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Liverpool Mercury

Tuesday December 8 1885

Fatal Termination of a Political Discussion

Yesterday morning, at Colne Police Court, two young men, named William Henry Keys and John Sutcliffe, were charged with causing the death of Stephen Richmond, a married man, about 30 years of age, who lived at Nelson. The prisoners, who are weavers, residing at Roughlee, near Barrowford, were in the Bull's Head Hotel on Friday evening last, in company with the deceased and a number of others. Political matters were discussed with much animation, and when the three men left the house they appear to have got to blows. No one seems to have witnessed the assault. When Richmond got home he complained of having been assaulted by two men from Barrowford, and the two men now in custody correspond with the description he gave. A doctor was summoned, and it was found that the man had been kicked in a vital part of the body. He died on Saturday morning. The prisoners were apprehended early on Sunday morning at Roughlee. A remand was granted pending a coroner's inquest. The deceased leaves a wife and four children, one of whom is blind.

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Mel

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Liverpool Mercury

Thursday December 10 1885

Brutal Case of Kicking at Nelson

An inquest was concluded at Nelson, yesterday, on the bsy of William Richmond, weaver, for being concerned in whose death two young men, named William Heys and John Sutcliffe, are now in custody. Evidence was given that the deceased and the accused were in the Bull Inn last Friday night. On leaving, Sutcliffe puched the deceased, and the deceased said, "If you want a fight, I'll fight you myself." they went down the road together, and Heys returned shortly after, and told a bystander that he had given a man a good kicking. Richmond, on reaching home, complained of being attacked by three men, and kicked in the lower part of the body. The doctor ascribed death to rupture of the bowels, due to external violence, but he did not think if the man ahd been healthy when kicked there would have been any fatal consequence. A verdict of manslaughter was returned against Heys.

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Mel

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