The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1876-04-21 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

DISCOVERY OF THE SKULL AND OTHER PORTIONS OF A CHILD.  Great excitement prevailed in Blackburn on Sunday night, it having become known that the police had taken into custody William Fish, barber, of 3, Moss-street, on the charge of murdering Mary Holland, aged seven years, on the 28th March, and that they had found portions of the skull and hair of a child. General suspicion has always been 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 manner. Chief-Constable Potts arranged with a man named Preston, of 72, Nelson-street to bring over two of his dogs, one half-bloodhound and spaniel, and the other a Cluruber spaniel. Police-detectives Holden and Livesay were sent out with the dogs and their owner to the place where the trunk of the body was found at Bastwell, to see if any scent of the remaining portions of the body could be found. The dogs did not appear to scent anything. They were taken to Boyshaw Wood, close to where a man had been seen to go backwards mid forwards to Lower Cunliffe, Rishton, where the legs of the child were found, but without any result. They returned to Blackburn, and Mr. Potts then decided to have the dogs taken to Fish's shops, 3, Mossstreet, who also had been suspected. Between nine and ten o'clock the detectives entered the premises of the two barbers simultaneously, Police-detective Holden remaining at Fish's shop while the other establishment was examined. From the movements of the dogs the police had no reason to suppose that anything was concealed there, and Superintendent Eastwood, Detective Livesey, Taylor, and the dogs proceeded to Fish's premises, in which there are two rooms below and two above. The bloodhounds ran round the rooms downstairs and jumped upon the slop-stone in the back kitchen. Then the officers and dogs went upstairs, and the bloodhound at once scented up the chimney of the front room, and the owner of the dog put hi a hand up the chimney and pulled down from the recess of the draught 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 had 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 found wrapped in the copies of the Preston Herald, three copies being of a recent date, and one of November 18, 1875. Fish's shop was twice previously searched, and copies of the Herald were found in his possession, the dates of the papers in which the skull was found being missing. There is no heading to the newspaper in which the skull wa4 found, but in one portion there is 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 nothing. Mr. Potts was at once sent for, and it was with difficulty that Fish could be taken to the lockup. 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. Mr. Potts tried to appease the anger of the crowd by informing them that the head of the child had been found, whilst the other officers were hurrying Fish through the back streets to the town hall, where he arrived about a quarter to ten. Thousands of people collected in Moss-street, where Emily Holland resided, and the district, and a large assembly gathered round the police station, the doors 133ing guarded by a strong force of policemen. After the charge had been entered, Fish was removed to a cell, two constables remaining with him all night. The prisoner's wife came to see him at the police-office, and said s'tie 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 25 years of age. He evidently feels his position keenly, and looks very pale. His shop is only about forty yards from the grocer's establish ment 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 he must therefore have known her well.