The Northern Daily Times. — 1853-12-10 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

MURDER AT STOCKPORT.  Thomas Moore, 27, a factory-worker, was charged with the wilful murder of his two step-sons, James Higham and John Higham, on Friday the 2nd of September last. Mr. Mom( and Mr. OVENS conducted the prosecution, and Mr. WHEELER was called upon by, the court to defend. It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner and his wife were both factory workers ; but the prisoner had been out of employment for several weoks, and lived with the wife's father, in Marsland-street, Stockport, but owing to differences, generally lived separately. Upon the morning in question, the wife went to work as usual. The two boys went out to play at nine o'clock in the morning, and were never seen alive after. The prisoner went to the market to purchase something for dinner, and returned about ten o'clock. Shortly after, the prisoner got an umbrella, it was raining at the time, and said to his father-in-law that he was going to Hempshaw-lane. He was seen afterwards, accompanied by the two children, the youngest of whom had a club font, going quite in a different direction, towards Great Portwood, Chimneyhall-street, and Manchester-road, all of which lead to the Ashton and Stockport canal. The prisoner was not home to his dinner that day but returned about six o'clock in the evening, and asked his wife " why she had not sent his dinner ? " she said "she said she didn't know where to send it to ; art thou working," he said "yes," she said "Where ? " he said "at my old shop." The prisoner next asked if the children had come home, his,wife said not, and he exclaimed "Oh !•my children are lost." He then went in search of the children with his wife, and returned about 8 o'clock. Prisoner shortly after gave information at the police-office. During the day he went to the house of an acquaintance, a woman named Barton, whom he' lived with before he was married, and dried his clothes ; when 'she asked him what was the cause of his being so wet, he said, "while assisting to put a can of, water upon a person's head he fell into the water," It was stated that the prisoner was very fond of his children, and played with them and frequently took them out before the day in question. The prisoner also made a statement at home that he had sent the two boys home, and gave them the umbrella. On Monday following the 6th of September, John Watson a boatman, was proceeding up the canal to Stockport with a load  of coals, when he observed something. -tumbling over in the water, which attracted his attention, iut went on to Stockport, and returned;, accompanied by , a man ~named. Creig,• procured a boat, and succeeded in finding the body of a boy aged eight years, which was that of John Higham, further search was made, and the body of John Higham, aged four-and-a-half years was recovered. The canal was drained out for' the purpose of making further search, and the umbrella and one of the 'capes that one of the little boys had on that day was found. The bodies were conveyed to a house called the " Navigation Inn," and were examined by a surgeon, who could perceive no marks of violence, and was of opinion death was caused by drowning. The two boys were members of the Middle Hill-gate burial society, and of the Primitive Temperance burial society, and from £l9 to £2O was payable an the event of the children's death. . - •  Mr. WHEELER for the defence, made a long speech, and urged that the pris,mer was never known to it 1-treat the children, and he frequently took them out, and because he was on the day in question seen with the children, that he should be charged with murder; and further urged that there was not the least marks of violence whatever, that the children who were fond vf water, might have gone to the canal in question, and fallen in, that the other might have attempted to save him, and both perished. His LORDSHIP in summing up the evidence remarked that a prejudicial feeling prevailed in theyeighbourhoodof Stockport against the prisoner. The jury retired to a private room, and after a pretty long consultation returned a verdict of not guilty. The court rose about nine o'clock.