Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1885-01-17 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

CILIA EXAMINER-SA':  TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN SUSSEX.  The village of Laughton, about six miles from Lewes, has been the scene of a shocking tragedy. For many years there have resided in a little cottage standing not far from the ltoehuck nn, which forms the centre of the village, two brothers, named Amos and John Barber, the elder of the two, Anioe, being il ye irs of age, w hile John was 10 yeara his junior. They were by trade shoemakers, and earned a fair living. They were both quiet, inoffensive men, and always appeared deeply attached to each other. Neither of 'them was considered to be possessed of very great shrewdnese ; indeed, the elder one had not spoken to anyone for years. When addressed he would smile and nod, or shake his head, bat never allowed a word to pass his lips to anyone. He had not lest his voice, for the villagers say they have heard him, when he fancied he was alone. He was a tall man, and rather corpulent, showing signs of good living. The younger brother, John, was shorter, and a very spare man. He, too, was not very sharp, bat was given credit for having more with than his brother Amos News was received the other morning by Mr. Baxter, the East Sussex coroner, that Amos Barker had been murdered by his brother John, and that the _ .  latter had then hanged himself. Both were dead when found. Amos was lying on the ground with his head battered out of all human shape, the other was suspended from a beam in a shed at the foot of the garden attached to the house where they lodged. After John had committed the murder on tl:e night of the 7th inst., he wrote a letter to his brother-in-law, Mr. George Bard, in which he admitted that he had killed his I rother Amos, and that he intended to commit suicide himself, as, having murdered his brother, he should have no peace of mind, an I could not live any longer. The receipt of this letter caused the brother-in-law to visit the scene of the tragedy. On reaching Laughton he found the hoese locked up. He, therefore, called in the police, and in an outhouse the elder brother was found, murdered by blows on the head, the instrument used being a billhook. The youngest brother had hanged himself dose by the mangled corpse. Both were somewhat eccentric men, but thought to be quite harmless, and except that the younger brother had lately shown signs of depression, no motive can be assigned for the murder. 'rho head of the murdered old man is an awful spectacle. There lea slight oat across the throat, indicating that the murderer attempted to cat his brother's, throat. His death, however, must have been caused by what is commonly called a billhook, and there is the greatest mystery in connection with the crime. Though search has been made everywhere, nothing has been found up to the time of writing this which bears a mark of blood, , and it is supposed that John must have safely hidden away the instrument with which he committed the fearful deed. From his rivor-case, which is:a double one, a rvor was gone, and this was found in his pocket. Amos bad scarcely any hair on the crown of his head, and every wound is visible. There are no less than seven gashes, all about an inch and a-half or two inches in leneth. 'There is also a cut through the upper lip, which penetrates the mouth. The skull does not appear to be broken, and the quantity of blood which came from the murdered man was not extensive.