The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1842-12-27 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

DREADFUL AND MYSTERIOUS MURDER.—The pretty and retired watering place of Ilkeley, about fourteen miles from Bradford, has been, during the past week, the scene of a murder, which, from the appearance of the body of the murdered man, seems to have been perpetrated in a barbarous manner. The first discovery of the matter took place in the following manner :—A person named Hardwick, a house watcher, employed by Mr. Myddleton to watch his house and that of his steward, Mr. Burgess, at a little past twelve o'clock on Friday night, heard a noise which he could not liken to any thing but a thumping, and a human voice crying out, " Help me," or " Help me up," or words similar to that. When the gamekeeper and his watchers joined him at the lodge, some time after one o'clock, he informed them of what he had heard : and the whole of them, six in number, went to the spot as nearly as Hardwick could direct. After some search, they found the deceased laid on his side, and not quite dead. His hat was slouched over his face in such a manner as to conceal the fact that he was at all injured, and at first they thought that be was merely intoxicated ; but, on removing the hat to see who it was and assist him up, one of the watchers put his hands upon the head of the unfortunate man, and discovered what was his real state, by the startling and horrible circumstance, that his fingers were instantly covered with gore, and sunk into tha head ! It was discovered to be the body of a labourer named William Hustwick, who resided at Beamsley, and had been at Ilkley the previous night, in company with a person named Hey, a wheelwright, also of Beamsley, and with whom he had gone home at a late period of the evening. The first thought which struck those who found the body was, that probably Hey also had been murdered ; and they sent off some of their party to ascertain whether he had reached his residence or not, who, on going to his house, found that he was in bed. Some conversation passed between them, in which he stated that he accompanied Hustwick on his way home as far as the lime-kilns, where the latter became stupid, or very drunk, and refusing to go any further, laid down upon the ground. He then left him laid, and proceeded home, which place he did not reach before two o'clock. In consequence of this, suspicion fell upon him, and he was apprehended on the charge of having murdered Hustwick. A stout hazel stick, which the deceased had had with him when last seen, was found beside his body, within reach of his hand, and in such a position as that no blood from his head could reach it without a change of position ; and still this, on examination, proved to be covered with soft blood, and had at the end some flesh and skin, and human hairs. The hat had covered the wounds on the head, and had received the blood which flowed from them ; and, when taken off, was found to have a large quantity in it, which the keepers poured out on the ground. There was no appearance of struggling that could be discovered, though the nature of the ground (springy pasture land) would tend to obliterate any effectually, in a very short time.