The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1840-08-14 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

THE MURDER OF ONE OF LORD BALCARRES'S UNDERLOOKERS AT WIGAN.  The police force of the borough of Wigan, whose jurisdiction, according to the provisions of the municipal reform, extends to seven miles from the borough, have been active in their endeavours to discover the perpetrators of the horrible murder of Coulton. an underlooker of the collieries of Lord Balcarres, in Haigh, near Wigan. This body, notwithstanding the extension of a great force appointed under the county constabulary act in the township where the murder was committed, appear to have acted with promptitude and ability. Two of the borough police (heath and Smith) have apprehended three men suspected of having committed the murder. They are what are called " navigators," and it had been discovered that on the night of the murder they were not in their lodgings at all. Their names are George Swift, William Almond, and Thomas Sharples. Subsequent inquiry has discovered, that on Saturday night, the 20th of July, the night of the murder and robbery, the prisoners received taeir wages from the " ganger," or railway contractor, in whose employ they were, and proceeded, in company with a person named Halt, to Chorley. about seven miles from the spot where the murder took place. There they remained drinking until near midnight, and then left. (The murder was committed about one o'clock.) They were next traced to a place called Rawlinson-bridge, in the same neighbourhood. There they arrived about two o'clock, and stayed in the cabin of a boat, along with the boatmen, about an hour and a half. They lay down to sleep, but the boatman observed that something was wrong, for they appeared very uneasy in their minds, and could not sleep. When daylight appeared, Swift said they must leave before any one saw them, and all three departed. The boatman noticed that Swift looked downcast, and more uneasy than the rest. He inquired where they had been, and they said they had been drinking. When brought to the Wigan lock-up, the chief constable asked Swift if he knew the nature of the charge against him ; to which he replied, " I suppose it is that Johnny Coulton's job." They then further said, that on the night of the murder they were drinking at Chorley until twelve o'clock ; that they then left that place, and went to the cabin as above stated, and that on leaving there they walked towards Wigan, and arrived at Red Rock-bridge, near the residence of Coulton (the deceased), about six o'clock. There they had some drink, and then left. After that they went to the Boar's Head, where they found Coulton. who was about being conveyed home. We should remark, that Coulton, on the day he was shot, stated to his daughter and a niece, that as he was passing along the high turnpike-road he was met by two men, who attempted to rob him ; that he fought desperately with them, and would have overcome them, but that third came nazi Vitt ledge left to know that they robbed him.2i The man who shot at him Coulton described as a tall man, which so far agreed with the appearance of Swift, one of the prisoners. On Saturday the prisoners were brought before the magistrates at the Court-house, Wigan, and remanded.