Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1890-08-23 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

MAN. THE WIDOWS STATEMENT.  A Press representative has visited Alpraham, the locality in which the mysterious murder of the gainskeeper Bebbington took place 33 years agii, and hal an interview with Mrs. Blagg, the widow of the man who was executed. Mrs. Blagg still lives in the village in a cottage almust within a stone's throw of the scene of tire tragedy. She is advanced in years and is in poor circumstances, but is able to earn a few shillings as a teacher or caretaker of her neighbours' little children. In reply to roestions, she told some very interesting facts, which throw a new light upon the affair, and afford better ground for judgment upon the question of her husband's guilt. " On the night before the murder," Mrs. Blagg said, "there came a rap at our door, when John and I were together. lopened the door, and there was J ohn Jones. I never did like that man. I asked what he wanted, and he called my husband outside. I wondered what was on, and when John came in again I asked him, and he said 'Oh, nothing.' Well, he got his boots from where they were usually kept and gave them to Jones. Jones came inside and took off his clogs and left them in our house. He very seldom wore clogs, but he had clogs on when he came to our house Cat night. I can't say whether it was a plot between them, and I did not suspect at the time that anything wrong would be done." The reporter suggested that the real point in the case was as to whether her husband was at home throughout that night. Mrs. Blagg replied in the affirmative ; but, in answer to another question, said he got LID, she thought, about 4 o'clock in the morning. She supposed he went out, but when she gut up he was sitting in the lc; tchen, having lighted a fire and prepared breakfast. There was nothing unusual in his manner or appearance. The boots had been returned. She could not say how or where he had received them back. She heard of the murder a couple of hours afterwards. Before the police came for her husband she saw them pass with Jones, who looked pale and agitated. But they did not keep him, she added. They only wanted her husband, as they "had it in " for him. Asked why her husband was at all suspected, the old lady said that various stories were going about the village, one of which was that her husband had been heard to swear that he would shoot the keeper. Mrs. Blagg was able to tell horn memory all the details of the actual arrest of her husband, who offered no resistance, and simply said that he was innocent, although his own boots and gun were used. It seemed to pain the old lady to recall the farewell scene on the day before the execution, when she, with their little daughter, since dead, had a last interview with the condemned wan at Chester Castle. His words to her at parting were " I am as innocent as that child. I have not had justice. They have gone against me just as they liked, and they might as well have hanged me on the nearest oak. But never mind, I intend to go to the scaffold, for I b hall never tell." The old lady pathetically concluded, " And now, after 33 long years, when it was let alone as a thing to be forgotten and buried in time,it has risen up again in this new form. I would rather it were let alone." Mrs. Blagg turned away in tears.—There is a difference of opinion in the locality where the tragedy took place, anti where the parties were so well known, as to the alleged innoaence of Blagg. Old inhabitants agree that he was a notorious poacher, and in disposition was very sullen and reserved.