SHOCKING MURDERS AT TODMORDEN.

Southland Times, Issue 958, 27 May 1868, Page 3

SHOCKING MURDERS AT TODMORDEN.

(From the " Home News.") One of the most atrocious murders that have been heard of in this country since, perhaps, that committed by Rush, was committed on the night of March 2, at Todmorden, by a weaver of checks, named Miles Weatherhill. It seems that for some time paßt Weatherhill had been paying his addresses to a servant maid living at the parsonage (the Key. Mr Plow's), and in consequence of his visits the girl had been discharged, and went back to York, where her parents lived. On Saturday and Sunday he went to "York on a visit to her. On returning on March 2, Weatherhill appeared to have resolved on taking fearful vengeance upon her late master and mistress, and upon the housemaid, who was supposed *o have told of his visits to her fellow servant. About half-past 10 o'clock on the above night Mr Plow, who was preparing to retire to his bedroom, heard a noise at the back door. He went out by - the hall door and proceeded to the back of the house, where he saw Weatherhill with a hatchet in his hand, who immediately snapped a pistol at him, but it missed fire. Weatherhill next attacked Mr Plow with the hatchet, but Mr Plow closing with him they went backwards Btruggb'ng into the lobby of the house, through the back door. The noise j alarmed the servants, and the housemaid, cook, and nurse came to see what was the matter. Some of these seized Weatherhill by the hair and clothes to hold him back. The result was that Mr Plow escaped by the front hall door, but not until he had received two long scalp wounds at the back of the head and another at the top of the head, several vertical cuts on the forehead, one ear torn from top to bottom, and other wounds. The women also got out of the murderer's way for the time, having locked the front and back door. The housemaid had sought shelter in the dining-room, and for a time kept the murderer at bay by placing her back against the door. "Weatherhill, however, managed to get his arm through the door, and discharged a pistol at her, shooting her dead. He next went into the kitchen, armed himself with a poker, and proceeded to a bedroom in which Mrs Plow was lying, and where she had recently given birth to a child. The nurse told him he could not go there, but he told' her not to mind as he had finished those below, and forced his way past her. Stripping down the bed clothes, he fired at Mrs Plow, but the ball did not take effect. He next attacked her savagely with the poker, inflicting some severe scalp wounds, breaking her nose, and otherwise injuring her. While in the act of striking another blow at her his arm was arrested by a man named Stansfield,the church organist, whohad seen Mr Plow, and who was accompanied by two other men. By these men he was removed and given over to the police. It appears that he was armed with three pistols and a hatchet when he went to the house. He behaved with remarkable coolness in custody, remaking " I have done it — I meant to do it, and am only sorry the d— — pistol (that aimed at Mr Plow) did not go off better." • The lobby of the house was marked with blood like a Blaughter-house. The housemaid was found dead behind the drawing-room door. Mr and Mrs Plow are lying in a precarious state. The lady is a daughter of the Eev Dr Moleswortb, vicar of Eochdale, and patron of the incumbency of the parish church of Todmorden. As to | "Weatherhill, it is said that, after the interview with his sweetheart at York, he returned to Todmorden with the intention of perpetrating his terrific crime. He bought the axe on Monday afternoon at the shop of an ironmonger named William Schofield, who has since identified it as the one he sold to Weatherhill. The purchase excited no suspicion in Mr Schofild's mind, as Weatherhill, who was well known in Todmorden, was thought to be a young man of good character and conduct. He used to interest himself in the Sunday school, and thus it was he became acquainted with his sweetheart, then in service at the parsonage. After his arrest in Mrs Plow's bedroom, when he was being taken downstairs, he seemed to have quite recovered his composure, and showed a remarkable degree of unconcern. He took a pipe from his pocket, saying, " I may as well have a smoke, I suppose it is the last I shall have, for I know what I've done I shall swing for." One of the persons who had him in custody was Mr Joseph Grleddill, formerly a schoolmaster, to whom the prisoner now said, I was one of your pupils, Mr Grleddill, and you thought me a good grammarian, out you didn't think I should come to this." Astonished at his coolness, another of those present asked him if he ■was aware he had killed the housemaid, to which he replied, " Aye, she's got a couple of bullets in her, for there were two in every pistol." He repeatedly said they had no need to hold him, as he had no wish to escape, and would go quietly to the police-station. He said, " I wish to harm nobody who hasn't harmed me." ' This con versationtook place in the kitchen, and the prisoner, as if possessed by a mania for destruction, kicked over the "kitchen table with is foot, and had to be restrained from committing further violence. On being subsequently taken to the police-station and searched he was found to be wearing a belt, tied behind with a piece of cord, and apparently made for the purpose he was about to execute. There were four slit-holes in it, in which he carried the pistols. It seems, on a comparison of the statements of the several witnesses, that he must have had four pistols. Two were found at the rear of the parsonage (where they probably "fell during the struggle with Mr Plow), a

third was wrested fr,om him by Mr Plow in the lobby, and with the fourth he shot the housemaid, and reloaded it before going upstairs to attack Mrs Plow. On a further search the police found in his pocket a quantity of gunpowder, a lot of bullets and caps, and some loose shot. He himself assisted the police in the search, and produced voluntarily a photograph of the young woman whom he called " his Sarah," and also a portion of a link of a jet necklet. The link appeared to have been broken in two, half being probably retained by "Weatherhill and the other by his sweetheart as a " love-token." When the money he had in his possession was being taken from him, tie expressed a wish it might be given to his mother, with whom he lived, and whom he seemed now to remember suddenly. He said to the constable, " Let's have an understanding about this money — let's see how much there is." The amount was 17s s^d. He then said, " Please tell mother what has happened, and tell her as kindly as possible. Say I shan't be home to night;" He appeared to be under the impression that he had caused the death of Mr and Mrs Plow, as well as of the housemaid. The inquest on view of the body of the girl Smith was held on March 4. The jury returned a verdict of " "Wilful murder" against the prisoner, who made a confession, and said he committed the murder because Mr Plow would not allow him to see his sweetheart. The Eev Mr Plow died on March 12, in great agony. Inflammation of the brain was observable on the previous night, and before morning he had "become delirious. The infant child of Mr Plow also died on March 12. It was born only three weeks before the murder, and its unavoidable removal from its mother after the murderous attack on her was the approximate cause of death. Weatherhill was tried at Manchester Assizes on March 13, before Mr Justice Lush, charged with the wilful murder of Jane Smith, at Todmorden, on the 2nd of March. Mr Campbell Poster and Mr Addison, appeared as counsel for the prosecution ; the prisoner was defended by Mr Torr. It appeared from the speech of the learned councel, and from the evidence subsequently called, that the prisoner was a young man, 23 years old, living with his mother and sisters in Todmorden, who had formerly been a Methodist, but had latterly attended the church in which the Eev. Mr Plow, the vicar of Todmorden, officiated. He also had taught in the Sunday schools attached to the church, and became acquainted with Mr Plow, and had for the last two years courted a young woman named Sarah Elizabeth Bell, who had been for three years in service in the family. Two years ago, when Sarah Bell was only 16 years of age. the prisoner called on Mr Plow and asked to be allowed to keep company with her, and ifc appeared that at first Mr Plow was inclined to grant him permission, but subsequently, on talking it over with his wife, he refused it on the ground that the girl was too young, and he disliked a long courtship in his house. It appeared from the deposition of Mr Plow, which was read in the course of the trial (his death having occurred the previous day from the violence he had received), that the interview in which this refusal was given was a friendly one. Mr Plow complimenting the prisoner on the openness he had shown in the matter, but subsequently they met clandestinely, and this coming to the ears of the master and mistress, through the information of the deceased woman, Jane Smith, who was also a servant in the family, Sarah Bell was dismissed from her place on the Ist of November. This- led to feelings of enmity on the part of the prisoner to Mr and Mrs Plow and the deceased, for the girl, ,to whom he was evidently deeply attached, was removed from Todmorden to Newby Whiske, near Thirst, where her mother lived which rendered both her and the prisoner very unhappy, and it became his object either to get the girl back into a district within his reach or else to retaliate on those who had caused the separation. Some letters received by the girl from the prisoner were read in course of the trial, to throw light on the state of his feelings on this matter. The girl did not get a place near Todmorden, as the prisoner wished but went into service at the Friends' Eetreat, near York, and on Sunday, March 1, the prisoner visited her there. They took a walk together, and when they parted in the evening Sarah Bell said that he uttered the exclamation in a low tone " Eevenge !" On the evening of Monday March 2, he returned to Todmorden, and bought some powder, shot, and caps at a gunsmith's there at about 8 o'clock. Later on he met a companion named Lord on the County-bridge there, and said, among other things, he " could be a happy man if yon lass was at Todmorden." Mr Plow came home about holf-past 9 that night, and had bad his supper and rung the bell for prayers. His attention was attracted by a noise in the kitchen, and, going there, he foun'l that the door into the yard was tied with a string on the outside, so as to prevent its being opened. He went out by the front door and found the prisoner in the yard, who at once came up to him and snapped a pistol at his head. The cap only went off, and the prisoner then attacked him with a hatchet, with which he wounded him fearfully all over the head and face. Mr Plow called out to be let into the .house by the back door, and Jane Smith cut the "string which fastened it and the two men struggled in. The women servants in the house, Jane Smith, Elizabeth Spink, and Mary Hodgkson, tried to pull the prisoner off, and he then turned upon Jane Smith and attack «1 her with the hatchet, which Mary Hodgson eventually wrested from him. Mr Plow escaped with the pistol he had seized from the prisoner in his hand to the parish clerk's house, a short distance off, and Jane Smith got into the dining-room and tried to shut the door. The prisoner

J followed her in however, and she went on her knees and was heard to pray "Mercy," but he said "Where's my Sarah P" and fired a pistol at her, which sent two bullets through her head, and she was instantaneously killed, She was tound afterwards lying in a pool of blood, with one arm nearly severed, and the hatchet lying underneath her. The prisoner then went upstairs to the room in which Mrs Plow; who had recently been confined, was lyi% in bed, and where the monthly nurse was in attendance. The latter put her back against the door and tried to keep him out ; but he was too strong for her, and pushed his way into the room. He turned down the bedclothes and fired a pistol into the bed, making a hole in the clothes, but not wounding Mrs Plow jand he then attacked her with a poker, inflicting brutal iniuries, and, among others, breaking her 1 nose. By this time the alarm had spread, j and the prisoner was taken in the bed- | room. When brought downstairs he was 1 perfectly calm, and smiled when Elizabeth i Spink said to him, " Do you know you have killed my master ?" He said to Mary Hodgson, when she charged him with killing Jane Smith, that " he had seen her, and it wonld be a warning to Mary to tell no more tales." To another witness he said, "If it had not been for pistols there would have been two more deaths ;" and to the policeman who took him he told what Jane Smith said to him—" Please don't." Fe said, " Where's my Sarah ?" and let the pistol off, and it went " crack." In all, four pistols were founds loaded, and the prisoner was wearing the belt which held th em ; and there were also the hatchet and poker used on Mr and Mrs Plow. Before the magistrates he made the following statement : — I wish to say a few words. It will all amount to nothing, it will matter nought. When I began to keep company with Sarah at first I thought I would act as an honorable man. One night I waitad on Mr Plow coming out of the church. I told him I wanted a favor of him, and 1 hoped be would grant it me. He said, " What is it ?" I said, . " I want to kee|>; company with Sarah." He asked me/ "How long have you been after her?" I said, "I have had my eye on the girl 1 ever since the first time she came." He said that was quite natural. I asked him if he would grant me that favor. He said, " Oh no, I could not think of such a thing." I said, " I thought I would come and ask you in a right way. Ilittle thought you would deny me." I told him I did not like coming whistling up and down the back yard, and that my intentions were good. He said, " Tes ; I have always taken you to be a respectable man." He said that Sarah was a good girl. He then said he would talk to his wife about the affair before he would give me a decided answer, and would see me again before long. I made it in my way to see him a day or two after. He said they had talked the matter over, and they could not give their consent, but . they were very well pleased for the honorable way in which I had acted, but could not allow me to come to the house. I asked that she might be allowed to i come out if he would not allow me to go. I found it was no use, he would not give me the privilege I asked for ; so I was determined to go and did go until Jane told about us keeping company together. Then there was a stop put to it right then. Since then I have been on my way to ruin and ever will be. I will die like a dog. But, after all, lam glad Mr and Mrs Plow is not dead. I hope they will forgive me. Upon this case for th 9 prosecution Mr Torr asked the jury to say that the very atrocity and manner of the deed carried evidence of insanity with them. His lordship, however, in summing up, invited the attention of the jury to the clanger to society of such a doctrine, and said he failed to see in the case anything; which could, obviate a verdict- of guilty] being given. ... ■^v<i The jury almost immediately returned a verdict of " Guilty," and Mr Justice Lush, after assuming the black cap, addressed the convict as follows : — " It wonld have been a deplorable thing if the jury had listened to the arguments which were advanced on your behalf, and acquitted you on the ground of insanity,for I can see no title of evidence from the beginning to the end that your mind was ever affected further than any man's mind and will are affected by cherishing bad and vindictive passions. You have been most righteously found guilty of murder which, in its accompaniments, is almost unparalleled in the history of crime. It looks like a murderous onslaught of a wild savage rather than of a person brought up and nurtured in civilised life. How many will be the victims of your outrage is not yet even ascertained. We know that two have died, and a third, I believe, is in peril. For that crime you must die. You have forfeited your life to the laws of your country ; but the law will not deal with you a3 you dealt with your victims. You wi 1 have time and opportunity for repentance, and I pray you to make use of it, with the aids that will be afforded you ; and I pray also that, by Divine grace, your heart may, before you are launched into eternity, be softened to sincere repentance." The judge then passed sentence in the statutory form. When he came to the close he said, "And I say it in all sincerity, may the Lord have mercy on you ! " | The convict, who had gazed steadily at the judge whilst sentence was.* being pronounced, but appeared' unmoved^wfasi ', then taken from the 'bar^'-^ji ■. .Jt cA \ The funeral of Mr Plow and his- iifMt , child took place on the morning of March 17, at the parish church. The weather • was very boisterous, showers of hail and l rain falling. Notwithstanding, many ■ hundreds of persons assembled in the l churchyard and the roads adjoining. The l choir was augmented by members of L the Eochdale parish church choir. They I met in the school, and shortly after ten > ' o'clock inarched to the church, headed by

the churchwardens. At the same time i the corpse of the deceased gefrtleman was ! borne from the vicarage on the shoulders of four men. The coffin was of oak, and was covered by a pall of peach color, orna- , mented with yellow and scarlet. Preceding the corpse were a number of clergy of the district and adjacent towns,all in surplices, and three clergymen walked on each side of the bier. The body of the infant was Carried by four boys of the ohoir injsurr 'plices^nd came just after that of the rev. gentleman. Following the bodies were the mourners, embracing representatives of the families of both Mr and Mrs Plow. After these came a long procession of teachers and scholars of the Sunday schools, and many of the congregation. There were also in the procession some of the Dissenting ministers of the town, and in the church were many clergy and Dissenting ministers, who did not join in the procession. At the church gates the mournful procession was met by the officiating ministers and the choir. The Eev Ealph Blakelock, curate, read the opening portions of the burial service, and then the choir sang " Brief life is here our portion." The coffins were borne to the front of the communion table, and there rested, while the service was continued. The choir chanted the 90th Psalm, and the Eev Dr Molesworth, vicar of Eoohdale, read the lesson. The choir then sang the hymn commencing "Brother, rest, thy toils are over," after which the Holy Communion was administered to the clergy and mourners. The Eev Mr Page, of Liverpool, and the Eev H. A. Plow (father of the deceased gentleman) officiated. The coffins were afterwards borne to the grave. Mr Greenwood presided at the organ, and while the procession was leaving the church played "The Dead March." At the grave side the service was conducted by the Eev Mr Page and others. The hymn " Jesus lives no longer now " concluded the service. Mrs Plow is much better, and is able to leave her bed. The execution of ■Weatherhill is fixed for April 4. Timothy Flaherty, proved guilty of wilful murder of his sweetheart at Droylsden, will be "executed at the same- time.