NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIII, Issue 580, 28 May 1868, Page 3

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

HORRIBLE MURDER OF TWO PEOPLE. Ous English files contain the account of a most horrible murder at Todmorden, in Lancashire. From many reports, we select the following;— A murder of singular attrocity was committed on the 2nd March at the Parsonage House attached to the parish church at Todmorden. The inmates of the Parsonage were the Rev. Mr Plow, Mrs Plow (scarely convalescent after confinement,) a “ monthly nurse,” and three domestic servants, one of whom (the house-maid) was named “Jane Smith.” Between 10 and 11 o’clock Mr Plow, who had returned late from a parochial visit, was preparing to go to bed, when he heard a violent knocking at the back door. On several previous occasions he had been annoyed by the visit of a young man named Miles Weatherhill, a check weaver, to whom he appears to have given some offence by forbidding him the house. Weatherhill litd found a sweetheart in one of Mr Plow’s former servants, who had been in consequence sent home to her friends near Fork. Since her dismissal Weatherhill hud frequently threatened to hare his revenge, and he had so pertinaciously aninoyed Mr Plow by hanging about the ptace that a private watchman was engaged .or a time to watch the house, and prevent him from intruding upon the grounds Hearing the disturbance at the back door, Mr Plow suspected another vi,it from \S eathi-rlnll. Ho bade the servants remain in the house while he himself went out of the door to see for himself. On going round he saw Miles Weatherhill standing against the buck door. The moment Weatherhill caught sight of Mr Plow he cut, with a small axe ho had in his hand, a curd which ho had fastened round the handle of the door to prevent the door from being opened from inside. This done he drew « pistol from his belt and snapped it at Mr Plow, but the cap missed fire. He then struck Air Plow on the head with the axe, unlatched the door, and dragged Mr Plow into the lobby. While Weatherhili was still dealing desperate blows with the axo the three women servants came to (he assistance of their master. Thev seized Weatherhill by the hair, and so held him "bile Air Plow who seemed stunned with die blows, and was staggering with loss of blood, escaped by the front door. One of iho servants ran out at the same time to letch assistance. Of the two other servants! Weatherhill singled out the housemaid] •lane whom he accused of “ telling tales”! about his sweetheart and himself, and! whom ho had previously threatened ho would be revenged upon. After locking the hall door, then fastening the back door] he attacked the young woman with an axe,! cutting her in so fearful a manner that one; of the blows nearly severed her hand from! the wrist. She ran screaming into the! dining-room, and endeavored to close the ' door against Weatherhill, by pressing I against it as well as she was able. She! , was overpowered, and Weatherhill, eon- , triving to insert his arm between the door! and the lintel, shot her dead with the pistol. | The women were screaming in the utmost! terror, while Weatherhill cried out,j “ Where’s my Sarah?” The doors of the! Parsonage were fastened at the front and' , back, and no habitation was within hear- , ing distance. At this stage of the tragedy , Mrs Plow’s nurse, looking over the balusters down into the lobby saw Weatherhill : reloading his pistol. After looking for the i axe (which he appeared to have mislaid) he I went into the kitchen, and when he came again into the lobby the nurse saw he had a poker in one hand and a pistol in the ■ other. He put out the gas in the lower i rooms, and went upstairs, still tauntinglv) repeating the question about his “Sarah.*”! The nurse met him at the bedroom door, and tried to stop him, saying, “Those you 1 want are downstairs,” to which he replied. “ I have finished them bat you needn’t be afraid, you’ve done me no harm.” He pushed her on one side, went into the bed room, and attacked Mrs Plow. He drew 1 oil the bedclothes, fired a pistol at her ; rrlyAra cKa lav. avuH. t.hft ru;t > effect, be began to batter her about the i head and face with the poker. In the midst of the attack the parish clerk (Q-eo. _ St am field) and two gentlement, whom the ■ servant who had escaped had called upon ■' for assistance, and wlr*» the surviving

made their appearance, seized W.-atWhili veilL> the poker in his hand, and so re-ajiAd Mrs Plow from imminent death. It was found that the bullet had passed through the bedding, the wadding remaining on the sheet. The pillow with all the upper Air Plow, on escaping bv the Iront door went to the Irouse of Jlr Greenwood, the organist to tho church. This house i= about 50 yards from the Parsonage. At this time Air Plow had the pistol in hi# hand. The cap had been snapped, hut the pistol had not been discharged. Be-T'j»-o ;*Lr j i«.» w '■■•Juiii Tv'i 1 aii tiiut OCC' i •••'*<-» i j HG uiimea through kiss <n blood, Ivlr D. N. Cockrofr, the surgeon to the family, was sent for, and with the assistance of Mr W. -Lnugbotham, who was also called in, the wounds wen dressed. There were two scalp wounds, one on the ton a”d th u other at the back of the head. There waj also a deeply-cut vertical wound between jt'ie temples. There were several lesser j wounds and contusions about the face and ■body, and the left ear was torn from top to bottom. The rev. gentleman was conveyed back to tlw Parsonage, where he jand Airs Plow now remain, both of them (being in a very critical state.

As to Weatherhill, it is said that he had spent Saturday and Sunday in visiting his sweetheart at York, and it is supposed that after that interview iie returned to Todmorden with the intention of perpetrating ids terrific crime. Adder his arrest in Mrs Piow’s bedroom, when he was being taken down stairs he seemed to have quite recovered his composure and showed a remarkable degree of unconcern. Ha took a pipe from Ids pocket, saying, “ I may as well have a smoko; I suppose it is the'last I shall have, for 1 know what I’ve done 1 shall swing for’ One of tho persons who had him in cu-todv was Air Joseph Gleddill, formerly schoolmaster, to whom prisoner now said, “I was one of your pilin'!-, Mr Gleddill, and you thought me a good grammarian, but you didn’t think I should come to this ” Astonished at his coolness, another ot those present asked him if he was aware he had killed the housemaid, to which ho replied, “ Aye, she’s got a couple of bullets in her, for there were two in every pi-toi.” lie repeatedly said they had no need to hold him, as lie had no wish to escape, and would go quietly 'o tho police-station. He said,°“ 1 wish to harm nobody who hasn’t harmed me.” ibis conversation took mace in the kitchen, and the prisoner, ns if possessed by mania lor destruction, kicked over tho "kitchen table with ids foot, and had to bo restrained from committing further violence. \V hen the money lie had in his possession was being taken from him ho expressed a wish it might be given to Ids mother, with whom lie lived, and whom he seemed now to remember suddenly. He said to the constable, ‘ Bet g have understanding about this m i‘icy —le*. s geo how much there is.” The amount was i7s J.Vd. He hen said, ‘‘Please tell mother what has happened, and tell her as kindly as posmblo. Say I shan't be home to-night.” lie appeared to be under the impression that he had caused the death of Air and Mrs Plow, as well as of tho housemaid. Kefcrriag to this, he said, “ l’ve done all I wanted to do. 1 am sorry the pistols did not go oif bolter.”

From a later account wo extract the following;— On the the 9th March, at the Black Swan Inn, North-street, an inquiry was made into the circumstances attending the death of the Rot A. J. Plow. The same jury who sat upon the inquest of June Suith were empanelled in this ease, and the coroner (Mr P. Bearden) presided over the inquiry. Only one witness (Elizabeth Spink), a servant at the v 'oarage, was called. No medical men were examined, and the witness Spink spoke only in general terms of the condition o'" Mr Plow immediately before his death. A verdict was given to the etfect that deceased died j from injuries indicted by Miles Weathcrjiullontiie 2nd inst. The mother of the !convict, since sentence was passed on - him, lias made a statement which throws j ight upon the state of mind of WeathcrI tiill immediately before the crime was jeommilted. She says that, when he entered the houseatter his return from York, he exclaimed "‘Have they been ; ha-e they been r ’ and suddenly recob-jcting himself, jsaid no more, Weatherhill then went out, | but returned shortly, inquiring, u 7T.it-:-ithey been; have you seen anybody?” as j though, having made up his mind’ to the ideed, ho left his criminality, and was in i momentary expectation of’being apprej bended.

Mrs Plow lias been able to describe the scene which took place in her bedroom when the murderous attack was made. The evidence which has been given leaves a blank between the time when the nurse ran out of the bedroom to the time when btansfieid, the parish clerk, entered it and secured the assassin. Mrs Plow states that Vveathorbill tried to secure the door, and, failing in that, ho struck a light with a match and came up to the bedside. The poor lady had covered herself with the bedclothes, and she felt him trying to pull them off her head. Her desperate resistance prevented him from succeeding; he then went to the foot of the bed, removed the perccauneiie in which the babe was sleeping, lifted up the bedclothes at the foot, and fired up the bed. The bullet missed Mrs Plow, and she sprang out of bed and made for the door. The murderer intercepted her, and she sprang across the bed into a sort of recess between it an i the wall. Thither she was followed bv Weatherhiil, and he struck her down upon the bed with the poker. The unfortunate

covered her fa-.-.- wilh her bar.-D, br., Weatlieriiili shuck her on the hands nnd anus with the poker until from sheer ,jam slie wa 3 compelled to remove them, and then followed the fearful blow on the face which has been described. After receiving the blow, Mrs Plow summoned up courage enough to lie quite still, so as to impress her assailant with the idea that ha had accomplished his dreadful purpose, seems to have been successful, and Woathcvhiit no doubt believing that she was deaf], did not, strike again. Wo are hanpy to state that Mrs Plow is now out of danger.

MISCELLANEOUS. Parliament resumed its sittings after th© MnasUrial change, on the sth"inst. Mr. Disraeli, on taking ids place as Premier in the Douse of Commons, was loudly cheered. It is thought, uowover, that the position will not last long, fie faces the hostile comoact of the opposition, which is led by Mr. Gladstone, with great courage. A trial of strength is expected to take place on' the Irisn C:uirch ipiestion, iMr Gladstone having given notice of three resolutions to the following effect:—lst. That the Church of Ireland shou.d cease to exist as an establishment ; due regard being paid to vested rights. 2nd. That new personal interests shall not be created by the exercise of public patronage. 3rd. That the Queen shall bo asked to piace at the disposal ol Parliament her interest in the temporalities of the Irish Secs and other dignities. The debate oa these resolutions is expected to be one of the most important and significant that or tooK place in the liouse of Commons. Incidental allusion has already been made to the stale ot the Irisu Church by several leading opposition speakers, including Mr Lowe, Mr Miller, Mr llorsman, Mr ITorlescue, and Mr Bright, who hare expressed their belief that the establishment must bo abolished. Mr Gladstone, iu a preliminary debate, declared, the time for disestablishing the Church of Ireland had come, llis action and language produced a strong excitement; and the clergy are beginning to arouse themselves. Mr Disraeli's cry is that the Church of .England and its rights and property are in danger. It is v xpected tuat aii those members supposed to possess Liberal sentiraeuls win vole with Mr Gladstone. Should the resolutions be carried, Mr Disraeli will dissolve Parliament.