The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1881-11-26 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

MANIAC OR DEVIL.  Intelligence of an inexpressibly shock- 1 ing murder comes from Nottingham. It seems that early on Saturday morning the police heard cries of " murder " and " police " proceeding from the residence ' of a Mr. Westby. They at ones made their way to the house, and noticed a young man emerge into the street. The moment he caught sight of them he ran up the road and disappeared in a bystreet. When the policemen entered the house a scene of the greatest confusion prevailed. On going upstairs they discovered on the floor of a bedroom, Weatby, who had been shot two or three times, and with such deadly effect that he expired before the assistance of a surgeon could be obtained, and indeed as soon as the police officers attempted to raise him. Suspicion pointing to the son of tee deceased as being the murderer, the police officers, at a later hour in the morning, proceeded to the office where he was einplofed, in the hope of ascertaining some intelligence of him. Before this the charwoman employed on the premises had discovered that the door of a room adjoining the office occupied by the supposed murderer and another clerk, and which was used for the storage of lumber, was locked. The woman said she had never known this room to be locked before, and this fact led the officers to conjecture that the object of their search would be found there. The door was accordingly burst open, and lying huddled up on the floor they saw the body of a youth covered with blood, the head being nearly severed from the body. Near him were found a small iron rod and a large butcher's chopping knife, and the appearance of the rcorn showed that a sev,re struegle had taken place. There were spots of blood all about, and it is thought that the murderer, having enticed the lad iuto the place, struck him with a large fishknife which was afterwards found and then followed him until he became insensible. Pursuing their inquiries, Detectives Golding and Atherton found that Mr. Fraser, the youth's employer, had handed Westby a cheque for i-f 7 10s. a day or two previously, payable to "Leonard Lindley," but which he would be able to cash. This was not to be found in the office, and the officers accordingly proceeded to the Nottingham ; and Notts Bank, Thurland-street, where ; it was found that the cheque had been cashed on Friday, it is supposed by Westby, who was always considered a ' sharp lad, but of late Mr. Fraser had noticed that he had become eccentric in L- his manner and habits. He has been L. in Mr. Fraser's'employ five or six years, and was generally a well-conducted youth. Chief Detective Inspector Eddy, accompanied by a clerk named Hobson, who was acquainted with Westby, went in search of the suspected murderer, • and in the course of the afternoon visited a garden at Lenton Sands, near . Nottingham, in ;the occupation of Mr. ; Fraser. On a piece of ground near this garden Westby was discovered concealed in a fowl house. He at first refused to auirender, but after much persuasion came out of his hiding place, where he had with him a new revolver, six chambers of which were loaded. He said had it been any one but Inspector Eddy he would' have shot them. He asked if the lad was dead, and being told that he was, and also that his father was dead, he replied, "It's about time." His mother has declined to entertain the idea that he is the murderer of his , father. The case is now sub judlce, so ' we will leave our readers to draw their own deductions from it. Bet we may remark that it possesses a moral which those in authority ought not to ; ignore.