Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1879-03-08 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

SHOCKING MURDER OF AN OLD MAN NEAR LEEDS.  At a quarter past ten on Monday night, a travelling watch and clock cleaner, thirty years of age, named John D'Arcy, who lodged with a person named Smith, at 30, Mulberry-street Hunslet, was apprehended by Detective-Sergeant Lumb, of the West Riding constabulary, and P.C.'s Foster and Hewitt, of the Leeds force, on suspicion of having murdered William Metcalf, eighty-nine years of age who was in the service of Mr. Calverly, of Ouiton Hall, as lodge-keeper. Metcalf lived by himself at the lodge, and has resided there for many years. About ten minutes to seven on Tuesday evening, as two women were passing, they heard the old man exclaim "Murder! Now for God's sake don't murder me!" They ran away and gave an alarm, and a young man named Frederick Morley, went to the lodge and looked through the window, and saw a man kneeling on Metcalf, and apparently engaged in rifling his pockets. He also saw the man unlocking a drawer. Morley then went to the front door, an,' shortly afterwards he heard the door unlocked. He, however, still held it, and in order to secure Metcalf's assailant in the house, called to his father and a tailor, named John Walker, who happened to be near at hand, to go round to the back door and guard it. Morley, senior, and Walker went to the back of the house, and on looking through the window saw a man standing inside, armed with a weapon which appeared to be like a poker. Upon seeing him in this defensive attitude, they could not muster sufficient courage to enter the house, for, to use their own words, they feared it might be another "Peace job." They left the house, and young Morley also left it, and went in search of a policeman. Tbe murderer, on finding the house unguarded, made his escape. Au alarm quickly spread in the neighbourhood, and a crowd collected roand the lodge. Mr. Walker, gardener at Quito:tit Hall, entered the house, and fogad Metcalf on the floor in a pool of blood, and with the left side of his head battered in. The old man was not quite dead, and a doctor was sent for immediately. On the arrival of the medical man, however, life was pronounced to be extinct. A search was made in the plantation near the lodge for the murderer, but without avail. A Mr. Taylor, of Leeds, was the first to convey intelligence of the murder to the Hunslet Police Station, and shortly afterwards Police Constable Plum, stationed at Ouhon, also arrived at Ithaslet with a description of the man seen in the house. Acting upon this description, and upon other information which was receive the police apprehended D'Arcy as above stated. It is said that the prisoner has been seen in the neighbourhood of Oulton for some weeks. He has advertised himself in a Rothwell paper as a watch and clock cleaner, and has asked in the distriet for watches to clean. It is also said that the prisoner has been seen near Metcalt's house, Sarah Metcalf, niece of the murdered man, states that she 5.4%, the prisoner in her uncle's house on Tuesday afternoon, and heard him ask for a watch to clean. The property missing from the house includes a silver verge watch, a half-sovereign, and Bs. in silver. The prisoner' it is stated, was on Tuesday traced to the Methley Railway Station, from whence he is stfpposed to have procceeded direct to Hunslet. John D'Arcy travelling watch and clock cleaner, was brought before the West-riding magistrates at wahefield on Wednesday, charged with the murder of Metcalfe. No evidence. was given, nod t 413 accused was formally remanded. li Gram a tramping collier, has also been taker into oustdy at Castleford, charged with complicity in the murder. The inguesi op the oltirdered mite was ripened on Wedneaday; and adjourned.  LOCAL GOyERNICENT INQUIRY AT C;ACKI44,4s