The Potteries Examiner : — 1872-11-16 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

THE MYSTERIOUS MURDERS IN YORKSHIRE. (Front the "Northern Echo.") Up to May in this year there lived at Croptonlane a yeoman named Joseph Wood. The house in which he lived is about half s mile from Cropton village, and above four miles frun Pickering. The nearest house is occupied by a brother of Mr. Wood. Mr. Wood was the owner of the ground be farmed— some 80 or 90 acres Its was eeeentric in manner, and rather "near,' as country folks phrase it. His family consisted of himself, his daughter—a young woman, aged, possibly, eighteen —and two eons, aged nine and five years. Up to about 18 months ago, a housekeeper managed his domestic affairs; sinoe her death, till a few weeks before his disappearance, his daughter supplied, in part, her place. About April she left; and, for a time, Wood and his two boys were the only tenants of the house. On Sunday, May 12th, a relative of Mr. Wood's, a small farmer, named Robert Charter, mune to the house from Lasting. ham, a village some three miles distant. At night he returned to his own home, but on the following day he came back and took up his abode at the farm, working thereon. On the Friday night after this—the 17th May—Joseph Wood was last seen. Charter said that Wood had told him he and his eldest eon were going away for a few days. The following week a letter was received, purporting to oome from Wood at Liverpool, stating that he was "going foreign," and requesting Charter to manage the farm for him, and to pay his debts. This letter was not in WO'Nrs writing, but his relatives believed that it came front him. It was only to a few that the circumstance seemed sumpioions. A short time after this, Charter brought to the farm his wife, and also some of his own farming stock. His wife stajed one month, and "boarded out" in the village. No one slept in the house but Charter —the labourers on the farm having their meals there, but going to their own homes at night. At the end of the fourth month Charter left. Until the 2nd of November nothing occurred, to throw any light on the fate of Wood or his • son. On that day, in turning over the contents of ' an outhouse, a pair of Mr. Wood's boots were die. covered. On the following day Mr. Wood's brother ' went to the house, and searched, amongst other places, a lumber loft, where a second pair of hoots r were found. It was discovered that Mr. Wood had only two pair, and on Monday a search was commenced. A pond was dragged and a coat discovered. Superintendent Jones, of Pickering, promptly took measures to have a thorough inve.tigation. In the pond were found the greater portion of the clothing believed to have hem worn by Mr. Wood, and a Imife belonging to his missing son. On Tuesday the pond was Pumped dry, and the muddy deposit removed, and part of a human hand discovered, after, words pronounced by Dr. Walker. of Pickering, to • be the left hand of an adult. On Wednesday a brace , was found ; on the following day, parts of • two human logs, and a clenched hand having straw in its firm grasp. On Tuesday Superintendent Jonas and Inspector Pi•.kering, of Tairak, went to Lastingham and saw Charter, who is about the age of Mr. Wood-40 to hi. As his statement was not considered satiefactory Inc was placed under strict surveillance. On Thursday night Superintendent Jonas and Inspector Nicholson arrested Charter. He was brought to Pickering, and taken before Mr. T. Id. Yeurlal on Friday, and remanded for a week on a charge of wilful murder. It is Oelieved that Charter is not the only person concerned in the aft air, but it would not conduce to the ends of justice at present to state more. It will be seen that no trace whatever has been found of the missing boy.