The Potteries Examiner : — 1877-03-31 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

MURDER AT 111ACCLESFIELD.  On Saturday a twirler was. committed at Maccle,field, the victim being a little girl eight years of age, the daughter of a Vii.loVr named Halton, reacting in Fence. street. It appears that Halton, who only two mouths ago buried her husband, worked at Mr. Bamford's silk mill, Poole-street. The father and the mother of the prisoner (who is a married inan residieg in Paradisestreet) live next door to Mrs. Halton. On Friday night Mrs. Haltou was in his parents' house ; he was also there, and Mrs. Halton made a remark to the effect that she was so ill that she would not go to the mill in the morning, but would send her daughter Mary Ann. On Saturday morninglwo boys appeared at the mill with a note purporting to be signed by Mrs. Halton, request. tug the manager to pay them h, wages, 12s. 3d. The manager, having some suspicion, refused to do so, and in a few moments afterwards the girl appeared for her mother's money, which wes paid her. She left the mill, saying she was going home, but some hours after her body was found in the canal, near the Hollins Bridge. There were several marks of violence upon it, and the pocket of the girl's frock was cut out. From information afterwards received by the police, they went to the house of the prisoner, Henry Lees, cotton heed, Para. disc-street. The prisoner's wife's sister, seeing the police outside, made the remark that the police were in the street, and asked " what was up." The prisoner rushed from the house and scaled a wall, and woe not seen for several hours. In the meantime some farther evidence was obtained, and the police went to apprehend Lees. They faun I him in an adjoining building, with the door locked. It was burst open, and he was taken into custody. The two boys who applied at the mill for the money identify the prisoner as the man who sent them with the note, which was written in pencil, a black lead pencil being found upon him. Another boy speaks to seeing the prisoner caulking up Windmillstreet, leading to the canal, in company with a girl whom he describes, and the clothing of the deceased girl answers the description. There was found on the canal bank, a few yards from where the body was discovered, a basket in which win a dish, and which one of the boys said the prisoner cerried. When questioned at the police office as to where be had been that day he replied that he worked at Mr. Brier's mill at Bollineton, and that he had been at work all day. The foreman of the mill was sent for, and on seeing him the prisoner be. came greatly excited. He said the prisoner had not been at work during the week. This fact, combined with the circumstance that he the same morning gave his wife Sc, in money, makes another link in the chain of circumstantial evidence against him. He has been formally charged with killing the girl, but says he will reserve his defence. Heists dwarfish, dark complexioned man, of somewhat irregular habits. Dr. Rushton examined the body on Monday. The remains of the unfortunate girl were lutes red on Wednesday afternoon in the Macclesfield cemetery. There was a large concourse of spectators and much sympathy was expressed for the mother, who is a widow. The prisoner, who is about 21 years of age, has only recently been married.