Alston Herald, and East Cumberland Advertiser. — 1879-08-02 (Alston, Cumbria, England)

ALLEGED BRUTAL MURDER NEAR HALT WHISTLE.  ONE MAN KILLED AND ANOTHER SERIOUSLY WOUNDED.  On Saturday night, a shocking occurrence took place at Halton-lea-Gate, near Haltwhistle, one man being fatally stabbed with a knife, while another was seriously wounded. Halton-lea-Gate is a colliery village situate some seven or eight miles from Haltwhistle, and at a short distance front the place are some Speller Works, locally known as Black Jack. The deceased man, Henry Robeson Wappiner (but known in the place as Henry Robinson), and the injured man, Thomas Wood, both belonged to Black Jack, and were employed at the Speller Works, while the man who has been taken into custody on the charge of having murdered Wappiner, Robt. Coulson, is a pitman and lived at Halton-lea-Gate. It seems that when the men from the two places meet it is not an uncommon thing for them to get on fighting. At Halton-lea-Gate there is only one public-house, occupied by Chris. Robinson, and on Saturday there had been a quoit match going on there, whiett probably caused the house to be more largely attended than it generally is on Saturday nights. At closing time, &lithe men —0 large number, said to be nearly &hundred --turned out on the road. Some fighting seems to have taken place, and Wood and Coulson appear to have had in fight. Wappiner had interfered, as a witness at the inquest spoke to seeing deceased have hold of Coulson, and hearing him say "Let it settle.' It is alleged that Coulson had then stabbed the deceased in the neck and also in the back. He had thereupon called out, "I'm stabbed," and Wood, who had gone to the assistance of the deceased, received two sounds, being stabbed in the breast and in the groin. Blood flowed profusely from the wound in Wappiner's neck, the jugular veins and carotid arteries being cut, his clothes and the road being saturated with blood. Deceased staggered and fell, but was removed to the public-house, and died in a few minutes. Seeing what had occurred several men pressed towards Coulson to seize hold of him, when it it said he called out that ho had a knife, and that if anyone attempted to come near him he would use it. Coulson then made away; a man who followed in pursuit attempted to get hold of him, but Coulson bent down and the man fell over him. Coulson then ran on, and succeeded in getting off. Instead of making for his lodgings, he took the direction of a farm-house, about half a mile from the spot, andquite in a contrary direction to his lodgings. Getting to the farm -house he hid himself in the milk-house, and when asked by the farmer's wife what he was doing there, he said that some men wore after him and he was frightened. The farmer's wife replied that if he was frightened of the men in pursuit of him he had better go upstairs, and he did so. The farmer shortly afterwards arrived home, and having come through Ilalton-lea-Gate, he had learnt of what bad taken place. The farmer told what a bad job had happened, and Coulson inquired who they said had done the deed. The farmer said it was not known who had done it, and added that as there were no persons about the house he had better leave. Coulson accordingly left the farm-house, and made for his lodgings, where he was taken into custody by Sergt. Robson early on Sunday morning, and conveyed to the police celLe at Haltwhistle. On Sunday forenoon, Supt. Stephenson, of Hexham, receiving a telegram, at once set out for Halton-lea-Gate, in order to inquire into the matter, and took possession of the clothes of the deceased and also those of Coulson, which were marked with blood. Coulson had cut his hands, it is supposed, with using the knife, but the knife has not yet been found. None of the throe men, (Wappiner, the deceased, Wood, the injured man, or Coulson), are married, and were at lodgings. The deceased, who was about twenty-four years of age, is said to have come to this place from Sunderland.  THE ACCUSED BEFORE THE MAGISTRATES' Ou Monday morning, Robt. Couban, the man in custody, was brought before the Rev. Dixon Brown, charged with killing Henry Robason Wappiner, and cutting Ind wounding Thomas Wood, at Golton-lenGate, on Saturday night, the Nth ult., and remanded.