The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1844-12-24 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

DISCOVERY OF A LONG-CONCEALED MURDF:TIER Considerable sensation was produced in Chester, on Saturday week, by the arrival of two police officers, one from Parnell, in Warwickshire, and the other from Alcester, in search of a man named James Crawley, of Parnell, charged with the wilful murder of Wm. Tilsley, also of that place, so far back as Christmas Day, 1842. The two officers named, accompanied by two of the Chester police, went to the Castle and Falcon public-house, and found the prisoner seated, with a glass of ale before him. Onbeinginformedof the charge, he exclaimed "I admit it !" and subsequently, while being handcuffed, he added, " I am a dead man." He was immediately taken before the magistrates, and 36 sovereigns and a double-barrelled pistol were found upon him. The weapon was not loaded, but a paper containing a number of balls, and a flask of powder, were found in one of his pockets. It appeared that the prisoner had formerly resided with his parents at Parnell; but, in consequence of his violent conduct, his father had forbidden him the house, at the same time providing for him a small cottage in the neighbourhood, and allowing him £1 per week and a horse to ride on. Notwithstanding this arrangement, however, the father having still reason to dread some fatal act of violence on the part of his son, had one of his farm-servants, named Tilsley, sworn in as a special constable for his (the father's) protection; and on Christmas Day, 1842, the family and a party of friends having just taken their seats at the dinner-table, the prisoner's mother suddenly started up, and said to her husband," For God's sake, go upstairs, there's James coming across the field with his gun ►o shoot some of us." The old man accordingly hurried from the apartment, and the prisoner, who had been seen by his mother through the window advancing in the way she described, went round to the back of the house, and thrust the muzzle of his double-barrelled gun through a pane of glass. In the meantime Tilsley went out to expostulate with the prisoner, who, on seeing him, retreated a few paces, exclaiming, " It's you ; is it ?" and at the same instant fired at the unfortunate man, and shot him dead upon the spot. He then shouldered the gun, and was heard to say as he walked away, " I ' e another charge for somebody else." No one ventured to stop him. He went home, saddled his horse, rode to Tring, and there left his horse at an inn, took the train, but stopped at the first station, where be bought a pair of spectacles to disguise his person, and was heard of no more until a few days since. He has, it appears, been in the United States in the interim, but has resided ever since March last in Chester. A woman with whom he has recently cohabited in a fit of jealousy betrayed him. The prisoner, after having been duly cautioned, signed the following declaration :—" I have to say I am guilty of what I should do again to-morrow. I did shoot the man in open day. I think I did my duty." He was ordered to be taken to Warwick, where he will undergo further examination. In our columns a few weeks since, the attention of the community was called to the subject of the want of market and other accommodations in Toxteth-park, whose population is now upwards of 50,000. We learn, with pleasure, that our fellow citizens have taken up the subject in earnest, and in the meanwhile we perceive that provision shops are erecting in that great thoroughfare, Park-road, which will shortly be completed and ready for tenants.— See advertisement.