The Express. — 1851-05-15 (London, England)

ALLEGED MURDER NEAR MANCIIESTER.—A man named Joseph Allison was brought up at the New Bailey, Manchester, on Monday last, having been apprehended by Mr. Chief Superintendent Beswick, on suspicion of being Iconcerned in the murder of a man named John Hunt. The deceased and the prisoner were carters in the employment of a cooper named Goodwin. On Wednesday, the 311th ult., they were commissioned by their employer to go to Ashtonunder-Lyne, with their carts, to purchase some tubs. He had sent them on the same errand before, and gave deceased 71. to pay for the tubs. The prisoner and the deceased called at the Snipe Inn, Openshaw, on the road from Ashton to Manchester, between seven and eight o'clock the same evening, and had two pints of beer. They then appeared to be on very good terms, and drank out of the same cup. They had their carts with them, loaded with tubs. Whilst they were at this public-house the two men began to talk of the respective merits of each other's horses. Deceased offered to bet the prisoner It. to Is. that his horse was the' best. The men were rather adI vaned in liquor. Allison begged the deceased not to leave him, as he said his (the prisoner's) horse was bent upon mischief, and he was afraid he should have some trouble with It. The men left the public•house about half-past 8, and went towards Manchester. A short time afterwards the two men were seen walking together with their carts at Fairfield, a little further on the road, by a boy returning from !school, who noticed that they were quarrelling and abusing one another. The boy remained playing with some school fellows for above an hour afterwards, and soon lost sight of the men. The prisoner was seen some time the same evening at a public-house in Ardwick. Deceased's wife was there also, and upbraided the prisoner, who was intoxicated, with haying left her husband on the road. Allison replied that he did not care if Hunt broke his neck. It appears that deceased's wife had had a strong presentiment on her mind that her husband would not return safe, and had act out to meet him. She went about two miles further along the road, and met the horse and cart returning unattended. Hunt's body was found early the next morning by a carter named James Had' field, lying on his side against the footpath. There were no marks of injury about him, except a wound in the nose, from which blood was issuing. An inquest was held on the body on Friday week, but very little evidence could then be obtained, and a surgeon who gave evideuce stating that the deceased was an apoplectic subject, the jury returned a verdict of " Found dead." It had since been ascertained that an apron belonging to a man in ' the same employment with the prisoner, which had been missing since the day the men went to Ashton, was accieternally found in a cask in Mr. O,,odwin's yard with marks of blood upon it. A number of biUs were found upon him, bring receipts for the casks which he had bought at Ashton. They amounted to 41. 125., which, with 3s. Bd. allowed for expenses, left a balance due to Mr. Goodwin of 2/. 4s. 4d. Only a shilling and a halfpenny, however, were found upon deceased. The prisoner was then remanded till Friday. A pale modem examination of the body was made on Monday evening by Mr. Brown, surgeon, of Gorton, and Dr. J. G. Harrison, of Manchester, who found that death had been caused by the fracture of four ribs, and the consequent rupture er one lung and the WileT. let ROTAI: BiLtsoous.—Thttregiment, which was to have been quartered at Hampstead and Highgate, received counter orders, and is now statiqped at Barnet (headquarters) and at Enfield. Several trAps are still en routs from Nottingham, but are expected daily.