Denton Examiner, Audenshaw, Hooley Hill and Dukinfield Advertiser. — 1877-03-31 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

ATROCIOUS MURDER OF A GIRL.  THE MURDERER AND THE FACTORY WOMAN'S WAGES.  On Saturday a-n—atio;ioUs—M-M:der -was committed at Macclesfield. the victim being a girl eight years of age, the daughter of a widow named Halton,, residing in Fence-street Huddersfield " '  It appears that Halton. who only two months ago lost her husband, worked at Mr Bamford's silk mill Poole-street. The father and the mother of the man in custody (who is a married man residing in Paradise-street) lived next door to Mrs Halton, On Friday night Mrs Halton was in prisoner's parents' house: prisoner was also there, and Mrs Halton made a remark to the effect that she woe so ill that she would not go to the mill in the morning, but would send her only daughter, Mary Ann, On Saturday morning two boys appeared at the mill with a note purporting to be signed by Mrs Halton, requesting the manager to pay them her wages, 12s. 3d. The manager, having some suspicions, refused to do so, and in a few minutes afterwards the girl appeared for her mother's money, which was paid her. She left the mill. : saying she was going home, but some hours afterwards was found in the canal. near the Hollins Bridge. There were several marks of violence about her body, and the pocket of the girl's frock was cut out. From information received by the police they went to the house of the prisoner, Henry Lees, cotton operative. The prisoner's wife's, seeing the police outside, made the remark that the police were in the street, and asked, what was up?" The prisoner thereupon rushed from the house, and scaled a wall, and was not seen for several hours. In the meantime some further evidence was ascertained, and the police went to apprehend Lees, lie was not at home, but they found him in an adjoining ourhonsa with the door locked. It was burst open. and he was taken into custody. The two Boys wile applied at the mill for the money in entitled the prisoner as the man who sent them with the note, which was written in pencil. A blacklaad p mai aak found upon the prisoner. Another boy see Ira to seeing the prisoner walking up Windmill ore. t, Lading to the canal, in company with a girl nit rn he describes, and the clothing of the deceased girl ansavers the description given. 'There was found on the canal bank, a few yards from where the body was discovered, a basket, in which was a dish, and which one of the boys said the prisoner carried. When questioned by the police odium as to where he had been that day. he replied that be worked at Mr Brier's mill, at Bollingtou, and that he had been at work all day. The foreman Si the mill win ,put, for, and, on seeing him, the prisoor became very excited. The foreman said the prisoner Yuan nut keen at work during the week. This fact, combined with the circumstances that he toe 88010 morning gave his wife Is., makes another look in the Main of evidence against him. Prisoner is a dwarfish, dark-complexioned man, aril of somewhat irregular habits. On Monday morning the prisoner was brought before the magistrates charged with the wilful murder of the girl, and was reManded.  'rho health of the Prince of Wales continues to improve.  . Two men were each fined £lO and costs at Wakefield on Monday, the one for permitting betting in his hotel, and the other for aiding and abetting. The Queen and suite proceeded on Wednesday from Windsor to Osborne, Where the Court will _reside during the Easter holidays. Her Majesty wii I not return to Windsor until after her visit to Scotland. Her Majesty will observe the anniversary of her birthday at BalmoraL Poisonous litais.—An important prosecution for selling poisonous ham was heard at the Liverpool Police Court on Wednesday, the defendant being Henry Thompson, provision dealer, of Leece Street. The ham in question was of the "sugar-, coated American" brand, and it was stated by Dr.' Cninpbell Brown, public analyst, that the coating, cobtamed chromate of lead in such quantities as to. wise severe inflammation anti ulceration of the stomach. It appeared, however, during the hearing of the case, that the covering was not intended to:be eaten, but was for the purpose of keeping off dies and insects. The magistrate said it was most important that the public should be warned, butt dismissed the summoms on the ground that the poison was not contained in the edible portion of the ham. !