Denton & Haughton Weekly News, and Audenshaw, Hooley Hill, and Dukinfield Advertiser. — 1875-08-27 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

ADEAINED MEN AT KIRNDALF,  LETTER FROM BAKER.  ' The convict, William Baker (35), who. Was sen. tenced to death at the Liverpool assizes on the 17th' inst., for the murder of a man named Langan, by shooting him in the street on the night of the 9th July last, has been visited by Lis wife and sisterin-law, and evince a vivid sence of his position.— The sailor, Cooper, sentenced to death for a murder at sea, displays but little emotion.  The following letter has been received from the condemned convict. 'William Baker ;—" My dearest Father,—lt is with the. greatest effort that I am about to address a few lines to you. L have all along fully understrod your motive in not visiting ..me under such appalling circumstances, and think not for a moment your not doing so has evinced to me the slightest abatement of that affection which not I alone but all know to be so deep for me. I bardly need say my feelings towards you have been eqnally sincere, and it grieves me to the utmost to think that you, and all connectedwith me, maYi suffer through this terrible ealamity,,inadvertently, caused by your poor unhappy son ; but I hope and trust you will forgive me, as I hope God will. 0 father, you cannot possibly realise my agony at this moment, thinking of my darling_ wife and children —God bless them. My only wish to . live is for them. I also desire to impres‘.opon you one fact or so connected with my case,- The witnesses Curran and Phillips, in their .depositions made at iDale-street,-most distinctly stated that the witness E. Taylor, at the time of the report of the pistol, was not within ~30 or 40 yards of ilie• Taylor's stltement* the trial was that he was within three or four yards from me (a .wide discrepancy this), which statement was received, whereas it would have been disproved had Outran and Phillips been called upon to do so. The boy's evidence I will not animadvert upon Nihatever. Another thing, how came the Watchman to be only heard on by counsel the day before my trial ? To say the least, such was suspicious, if not unfair. He swore he actually saw some ona shoot the man, but ho did, nor could not swear I was the man who shot: Now, Curran saw this watchman coming round the .cortier of London-road and Seymour-strest,after the dreadful accident, and almost 'sail:as:AA at ..my trial. I dare say both Curran and Phillips. can tell, you, now the case is over, and being in no dread of the Langans, that the watchman 'was not on the scene. of the occurrence till afteriyaos. Ttobteirieefmoroes,ttlgicisepintiacnais, astsatfeomulenrtermjilusryt ;apapnedai, en taking the case of Cash, tried this week at the assizes, parjury seems not at all uncommon amognst the lower &ass, whose perhaps almost inadequate means of  living leaves them so open to bribery, and whose base testimony so often makes such havoc in cases criminal or "civil. However, not reflecting for a aecond on the decision of the jury, whose_ verdict, according to the evidence given, I consid'er most just; still it must be borne in mind that that verdict would not have been given only that it was L specially to be accompanied with a stroug-ieectul . mendalien to mercy. I must now conclude; and sauce more craving your forgiveness, beleive me-. my dearest father, Your affectionate but heart,. Ibroken son, W.