The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1826-02-06 (London, England)

SHOCKING MURDER AT MANCHESTER.  [From the Manchester Guardian of Saturday.] It is with feelings of unmingled horror that we communicate to Our readers the particulars of a murder committed in this tows yes. tertlsy, under circumstances of more than °winery atrocity, and in a situation and at a time of the day in which every one would sup. pose himself perfectly secure from violence. A few minutes before two o'clock, a smoke was seen issuing from the windows of an upper room in a warehouse in M arstlen-equare, occupied by Mr. Thomas Price, fustian manufacturer; and on an examination of the premises, it was found that a quantity of Roods in the room (which, we believe, was used as a sale room) were on tire to such an extent as to render it dangerous for any person to venture into it on account of the smoke. An alarm being given, several fire-engines were promptly brought to the spot, and played upon the premises for some time before the fira was extinguished. During this period, and, we believe, before any one had ventured ipto the room, a report was circulated amongst the persons collected about the tpremises (by whom it may be most important far the ends of justice to ascertain), that Mr. Price-himself was suffocated in the room ; but little or no credit was attached to it, as no one had seen him about the warehouse after the fire was discovered. However, when the flames were so far subdued as to allow the firemen to emu the room, and they began to remove the goods, they found the unfortunate man stretched upon the floor in a comer of the room, with one piece of fustian lying under his head, another over it, and his face, clothes, and some parts of his body, severely scorched. No doubt was, in the first instance, entertained that he had lost his life in endeavouring to Rave his property ; but on further examination it 11704 found that he had received a severe and very extensive fracture of the skull, for which it was not possible to account, as no past of the ceiling nbove had given way, and there was nothing which could have produced it accidentally. An idea was tken entertained that the unfortunate man had committed suicide by blowing out his brains with a pistol, Cle wadding of which had set tire to the goods ; but after a most careful search no pistol could be discovered. Blood anti brains were found to be scattered abut in such a maaper as could not have been effected by the disdirge of a pistol ; avid, above all, the wound was such as no pistolshot could have produced. The dreadful truth then flashed on she minds of those about ; Mr. Price had evidently been murdered by repeated blows on the head; and the murderer had set fire to the room in order to conceal the evidences of his crime. It was quite impossible that the tire could have arisen from any common accident, as there was no tire-place or stove in the room, nor had any candle been used there during the day. The goods had evidently been on tire in two distinct places, and could not have communicated from one to the other ; and a piece of fustian had been placed on Mr. I'rise's head after he had fallen. The next point to be ascertained was, of mune, by whom this dreadful crime had been committed ; but we regret to say that at 'present this is involved in considerable mystery. A person is in custody on suspicion qt' being the murderer; but, under present circunNumcm, we do not feel jtististied either in mentioning his name, or in specifying the particular facts which have caused him to be suspected. Scene inquiries and examinations will doubtless take place this day, which we hope will have the effect either of proving his guilt or making his innocence more apparent than It is at present. We may state, however, that the last time Mr. Price was seen was about one o'clock, when he went into kis warehouse, and no doubt can exist that the murder was committed within a very few minutes afterwards. We believe he had been out for the purpose of collecting money ; but whether he had obtained any, or whether any was found upon his person, or in his cash drawer, we hate not ascertained. We regret to add to the above 'levant, that Mr. Price was a married man, and has, we understand, left a large family of children.