The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1881-11-11 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THE TERRIBLE MURDER OF A SWEET. HEART AT PRESTON.  priv, In I  Aspinal Simpson, a young man, was sentenced to death at Manchester Assize, on Monday, for the murder of his sweetheart, Miss Ann Radcliffe, 16 yea. of age, the daughter of an innkeeper. at Preston. The evidence adduced at the trial was to the following effect :—The pi-oner, since the death of his father, had lived with his widowed or, ther at Preston, where they are very well known. The deceased was the daughter of Mr. Alfred Radcliffe, keeper of the Bell. Some 12 or 18 months ago the prisoner and decease became acquainted, but the girl's father was very much opposed to the intimacy, and he several times forbade the prisoner coming to the house. In opp ,sition to the father's wish they continued to see each other, and selected a seclu led passage as their meeting place. Notwithstanding a chat ge In the girl's condition, the courtship appeared to continue. Some months bet ire the ,urder the prisoner met a girl, nam.d Richardsor, with whom he previously kept company. She arfre I him why he did not get married, as he had kept company with the deceased lomr enough, and he replied—" To—with gettit g rnaoried. I'm only after the cash bags there." About six weeks before the d of the murder a conversation WJA overheirl betwe them in the pyitpage, in which the prisoner asked die deceased if she had g ,t him any more money, to which she answered, "I cannot be always robbing my father for you." The girl was only 16 3e Ira of age. About six weeks before her death the gitl presented to her father a fortn ef consent to the mer itge, which she asked him to sign. The fsther refused to sign it, but she was importunate, and presented it to him a 1.19 a month later, cud then he signed it. Oa the 29,h July the prig nor went to a barber's shop, and aftr he had left it was loon I th,it a razor had diaappe,nd. The tuarri?,e wa% fix, d to take p' ace on the let August, but the prisoner postpone lit. On August 3,d the deceased and the pri oner were out tog. ther early in the morning. They went t gether to the Walter Scott I,olk-house. and the pris 'nor ordered two bottles if lemonade, yill'oh were eupp tel to them in aro .m which they emeupied al, n.. They were SO quiet that the landlady's (laughter peeped into the re mu, thinking they had gone, Ltv, found th -m sitting together near the window. A few minutes afterwards the girl heard something fall, and w,,nt again to the room to see whst it was. She met the murdered girl running ouu of the door, her throat fearfully cut. The girl shouted out in terror and ran away, and the deceased turned back int the roo f-l: down on the hearthrug, and died in a few mint.tel. Au r pen tazor, corresi.onding with the one taken from the barber's shop, was lying on the Sobli4 Till ofitt; Of dOCOlold, nho wa Tory nzuc4  distressed, said her sister was very fond of the prisoner, and the follAving letter to the prisoner was in her sister's handwriting:—"• Dear Jack,—l think you h iti better c nne down either to night or in the morning and ask him what he has against you and I speakirg together. If I have to speok to 3ou no nr,re I have made up my mind to make away with myself, as I cane, t live without seeing or speaking to you. I an neatly heart-broken. Good-bye for the pressnt, and a million kisses from your darling wife, A. SimPsOT. Excuse bad writing hrhi spelling— written in haste. Tell him that you redly love me, and if he will Only have von you will wait a few years for me." 'William Bradshaw, who went to the house where the girl was murd ,rcd immedistely after the murder, when he saw the body lying on the floor, asked the prisoner who had done it, and he replie I It's me." The prism: er was found guilty; and tra being asked if he had anything to say. replied, " No, sir; I am quite satisfied. " aft sr being sentenced he walked from the dcck with •ut evincing Any em,,ti in.