The Sun. — 1868-12-17 (London, England)

MURDER.  AO,  On Tuesday night a revolting murder was committed Istar Ackhurst Hall, three miles from Wigan. Mr. William Houghton (the farm bailiff) and hie wife, who ived about two hundred yards from the hail, had left their own house, in which there were five children, for about ►n hour. On their return home, at a distance of thirty or :arty yards from the door, they saw a white object, which was at first mistaken for a duck, but which on closer inspection was found to be the dead body of their eldest child, girl of 12. She was covered with blood and dreadfully in'med. The parents rushed forward to the house, calling for die second daughter, Catherine, aged 9, but for a short ;ime she could not be found. She was at last heard calling timidly from behind a hedge, " Is that you, mother? " The :hild was at once taken to the house. She said that a short :ime after her father and mother had gone out a man, -tether taller than her father, and apparently a collier, appeared at the door and asked if William Houghton ived there. Her eldest sister said that he did, but he was then down at the Hall ; and no sooner had she •eplied than, raising a heavy hammer, he struck her I violent blow on the forehead. She ran round the ritchen, and he put sued her, striking her with the hammer, which cut her dreadfully. She ran out by ;be open door, and tried to escape to the Hall, but the man went after her and her screams ceased, she, no doubt, being killed by another blow from the hammer. The man then returned to the house, where the younger sister had remained in great terror. He struck her on the back of the head with the hammer, and then dealt her several plows on the shoulders, but he did not stun her. He then ..00k her by the throat, and, after squeezing it tightly, ;brew her over into the pasture-field, where she lay, bruised end terrified, not daring to move until she heard her mother's voice. An infant lay unharmed in a cradle II the kitchen, and upstirs two children (boys) were in bed, but had heard nothing of what occurred. An examination of the house shewed that the murderer, after thus disposing of the children, had put his hammer m the dresser, on which its form was marked with blood, end had then passed into the parlour, where he had ran' tacked the drawers. The only article of value he obi;aimed was a silver watch which had been left in a small :asket, and from which he had detached the riband that served as a guard. The money kept in the house was upstairs, and evidently he had not been there, for the drawers lad not been disturbed. Information was at once sent o the Pemberton Police-station, and Superintendent Ellison was promptly on the spot. Mr, Huet, surgeon, )f.Upholland, was also in attendance, and dressed the wounds which the younger girl had received. She gave a description of the man, which was at once circulated through the whole district. On Wednesday morning, as soon as the day broke, an active search was commenced for the hammer, and one was found in a wheat-field about 150 yards from the house. A number of long hairs were sticking to the iron, and when the weapon was shewn to the surviving girl, she at once said it was that with which she and her sister were struck. Mr. Parkinson, the anderlooker of a colliery close by, recognised the hammer is one he left at the smithy at half-past five on Tuesday night. A reward of £5O has been offered for the app. pension of the murderer.