SHOCKING MURDER.

Grey River Argus, Volume VII, Issue 488, 2 March 1869, Page 3

SHOCKING MURDER.

On Tuesday night, December 15, a revolting murder was committed near Ackhurst-hall, three miles from Wigan. Mr Win. Houghton (the farm bailiff) and his wife, who lived about 200 yards from the hall, had left their own house, in which there were five children, for about an hour. ' On their return home, at a distance of thirty or forty yards from the door, they saw a white, object, which was at first mistaken for a duck, but which on closer inspection was found to be the dead body of their eldest child, a girl of twelve. She was covered wi^h blood and dreadfully injured. The parents rushed forward to the house calling for the second daughter, Catherine, aged nine, but for a short time she could not be found. She was at last heard calling timidly from behind a hedge, ".Is that you, mother?" The child was at once taken to the house. She said that a short time after her father and mother had gone out, a man, rather taller than her father, and apparently a collier, appeared at the door, and asked if William Houghton lived there. Her eldest sister said that he did, but he was ' then down at the hall ; and no sooner had she replied, than raising a heavy hammer he struck her a violent blow on the forehead. She ran round the kitchen, and he pursued her, striking her with the hammer, which cut her dreadfully. She ran out by the open door, and tried to escape to the hall, but the man went after her, and her screams ceased, she, no doubt, being killed by another blow from the hammer. The man then returned to the house, where the younger sister had remained in great terror. He struck her on the back of the head with the hammer,, and then dealt her several blows on the shoulders ; but he did not stun her. He then took her by the throat, and after squeezing it tightly threw her over into the pasture-field, where she lay, bruised and terrified, not daring to move until shs heard her mother's voice,. An infant lay unharmed in a cradle in the kitchen, and upstairs two children (boys) were in bed, but had heard nothing of what had occurred. An examination of the house showed that the murderer, after thus ■ disposing of the children, had put his hammer on the dresser, on which its form was marked with blood, and had then passed into the parlor, where he. had ransacked the drawers. The only article of value he obtained was a silver watch which had been left in a small casket, and from which he had detached the riband that served as a guard. The money kept in the house was upstairs, and evidently he had not been there, for the drawers had not been disturbed. Infoi'mation was at once sent to the Pemberton police-station, and Superintendent Ellison was promptly on the spot. Mr Huet, surgeon, of Upholland, was also in attendance, and dressed the wounds which the younger girl had received. She gave a. description of the man, which was at once circulated through the whole district. An active search was commenced for the. hammer, and one was found in a wheat field about 100 yards from the house. A number of long hairs were sticking to the iron, and when the weapon was shown to the surviving girl she at once said it was that with which she and her sister were struck. Mr Parkinson, the underlooker of a colliery close by, recognised the hammer as one he left at the smithy at half-past five on Tuesday night. A reward of £50 has been offered for the apprehension of the offender. A man was taken into custody on the 28th December, on suspicion.