The Miner and Workman's Advocate. — 1864-02-27 (London, England)

SHOCKING MURDER IN WAHWICKSHIRE.—A shocking murder has been perpetrated at Braes, a small agricultural village within sight of the seene of the conflict be tween the royalists and parliamentarians at Edge Rill, in 1642. The deceased is Henry Clifton, employed as agricultural labourer on the farm of Mr. James Garrett. The murderer is George Ditton, who, for the last twelve months has acted in the capacity of gamekeeper, &c., to Mr. Sheldon, late high sheriff for the county. The crime was committed late on Thursday, the 18th, as deceased was returning from his work at Mr. Garratt's, across an orchard on land occupied by Mr. Harris, in which orchaq there is a footpath used by the inhabitants in crossing the Bmiles hills, as a short route to the main thoroughfares leading to the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway on the west, and to Shipston-on-Stour, Stratford-on-Avon, &e., on the north. This footpath has been used daily for time immemorial, but Mr. Sheldon has set up a right of way for he last twelve months. Clifton and a fellow-labourer named Bolton were returning, crossing the footpath on the night in question, when the keeper was stationed in the orchard with a double-barreled loaded gun and a dog. As soon as he saw them approach, he asked a mannamed Walker. working in the.eorner of the orchard, who they were. Walker told him the name of one of them. Ditton said he would see who the other was. That other was deceased; who had a stick in his hzind. It is stated that he had been 'previously stopped by the keeper, and asked, but re'used, to be searched for game. On the pre3ent Occasion, however, there is no allegation that Clifton or his companion were either returning from or going to, poaching grounds; but, however, Ditton went up to Clifton, collared him, walked beside him some distance with his hand upon his collar, and told him he was trespassing. An altercation and struggle ensued, the keeper wishing to drive the man back over the hills, the deceased desiring to get home, but, it is said, promising not to come that way again. By a desperate effort deceased got out of the keeper's grasp, and struck him with his stick, after which Ditton deliberately presented towards him his gun. By this time Mr. Harris had come up to his orchard, and, according to the evidence he and Bolton gave at the coroner's inquest on Saturday, Ditton deliberately shot the deceased. A largo crowd soon congregated round the spot, which is close to the village, and Ditton walked away to his lodge, followed by yells and eiies of vengeance. He was *,--4rn afterwards apprehended. The nature of the deed, thr• operation of the game laws, and the feeling excited among the inhabitants (in which many farmers of lu:se holdings )oin), produced such a threatening commotion in the place, that it was deemed Prudent to conve7 the prisoner, from the Brailes police station to that hr Shipston-on-Stour.—The coroner's jury returned a --fraiet of fi Wilful murder."  HORRIBLE TRAGEDY IN GLAMORGANsHIRE.—Evan Williams an engineer, residing at Hiawain, Glamorganshireb murdered his wife on Friday night, and afterwards committed suicide. "On Saturday morning," says the Bristol Post, "the neighbours were alarmed by the little 'daughter of the deceased, who ran out of the house in a state of great consternation and grief, and who kept screaming that her father and mother were dead. Several persons ran into Williams's house and found the unfortunate'man hanging by a cord, which was first passed round his neck, and then attached to a crook in the ceiling of the kitchen. He was immediately cut dovvn,,kut was found to be dead. On going upstairs the neighbours found his wife lying in bed, as though calmly asleep, but also dead. There were no marks of any struggle having taken place but a small woollen cravat was found tightly strained round her neck, by means of which her husband had evidently strangled her. It is supposed that Williams got up at an early hour, and having first murdered his wife, whilst she was asleep, went into his garden, cut off a piece of the clothes line and with it hanged himself in the kitchen. It is thought that Williams was not in a sound state of mind, as he had been for a long time ill, and had suffered a good deal from lowness of spirits!'