The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1840-05-05 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

DREADFUL MURDER OF A POLICEMAN AT HUDDERSFIELD.  The town of Huddersfield was thrown into a state of excitement on Tuesday evening last, by the murder of the princiPal police-officer, William Dukes, by a man whom he had in custody. About four o'clock in the afternoon of that day a man, usually known by the name of Sandy Al`Keen, a Scotchman, who has lately resided in Halifax, where be worked as a daily gardener, went to the market stall of Mr. Lenard, of Huddersfield, and asked the price of a particular plant, and was told it was ls. 6d. M'Keen said to Mr. Lenard, " Will twopence do?" Mr. Lenard said, " Yes; but not for the plant." M'Keen then threw down twopence, and was walking away with the plant, when the police-officer No. 2 (Danson) was called, who asked M'Keen to lay the plant down ; but he refused. Mr. Lenard then ordered the policeman to take him into custody, which he did. After being in custody in the station-house about an hour, Mr. Dukes heard a great noise at the prison door, and went to ascertain the cause. When he opened the door, M'Keen rushed upon him, and struck him with a pruning knife, which he had ready in his hand, and wounded him so dreadfully that he died in about a quarter of an hour after the attack. Danson hearing Dukes' cry of " murder," ran to his assistance, and endeavoured to pinion M'Keen's arms. In the struggle both fell ; and, while on the ground, Danson received several severe stabs in the back and hip, and now lies in the infirmary in a dangerous state. The third officer (the town having no other than these three), we believe belonging to the metropolitan police, whose name is Dalton, having come up, rushed- upon the prisoner, and disarmed him with a blow with his staff, which took effect upon the right hand, and broke one of the fir gers. Some persons having by this time got admittance to the lock-up, were disposed to inflict summary chastisement upon the prisoner. A scuffle ensued; but ultimately the man was replaced in confinement. An inquest was held the following day (Wednesday), at the George Inn, on the body of Dukes, before the coroner for the district and a respectable jury, consisting chiefly of the principal manufacturers, and a verdict of " wilful murder" was returned. The prisoner, whose real name, it appeared from letters found in his possession from his wife, who resides at Stirling, is not M'Keen, but Alexander Strachan Smith, was immediately committed, under the coroner's warrant, to York Castle, for trial at the next assizes. Smith manifested the greatest hardihood and recklessness. It is said, that shortly after his murderous attack, he said, in the lock-up, that he only wished he had done for some more of them. While being conveyed, in an open car, from the lockup to the George Inn, to be present at the inquest, he laughed, and manifested by his gestures and conduct the most brutal indifference. The crowd displayed a strong feeling of abhorrence of the crime, by hissing and hooting Smith as the vehicle passed. The unfortunate deceased was about fifty years of age : he had held the situation about four years, and was esteemed an active and intelligent officer. He leaves a widow, but, we believe, no family.