Manchester Times, Saturday, April 23, 1853
ANOTHER AWFUL MURDER.
On Monday evening last, another appalling murder was committed in the township
of Hambleton, situated between Garstang and Fleetwood, and, coming so soon after the murder at the
fomer place, has excited the greatest consternation in she minds of the inhabitants of the
district. The murderer is a labourer, named Richard Pedder, residing in the village; and the victim
of his violence was his own wife, whom he shot through the head, in the garden behind his own
house, about six o'clock. It is said that Pedder had been often heard to say that he would shoot
her, and that he went and got purposely drunk on the Monday prior to putting his horrid design
into execution.
An inquest was held at the house of Mr. Richard Thompson, Shovels Inn,
Hambleton, on Wednesday, before Mr. John Cunliffe, one of the coroners for the county, and after
hearing the evidence, the jury returned a verdict of " Wilful murder" against Richard
Pedder.
We subjoin the principal portion of the evidence. George Blackburn, labourer,
Hambleton, was the first witness called; He stated that on Monday night, about half-past six
o'clock, as he was returning from his work along with William Swarbrick, they called at the Shovels
Inn and got a pint of ale.
Shortly after they had sat down, Richard Pedder came in, and after calling. for
a glass of ale, he sat down beside them, and said, "I've killed our Bet."
Witness replied, " Oh, Dick! never; hast thou ? Then he said, "I have killed
her."
Witness and Swarbrick then went to Pedder's house, and shouted " Heigh,
Bet!' but they received no reply.
They then looked through the window, but as they could see no one they went to
the back of the house, and in the garden, about ten yards from the gate, they found Betty Pedder
lying on ber back quite cold and dead. Witness then left Swarbrick with the body, and returned to
the Shovels Inn and informed the landlord of the circumstance, when a messenger was sent to
Stalmine for the police.
As witness was returning he met Pedder going towards his own house, but he did
not speak to him. When Pedder first called at they Shovels Inn he was fresh in liquor, but he could
walk well enough. When he told them he had shot his wife, he did not say how it happened, or
why be had done it.
Mr. Swarbrick was next called, and, having corroborated the first part of Blackburn's evidence,
said he observed blood on the left cheek of deceased when they found her; After Blackburn left
him, Pedder came up the lane towards the house, and when be came witness asked him how he bad done
it. He replied, " I shot her." He added that he would shoot himself, and said he had a gun loaded
on the. table.
He then went into the house and brought out a gun, and having stuck some potato forks the
ground near the dead body of his wife, he laid the gun across them with the muzzle towards himself.
Witness had then left the garden, being frightened when he saw Pedder bringing out the gun, and
went into a Meadow adjoining to watch his proceedings.
After having laid the gun across the forks, he took it by the muzzle, and pointing it towards his
body, he thrust the stock twice into a bush, but it did not go off: and he then reared it up
against the bush, and went again into the house.
Wituess immediately went into the garden, and taking the gun into the meadow, he
found that it was loaded with powder and No. 2 shot. He then drew the charge, and when be had done
so he saw Pedder again come out, and, after looking for a minute or two at the dead body of
his wife, he lay down beside her, crying.
In about five minutes be got up and returned into the house; and two men,
named Jackson and Hull, having come up, they accompanied witness into the house, where they
saw Pedder loading another gun. Hull went up to him, and took the gun from him, when be went again
into the garden, and lifting the body, he carried it into the house and laid it on a sofa,
observing,
" She must not lie in the garden all night." He then eat down beside the body, and they remained
with him until the arrival of a policeman. During the interval, all they could get him to say was,
that he had shot her, and he would not deny it.
Police-constable Henry Cooper, stationed at Stalmine, stated that he took the
prisoner into custody on Monday evening, about half-Past eleven o'clock. On examining,
the body of the deceased be found a number of shot marks on the left side of the head and
face, bleeding, and her clothes were saturated with blood. He also found a cap in the garden full
of shot holes, and soaked with blood.
When he took the prisoner into custody he charged him with shooting his wife. He
replied, "I did it; I'll go with you quietly." On the way to the police station he began to tell
Lawrence Hull, who accompanied them, how he did it. He said he had shot her out of the kitchen
window. He said, "Policeman, I took good aim; I am a capital shot;" and be added, "I am happy that
I have done it.' Witness then asked him what he had done it for; when be replied that be did
not know.
On being examined at the police station, blood was found on his face, hands, and
waistcoat. Lawrence Hull was next called and examined; but his evidence was only corroborative
of that of the preceding witnesses;
The jury then retired, and after a brief consultation returned a verdict of
"Wilful murder against Richard Pedder."
The prisoner was then committed, under the coroner's warrant, for trial at the Lancaster
assizes.
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