Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1869-10-01 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

DREADFUL MURDER AND SUICIDE NEAR BOLTON.  The village of Westhoughton, about five miles from Bolton, was on Saturday last the scene of a shocking tragedy—a man named Henry Whittle, a weaver, having murdered his daughter-in-law, Ellen Whittle, with a hatchet, and then cut his own throat. It appears that the murderer has resided at the house of his son, Roger Whittle, a collier, in Chapel Walks, since the marriage of the latter on last New Year's Day, and that they have lived somewhat unhappily togethet. Whittle only about a fortnight ago having threatened both his son and his son's wife. The quarrels between them culminated a few weeks ago in Whittle bring told that he must find a home elsewhere, and he was to have left on Saturday had the house which be had taken been ready. On the above day Roger Whittle got up about five o'clock, and went to his work, leaving him wife and father in the house alone. Shortly before half-past ten, his mother-in-law, Alice Allison, who resides in Lever-street Bolton, went to the house for the purpose of assisting her daughter to clean. She found the front door (the only entrance to the premi-es) fastened. She afterwards went to the hack and looked through the kitchen window, when she was horrified at seeing her daughter lying on the coal heap. An alarm %as immediately raised, and Dr Bringloe, who was one of the first to arrive, sent a man named Richard Hodukinson through the front bedroom window to open the door. Ile then entered the h..use, when a shocking spectacle presented itself. In the hack kitchen, lying in the treadle hole of an unused loom, which had been converted into a coal-place, was the unfortunate young woman, Ellen Whittle, with her head almost cut In two, whilst beside her was found an axe, some three feet in length, covered with clotted blood and hat,. Upstairs Henry Whittle was discovered, lying on the bed with a ghastly wound in his throat, and the fluor of the room literally covered with blood. Both were quite dead. It is presumed that the unfortunate victim was engaged cleaning a fender in the frot t place wheal her father-in-law returne I, and a quarrel arose. She had then evidently gone into the back place to sweep it, because near her was found a sweeping brush. The murderer it is supposed, followed her, struck her on the back of the bead with a collier's pick, and then securing the axe, which was generally kept on the coal heap, he completed his work hy hewing her in the face as she lay on the ground. There were two frightful gat.hes on the left side of hi-r face, extending from au- ear to the nose, both of will ih were severed, the other being across the lower part of her jaw, and each of them was sufficiently deep to permit the band of a man to be laid in them. What makes the crime more dreadful is that the young was eraceihte. and expected to be confined in shout a fortnight. Her age was 24, and that of Whittle 48. The latter was a married man, but for the last few years had lived apart from his wife. Though not of very intemperate habits, he bore • bad eharacter in the village. He was a poacher, and had been committed to prison for assaults upon his wife, whom he had left for dead 011 several occasions.