
| victims of the criminal law. He was
boy of eighteen, one of three brothers,
Irish laborers, in the employ of Mr..
Deakin a nursery gardener at Whalley
Range, near Manchester, when on the
9nd of August, 1876, policeman named
Cock received revolver bullet under
the ribs, and died without positive
statement as to his assailant. The Hab-
rons were-according to the police-all
turbulent, troublesome fellows, whom
Cock, had arrested, or threatened to
arrest, and they had been heard to
declare that they would ''do for' him
hence suspicion was directed to them,
and they were arrested the same even
ing. Some percussion caps were found
in Williams pocket, and his boots fitted
some footprints noticed near the scene
of the shooting. This was the sum of
the evidence against him, and on it the
jury convicted him of murder, and he
was sentenced to be hanged, though, as
was pointed out, people in low life make
just such threats daily without intending
at all to carry them out literally. There
was not particle of evidence to show
Habron had ever had a pistol, and the
boots being machine make there were
doubtless some scores of people in the
vicinity whose footprints would cores
pond as precisely with those found near
the scene of the murder. His brother
John was acquitted and his brother
Francis not even indicted. The Judge
was not altogether satisfied" with the
verdict, and the Home Secretary, in
consideration of the prisoners youth,
recommended q commutation of the
sentence to life imprisonment. He all
along protested his innocence, but no
official seems to have considered the
theory that he was innoc ent worth
working upon, and when the prison
doors closed on him that was the last of
the case till Peace, on the eve of the
execution, confessed that he was the
murderer of the policeman. A gun
smith found that the bullets with which
Cock and Dyson were killed were alike
and of peculiar constru ction; they
fitted Peaces revolver, and the dealer,
who, " to the best of his belief" thought
Habron had bought cartridges of him
in June, 1876, had never had any such
bullets in his stock. The end of the
investigation was that Habron was
given pardon" the evidence on
being looked at again being found very
slight. His old employer, who always
asserted his belief in the youths IS inno-
cence, has given him his old place, and
it is supposed the Crown will make
some compensation for his imprison-
ment for nearly three years.
Alta quarter past five on the morning
of March 19, Habron was awakened at
Portland Prison, but ere he had Joined
his gang, was sent to the Governors
room, weighed, dressed in other clothing
and told to accompany some other
prisoners about to be transferred to Mill
bank. Lest the shock should be too
great for his nerves he was handcuffed
on the cars and handcuffed he arrived at
Millbank, where he got perhaps an
inkling that something had happened
from an attendant saying; Habron;
don't you know me Pm very glad to
see you back" While the attendant
had gone for the Governor and Mr..
Deakin, Habron narrowly escaped being
marched off and set to picking oakum
with his transferred companions. "Then
the door opened and saw Mr.. Deakin
and the Governor, and L knew I was.
Free"
@ 1547 became William Habron, and
stepping into the open air heard from
the newsboys that England was fight
ing two wars. Habron is described as
"a quiet, civil, well-spoken youth, of
no special education or refinement, of
course, but respectful and singularly
undemonstrative in his manner" His
employer says he and his brothers were
orderly and saving, and regularly sent
their money to their parents. From