The Haslingden Gazette. — 1904-09-03 (Haslingden, Lancashire, England)

INQUEST ON MONDAY.  Since our last issue no additional facts beyond, those we gave have been discovered by the police, but confirmation of the statements that the old woman hid money in stockings and acted as a banker has been confirmed. The rumour that • man had been seen to leave the Accrington station on the morning of the murder with stains of blood on his coat was followed and traced by Detectivesergeant Mayor. arid the man was found at Barnoldswick, but he was as innocent as the man in the street. thr Saturday morning there vras a widespread I • rumour that a woman had hewn apprehended, and it spread to other towns. There was not the slightest foundation for it. I Another wild rumour was that a bloodhound had been employed by the police,. and that it bad led to the woman's door. It Is singular how such I silly tales spread. and what a great number of people are found to believe in them. As no instrument was found with blood upon it in the house, and as the old woman lay, apparently. where Ale was first stricken down, the probability is that the murderer escaped without the least stain of blood. The old woman carried a stocking beneath her dress skirt, which acted as her purse. It wasmade after the style of the old.fashioned ones of our grandmothers, with a button in front, and it contained her silver. threepenny pieces, and, the neighbours believe, her gold, which was never a large quantity, as she made the Co-operative ' Stores her banker. And, further, we pointed out , that the deceased used to purchase goods from the stores for her neighbours, being content to receive the dividend. It is in this connection that the presence of the two young men, seen in the house I by Mrs. Buckley, may be accounted for. Mrs. Elizabeth Buckley. of Grant-street, will be I a principal %vitro,.s at the adjrurned inquest us, Monday, as she appears to be the last person who mw the old woman Mrs. Buckley in 57 years of ' age, and was an intimate friend of the deceased. She called at the house at ten minutes to tone on Wednesday night week and tried the door. and found it fast. Mrs. Westwell came and partially opened it. exchanging a few words with Mrs. Buckley arid bidding her " Goodnight." It was through the partially ripened door that Mrs. Buckley .w the two young men. Some people have been inclined to think that Mrs. Buckley must l have been mistaken, hut there are other people who saw what they describe as "too youth," What we, they doing there? it is asked, seeing I that the old woman was very particular as to whom i she admitted to her house. Ni, line but those youths kould tell, and -where are they? Now, as a supposition, it in put forward that the , old woman could only get her full interest of 4 I 1-6th per cent. on her loan capital unless she spent £5 per quarter, anti in her frugal style of liviml ! she could not do that, but she could purchase them. Many non-members purchase household goods at , the Co-op. Stores, and as they are only allowed I 2s. in the pound. they sometimes dispose of their checks to members for cash. It is quite likely ' that the young man or youths in the house were there for some such purpose, and. as a matter of fact, a good many Co-op. checks were found in the house. The old W 011,1211 was struck d_mn evidently whilst Inching her door; the backyard door was found slightly open, through which an easy escape could Ire made into the street. and if the murder we, dime immediately after Mrs. Buckley left, it would be very easy for anyone to come out of the back . premises unperceived, and join ordinary passers-by in Hyndburn-lanc. The gas was left burning. and it was evident from the clotted blood that the old woman had been attacked a long time before she was discovered. The robber, or robbers, apparently mmle off speedily. without ransacking the house for booty, being content with what money was contained in the "stocking purse." which was left behind', and is in charge of the police. The inquest on Monday afternoon is being looked forward to with interest, and the medical testimony will be important in the decision the jury arrive at.