The Sun. — 1842-01-04 (London, England)

BURNLEY. Burnley, so lately the scene of the frightful catastrophe already recorded in the columns of The Sun, has again been thrown into a state of considerable excitation, by a cruel outrage perpetrated upon a disabled old man, and from which his death resulted. William Dugdale, the deceased, was nearly 70 years of age, and very infirm.  On Friday an inquest was held at the Turf Inn, Burnley, upon the body of the deceased, before Mr. John Hargreave, one of the Coroners for the Northern Division of the County of Lancaster. Several witnesses were examined, and below we give that portion of their evidence which throws light upon this unhappy transaction : Ellen Nuttall, of Burnley, deposed to the following effect :—The deceased William Dugdale was a cripple, who resided in a cellar in Eastgate. About half-past twelve o'clock on Sunday morning the witness, who lived in the adjoining cellar was awakened by a loud knocking at the door of the deceased. She heard the door open, and the wife of the deceased exclaimed that they were all about to be murdered, and desired witness to get up. The witness got up and went into the area fronting Dugdale's dwelling. This area is entered by a flight of stone steps from the street. Witness saw at the top of the steps two young men, who cast ashes in her face, and then ran off. The deceased went up the steps and there met two lads, younger than the men witness, had originally seen. The boys inquired, " Have they broken your windows ? " Deceased replied, " You must go down and see." Witness then reentered her cellar, and immediately after Sarah Dugdale called out, " They are murdering my old man." Witness had previously heard a noise like that of a person falling down the steps. She then went out and found the deceased sitting at the bottom of the flight. The young men who threw the ashes were standing on the steps. One of them wore a white hat, the only article of his dresi that was distinguishable ; the other had a broad-lappelled coat and a black hat. The man in the white hat said to his companion, "Run, run ! " and witness saw no more of them or the boys. She assisted the deceased to his cellar, who appeared seriously injured. He got worse, and suffered much pain until eight in the morning, when he expired. Upon laying out the old man the witness noticed a black mark on the small of his back, and a lump at the back of his head. Sarah Dugdale, widow of the deceased, stated that he was 68 years of age. On Sunday morning there was a' violent knocking at her door, and upon the deceased partially opening it, it was violently pushed by the young men before mentioned. After confirming the evidence of the previous witness, Mrs. Dugdale said that she returned into the cellar upon hearing her husband tell the boys they must come and see if his windows were broken. As soon as she had entered, the deceased fell to the bottom of the steps, and she thought that he had been thrown down. With assistance she removed her husband to the cellar, when he said he did not think he should last till morning. The deceased told her that one of the young men took him by the waist and another by the legs, and threw him down the steps. Medical assistance was sent for, but none arrived while the deceased was living. The boys, whose names were Benjamin Samar and Thomas Stuttard, told the witness that they say the young men lay hold of and throw her husband down the area, but declared they were unacquainted with the offenders.  After other confirmatory evidence as to the declaration made by ,the boys of their being present at the outrage, Mr. Coullate, surgeon, stated, that upon a post mor tem examination of the body, he found that the lungs had been ruptured in such a way as to cause death. Such a rupture might be caused by a heavy fall, especially in an individual whose lungs had been previously affected, as was the case with the deceased.  The Jury, aftei a long deliberation, found a verdict of " Wilful murder against divers persons unknown, and against the boys Sagar and Stuttard, as .aiding and assisting." The Jury, no doubt, believed them to be acquainted with the guilty parties. The boys were then committed, upon the Coroner's warrant, to Lancaster Castle.