Blandford, Wimborne and Poole Telegram. — 1876-04-21 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THE BLACKBURN MURDER.  FURTHER IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES. Great excitement prevailed in Blackburn Sunday night when it became known that the police had taken into custody William Fish, barber, of 3, Moss-street, on the charge of murdering Mary Holland, and had found portions of the skull and hair of a child. General suspicion had always attached to the barber, who keeps a "lock-up" shop, and resides at 162, Moss-street, with his wife and two children. The discovery of the skull was made in a most extraordinary manlier. Chief Constable Potts arranged with a man named Taylor, of 72, Nelson-street, Preston to bring over two of his dogs, one half blood hound and spaniel, and the other a dumber spaniel. The Policedetectives Holden, and Livsey were sent out with the dogs and their owner to the place where the trunk and members of the body were found, but nothing fresh was discovered. They returned to Blackburn, and Mr. Potts then decided to-have the dogs taken to Fish's shop. Superintendent Eastwood, Detective Livesey, Taylor, and his dogs proceeded to Fish's shop, •in which there are two rooms below and two above. The officers and dogs went upstairs, and the bloodhound at once scented up the chimney of the front room. The owner of the dog put his hand up the chimney and pulled down from the recess of the draft hole the skull and other portions of a child wrapped in a paper covered with blood. From a medical examination made by Dr. Patchett, it was evident that the head ha-I recently been burnt. Two teeth are left remaining in the lower jaw. It will be recollected that the trunk of the body and the legs were fund wrapped in copies of the Preston Herald, three of them being of recent date, one of Nov. 18, 1875. Fish's shop was twice previously searched, r and copies of the Herald was found in his possession, the dates of the papers in which the dismembered body was found being flossing. There is no heading to the newspaper in which the skull was found, but in one portion there is a printed in italics, "To the Editor of the Manchester Courier," and the prisoner Fish takes in the Manchester Courier. Fish was present with his wife when the discovery was made, but he said nothiatg. Mr. Potts was at once sent for, mid it was with dirficulty that Fish could be taken to the lock-up. He was in danger of being lynched, and if the police had not been prompt in getting him away violence would have been resorted to. Thousands of people collected in Moss-street, where Einfly Holland resided, and a large assemblage gathered round the police station, the doors being guarded ho a strong force of policemen. Alter the charge had been entered the prisoner was removed to a cell and two constables remained with him all night. He was brought before the magistrates Monday morning on the charge of murdering Emily Holland, and remanded. His wife came to see him at the police-office, and said she did not think her husband !capable of committing a crime. There was a strong feeling against the prisoner in the district, and it was only the other day that he went to the police office to ask for protection. The prisoner Fish is 26 years of age. His shop is only about forty yards from a grocer's establishment of Mr. Cox, where Emily Holland purchased half an ounce of tobacco for a man. Every day on her way home the little girl would have to pass the barber's shop, and it is probable, therefore, that he knew her welL The man Robert Taylor, in custody on the charge of murdering Emily Holland, who has been confined in the police-cell at the Blackburn Town-hall for six days, was removed to Preston House of Correction on Saturday. The police took him handcuffed in a cab with two other prisoners to Cherry-tree Station, and the removal was made without the general public being aware of what was being done. The officers had not the least trouble with Taylor, who is pronounced by medical gentlemen to be a lunatic. Nothing further material has transpired in reference to the murder.