Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1890-03-15 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

ANI,YEDENTS OF 00IC1181.L.  A Neu, York Heral;"l corns— pendent at Accrington, Lancashire, says that the conclusions formed by the Church people are correct, the person accused is Reginald 'fireball. riot Burchell, the youngest son of the Bev. Joseph Birchall, for many years rector of Church Kirk and Rural Dean of Whalley, and a relative of several surviving members of a well-known and wealthy Lancashire family. Church Kirk is one of the oldest churches in the neighbourhood, and from it the township takes its name. The late Mr. Birchall was appointed incumbent in 1840, and held office up to his death, towards the close of 1878. Mr. Birchall was one of the beat known clergymen in East Lancashire, and, being connected with a brewery. amassed considerable wealth, which he left to his children. lie was twice married, and by his second wife, who survives him, had two children, both Still living, one a girl and the other Reginald Bircball. The latter succeeded to a considerable sum of money on his fathers death.  A ItO,AATIC ARM It. The person in custody gives his age as 25, and says he had a college training; Reginald Birchall wag 2.1 last May, and Was educated at Oxford. For a time he studied for the law, but his mind was not given that way Indeed, he preferred to roam about, and may be said to have lived a lively sort of life. Twelve months not Chriatmas he married a pretty actress, and during a portion of last year was in Switzerland. The story from America mentions a pretty young woman, supposed to be his wife, and this is another link in the chain of circumstantial evidence. Eirchall and his wife left the country last year, and it was stated in Church that their destination was Australia. They may not have gone there, however, and it is possible—perhaps remotely—that J. Burchell, the man about whom such an exciting story is told, and Reginald. or o Reggy." as he is familiarly called in Church, are one and the some person. Nothing has been heard of Birchall for some months, but he was supposed to have gone abroad with friends. There are no members of the family living at Church now, and those who were his friends when a boy have no knowledge of his whereabouts If the man in custody should turn out to be the Church Birched, his terrible position would cause much grief to a large number of wealthy and highly respectablerelatives,mostof whom live in Lancashire, and several of whom are clergymen of the Church of England, to which the imprilioned suspect alleges that he also belongs.  A Cheltenham correspondent rays that Mr.Benwell, the murdered man, left England for America with Burchell for the purpose of joining him in a farming business at Niagara Falls. Eurchell had represented he had a nice farm there, and that he wanted a partner with capital to work it. The emu were complete strangers, but were introduced by au agent who conducts this sort of business privately for English capitalists. Mr. Benwell's father, Colonel Benwell, of Iseult Dene, Cheltenham, saw Burch.,ll, and made the arrangements for the partnership. One of the conditions insisted on was that Mr. Benwell should inspect the farm and have three months trial of the life he was about to enter upon. Moreover, Colonel Ilenwell gave his son explicit instructions not to sign any deed of partnership until the draft had been submitted to him. The party appear to have arrived at New York on February 14, and on that day Colonel Eenwell received a telegram from his son announcingthat fact. A letter dated February II followed, stating that he was in high spirits, that he was going to start the next day for Niagara Falls, and that he would write him immediately and give his first impressions of the farm. Colonel Benwell did not hear again from his son, the murder having taken place three days later —namoy, on the 17th. TIER lIVALEItED 0(0098