The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1891-07-11 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE HORSFORTH TRAGEDY.  SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE.  Walter Louis Turner, weaver, Horsforth, and Ann Turner, his mother, were again placed in the dock at the West Riding Police Court at Leeds on Tuesday Charged with the wilful murder of Barbara Whitham Waterhouse, aged frve years and five months, at Horsforth.—Evidence having been given regarding prisoners and their action with the box, Thos. Joy, the deaf and dumb bookbinder, was examined, and told about the two prisoners taking the box to his house, and the dog of a friend whocalled smelling about it, on which the male prisoner took it on his knee and kept it there until the owner left. He raw his wife ask Mrs Turner, who was her mother, if she was ill, and Mrs Turner replied that she was in great trouble. His wife asked what it was, as she was anxious to know, and Mrs Turner replied, "I dare not tell you." His wife again asked what it was, and her mother said, "Worse, Ellen. I won't tell you." The prisoners went out just afterwards, and later the box was taken away.—Mrs Mary Cotteril detailed the visit to her house of Mrs Turner as follows: —She looked quite distressed. She Was very much excited. r looked at her and said, "How are you?" aid I think the answer was, "Not very well." I said, "What is the matter, Mrs Turner ?" She did not speak for a second or two, aud I said, "Tell ma at, once; is there anything the matter with Critterill ?" meaning my husband. Mrs Turner replied, "No, I have never seen Cotterill." , She looked so frightened that I said, "Tell me atonal the worst." She said, in a whisper, "Oh, there has been nothing less than murder in our house." I think I then said, "Tell me what it is," and to the hest of my recollection she repl:ed, "You'll know soon enough." I said, "What does it mean—is it that poor child at Horsforth ?" Mrs Turner said, "Of course you remember me being here on the Saturday ?" and I replied, " les." She then said, "It must have teen done while I was down here on Saturday.' I said, "It is impes.dblja for you to , have hal anything to do with this, Mrs 1 Tumor," and she said, "1 ism as innocent 1 as you are. I have not even seen it." The whole of the confession as rrevionsly reported was then given by the witness. Mrs Tur' ner told her that when she saw the bundle first, She went awl touched it, and a shiver went through 1 her. She set up such a loud scream, she wondered,' the neighbours did not hear her. Then she rushed 1 up stairs to get her clothes, and would have gone 1 into this street, but her son- came out of his room . ancl held her so tight thet. aim con's' not move. Mrs Turner added, "By the papers, they don't think that any one in Horsforth has done it, but I fear we are suspected." I said, "What makes you think that ?" and she replied, "My son was stool behind the door when he heard a woman say that an uneasy head lay there—pointing to the house." Mrs Turner than said, "if they found out it was us, they would lynch us at Horsforilai"—The police evidence of the confession of the mother and the arrests was then taken, and the Court adjourned until Wednesday, when the prisoners were committed for trial at the Assizes.  WSW I  While a portion of a detachment was. going through a course of exercise sn the facer Aar, near Mangeal, Switzerland, on Monday-, one oE the pontoons capsized, and. 1S men out of 2.5 were precipitated into the water and drowned. It:MOM:ED EACtSSioli OF