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November 7th 1812.
THE MURDERERS OF MR. HORSFALL.
We copy the following curious article from the Courier of Thursday the 29th ult.
To the Editor of the
Courier.
Huddersfield,Oct. 24
Sir -A very important event happened here on Thursday last, of which as the Leeds Mercury of to day does not appear to have had any information, I hasten to
communicate the intelligence through the medium of your paper.
A man has been taken up and examined before that indefatigable Magistrate Joseph Radcliffe,
Esq. and has at length received the
offer of his Majesty's pardon, and given the most complete and satisfactory evidence of the horrible murder of Mr. W. Horafall. In consequence of this, the whole of the wretches concerned in that
dreadful- transaction, have been taken and committed to York Castle, to take their trial at the ensuing Commission of Assize.—He was with the party
(four In number) when Mr. Horsfall was
shot. They were furnished with loaded pistols by *****
who ordered them to take their stand in the Plantation on Crossland Moor. Two others soon after joined them, and took their station about
twenty yards below them. When the unfortunate Gentleman came up, two fired. They then all fled across, the fields, and ***** damned them all the way for not firing their pieces. Two ran forwards to
Honley, four miles off, and two more stopped at a place called Dungeon Wood, and hid their pistols at *****'s, house there, in some flocks ***** left their great coats, and ran immediately in
their jackets to Huddersfield, where the news of the murder had but just arrived. The next morning they all four met at the work-shop of their employer (a cropper) and ***** produced a Bible,
and made them all swear not to betray each other. These villains have frequently been examired before, but have always been discharged for want of sufficient evidence. One behaved with the greatest
effrontery till he saw *****, and then he changed colour and gasped for breath! When he came out he said,
"Dam that -—he has done me."
It appears ***** and ***** have been
Chiefs in all the disgraceful transactions that have occurred in this part of the country the last twelve months especially at, Rawfolds, where the former was Captain of the gun-division, and the
latter of the pistol. ***** has thus, made discoveries which will lead to the detection of a great number of these offenders, and, it is hoped ultimately restore the West-Riding to its former
tranquility.
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