Mel wrote:
The Preston Guardian
August 31 1850
Death From Fighting
On MOnday last, about 11 o'clock, a fight took place between some men from Worsthorne, near Burnley, and from Lane Bridge. Wm. Halstead, of Worsthorne, and Thomas Turner, of Lane Bridge, were engaged in fighting, when a bystander, named James Whittaker, a blacksmith, of Lane Bridge, kicked Halstead in the throat. When the fight was over, Halstead and his party went home. He was seen walking about on the following day, but on Wednesday he got worse, and died at 12 o'clock on Wednesday night. Information reached the police-office on Thursday morning, when Serjeant Parker proceeded to Lane Bridge, and took Whittaker into custody. He gave him the names of the others, who were all taken to the lock-up, where they will remain till the inquest. Their names are Jas. Whittaker, Thomas Turner, Thomas Booth, Samuel Stanworth, Chas. Baldwin, and Joseph Burrows.
Preston Guardian
Saturday 7 September 1850
Manslaughter - The Inquest
In our last we gave a short account of the cause of death of William Halstead, stonemason, of Worsthorne. We now furnish a report of the inquest, which was held at the Bay Horse Inn, Worsthorne, on Saturday last, before J. Hargreaves Esq., and a jury of sixteen persons. -
William Shackleton sworn, said: I live in Worsthorne. Was in Burnley on Monday night last, when this occurrence took place. I met some parties in the Red Lion Tap, but cannot say that the prisoners were there. I met the deceased in Burnley. We went to the tap. We were both sober. I found several persons there whom we knew, from Worsthorne. I cannot recollect whether any of the persons now present charged with the offence were there. When we got into the tap-room we ordered a quart of ale; but befre it was brought in, a man came to the door and beckoned of the deceased to go out. I did not know the person who called the deceased out. The deceased went out to him. Seeing that the deceased did not return, I went out immediately afterwards, and saw the deceased, with twelve young men about him. I heard some one say, "Go into him." I then went back to the tap, and called my friends out. When I got back again, I found the deceased and another man on the ground. The deceased was uppermost, and the man who was under was trying to get up, but could not, because deceased was on top of him. I saw no blows given whilst they were on the ground. The deceased kept the other man down perhaps half a minute. Then five or six of the men rushed in, and turned round upon us and struck us. One of them punched me. At this period a policeman came up, and I went into the tap-room. I did not see the parties who were down rise up again. In about five minutes after the deceased, with others of my companions, came into the room. He complained of his neck and breast. We then drank the ale and went home. As we went along he said he could not swallow his spittle. I did not see him again. I don't know the man who was down with him on the gound. -Br Mr. Baldwin, (who appeared for Whittake, Booth and, Turner): The place where the fight happened was so dark that I could not tell friends from foes. I did not hear the man who was down cry "Murder! he is throttling me." - P.C. Walmsley sworn, said: On Monday last I was on duty in Burnley. About half-past eleven o'clock I was opposite the Red Lion Inn, and heard a great noise near the tap-room. I went up, and found about twenty people in the opening between the road and the tap-room door. On the left hand side of the door I saw a man who was apparently rising from the ground. I was walking towards the man who was getting up, when the prisoner James Whittaker ran across me. I knew him. He kicked the man who was getting up off the ground. I strove to prevent him, but could not. The man being in a stooping posture, I think the blow would take effect somewhere near the head; but I could not distinctly perceive it. As soon as Whittaker punched the man he ran round me. I ran after him, and thus lost sight of the man who was struck. I came up to Whittaker, and told him to go home, which he did. I then went to the others and told them to disperse, when they did so. I did not again see the man who was punched, neither did I know him. I did not see any fighting. The man was rising from the ground at the time he was struck. I did not take any of the parties into custody. - To Mr. Baldwin: I heard no cry of "Murder," nor shouting for the police. I would swear he hit him somewhere near the head.
---Police-sergeant Parker said: I live in Burnley. I was ordered, on Thursday last, by Superintendent McCabe, to apprehend Whittaker. He lives in Manchester-road, and is a blacksmith. I went and told him he was charged with causing the death of William Halstead, of Worsthorne. He said he had heard of Halstead's death. He then went to put on his shoes and stockings, and whilst going across the room he said, "I reckon a blow on the "throttle" has done it." He then sat down to put on his shoes, and said, "I shall not get more than two years this time." I understood he meant imprisonment for what he had done. He then said, "You will want more than me." He mentioned one or two names on the road, and the rest in the station-house. I then apprehended the others. -To Mr. Baldwin: His mother, and a young woman, and George Lewis (a policeman) were in the room. I am not aware that I said "you have got into a mess this time," I think I said the case was a case of murder. He has been in the lock-up since he was taken. I have not tried to elicit anything from him during his confinement. -William Halstead, examined, said: I was a weaver, but am now given to surgery. The deceased was a cousin of mine. He was twenty-eight years of age. He was a mason, unmarried, and lived with his father, in Worsthorne. On Tuesday last he came to my house, and said he was unwell; that he had a very great pain in the throat. I said, "What's to do? Have you been fighting?" He said, "Not much fighting. I was fighting one, and another came and gave me a blow on the neck; and then another struck me on the breast. Both struck with their fists." I looked at his neck, but did not see any discolouration; but there was a prominence and swelling. I recommended flannel and warm water. He then left me, and returned again in about three hours. I examined the part, and found that it was not improved. I then bled him on the right arm, and gave him some opening medicine. I called upon him in about an hour and a half after, and found him better. I next called on Wednesday morning, when he said he was better. At noon I saw him again, and advised some leeches - four to the breast and six to the throat. When the leeches were taken off he said he was better. I did not see him again alive. He said he did not know the persons who struck him. I have been above twenty years in the habit of attending persons. I attend for almost any disease. I picked up my knowledge from books. When I think there is danger I recommend calling in a regular practitioner. In this case I thought there was some danger. I did not tell the deceased so. -The Coroner highly censured Halstead for the manner in which he had acted, in not having called in a medical man when he thought there was danger. -To Mr. Baldwin: Could not say that the tumours on the neck were caused by a blow of any kind. -Mary Halstead proved the time of the deceased's death. - Sergt. Parker re-examined: I apprehended Turner the same morning. Told him he was charged with fighting with Wm. Halstead, of Worsthorne, and causing his death. He said he was there, that he was struck by Halstead, and that they did fight, but that he did not strike Halstead: that he (Halstead) was too strong for him and got him down. The others admitted that they were there, and that there was a regular row. -Dr. Coultall, jun., of Burnley, said: On yesterday afternoon I examined and opened the body. There were no external marks of injury except a slight lividity in the front of the right side of the throat. On re-removing the skin from the throat, a considerable quantity of extravacated blood appeared, and on dissecting down still deeper behind the upper part of the windpipe, was a large clot of blood, about the size of a hen's egg, which pushed the windpipe forward, and compressed the calibre of the windpipe to a little more than half its natural dimensions. On opening the windpipe and larynx, the mucous membrane lining the larynx was inflamed, and the sides of the glottis were puffed and swollen. On following the windpipe downwards, a quantity of blood was extravasted betwixt the mucous lining of the windpipe and its cartliages. This was more particulalry observable on the right side, and extended from the larynx nearly to the bifurcation of the treched. The whole of the mucous membrane of the treched was intensely inflamed. This inflamation extended into the division of the treched, but dimished as it was traced farther into the lungs. My opinion is, that the death of the deceased was caused partly by mechanical compression of the windpipe, by the large clot of blood already described, and partly by the inflammation which existed in the larynx and treched. The compression of the windpipe would operate in the way of suffocation, and the inflammation might produce spasm of the glottis. Either of these might have produced death, but in this instance there would be the united action of the two. The extravasation and the inflammation would be produced by a blow from the hand or the foot, or any weapon. Judging from the appearances in this case, I should say that they proceed from extreme violence - both the outward and inward marks. There was a slight layer of coagualted blood on the surface of the inner margin of the right lung, in front; and this may have accounted for the pain the deceased complained of in the breast; but, in my opinion, did not contribute to cause the death of the deceased. -Stanworth, Booth, Baldwin and Burrows were then discharged, and gave evidence as to how the row or fight originated. -The Coroner carefully summed up the evidence, and the jury, after a short adjournment, found a verdict of acquittal for Turner, and found James Whittaker guilty of manslaughter. -The Coroner feelingly pointed out to these young men the evil of keeping late hours and bad company, and trusted that thorugh life they would not be guilty of such conduct again.
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)by Graham