The path leading to the back door of Todmorden Parsonage, along which neighbours walked to rescue Revd Plow.
Mrs Bell heard neighbours, who had heard Revd Plow’s pleas, hammering at the front door trying to gain entrance. She ran downstairs to let them in, but found the front door locked and the key missing. Eventually, a Mr Stansfield and others were admitted through the back door of the parsonage. They heard shots ring out from the bedroom and rushed upstairs to find Mrs Plow on the bed, blood running from her nose and forehead, saturating her clothes. Weatherill had attempted to shoot Mrs Plow but had missed, so he had resorted to beating her over the head with a poker.
Mr Stansfield and another neighbour, Mr Charles Edward Binks, captured Weatherill as he rushed out of the bedroom. Stansfield asked the captured man if he knew that he had killed Jane Smith, to which he replied, ‘Yes, and if it hadn’t been for the bloody pistols there would have been two more deaths here tonight.’ Weatherill showed no remorse or fear when he was taken downstairs to wait for the police to arrive, he calmly took out his pipe and lit it, saying, ‘I may as well have a smoke; I suppose it is the last I shall have, for I know I will swing for what I have done.’ The police arrived shortly afterwards and on searching Weatherill found that he was wearing a home-made pistol belt which was tied at the back with string. Four holes had been made in the belt, into which the four pistols had been inserted. In his pockets they found a quantity of gunpowder, many bullets and caps and some loose shot.
In his statement, Weatherill said that the reason for the attempted murder was to gain revenge on Revd Plow for his objection to seeing Sarah. Revd Plow had asked her to stop seeing Weatherill, but when the relationship continued he accused his servant of a breach of trust, and as a consequence she was dismissed by Mrs Plow. Weatherill claimed that by dismissing Sarah he had taken away her character and she would be unable to find further employment. After Weatherill threatened the Reverend, the clergyman took steps to prevent him from intruding on the grounds. Despite his fears, the girl was given a good reference by Mr and Mrs Plow and Sarah quickly found work at the Friends Retreat, an asylum in York where Weatherill visited her on the Saturday and Sunday before the attack.
On Wednesday 4 March, the inquest into Jane Smith’s death was undertaken by the coroner, at which Weatherill was present. He was described as a young man who was considered to be quite good looking. The prisoner appeared to be unconcerned during the proceedings and laughed and conversed with the officers in charge of him. He corrected and cross-examined the witnesses, as was his right, and behaved very coolly for a man in such a serious position; however, he appeared to be more thoughtful when Revd Plow gave his evidence. Weatherill had told the policeman who arrested him that if he had not been collared he would have made his escape to Hebden Bridge that night. After hearing all the evidence the jury found him guilty of wilful murder.
On Friday 6 March, the case was heard at the Magistrates’ Court in Todmorden at 3 p.m. The court and the approaches to it were crowded long before the appointed hour of the case, and it was with extreme difficulty that the magistrates and witnesses were able to obtain an entrance. The prisoner had no defence, but he seemed to take a great interest in the evidence and took copious notes throughout the proceedings. He was placed between two police constables and, according to the journalists reporting on the case, appeared young and small in stature with a reddish moustache. Despite his boyish appearance, the five charges made against him were very serious:
Murder of Jane Smith
Attempting to shoot Revd Anthony John Plow with intent to murder him
Feloniously wounding Revd Plow with intent to murder him
Shooting at Mrs Harriet Louisa Plow with intent to murder her
Feloniously striking her with a poker, with intent to murder her
Despite his brave demeanour it was reported that his countenance changed while listening to the details of his crime, especially when the bloody axe was produced in the courtroom.
Great sympathy was shown to Revd Plow, who was the first to take the stand as a witness. It was evident that he was still in a feeble and exhausted state. He told the court that he was the vicar of Todmorden and that Sarah Bell had been in his service from 1864, first as a nurse then, in the second year of her employment at the parsonage, she became the cook. She was a very valued and important member of his staff, until she started an acquaintance with Weatherill. He announced that Mrs Plow was unable to attend due to the severity of her injuries and that her health was in a most precarious state. Revd Plow said that when Weatherill had asked permission to court Sarah Bell, he had told him that he did not approve of long courtships happening under his roof, but at the same time complemented him on his straightforwardness and honesty. He described how, one evening, he heard shots being fired at his back door; he later found out that it was covered in shot and the window was broken. At this point, the prisoner asked Revd Plow why he had denied permission for the relationship to continue even though he knew that Sarah’s parents had approved of the courtship. Revd Plow told him that it was mainly because the girl was so young and that even though Weatherill showed good intentions towards the girl, he just didn’t trust him. The clergyman stated that he had been under the impression that the affair had been over for six months before he found out that Sarah Bell had lied to himself and his wife and that she had continued to see Weatherill.
The prisoner watched him impassively as he gave his evidence and, indeed, the only time he displayed any emotion was when he was listening to the evidence of his sweetheart, Sarah Bell. She was described as being a very interesting, good-looking girl who was very affected by the evidence she was giving. Sarah was asked if Weatherill had asked her to marry him, to which she coolly replied that it referred to a private matter and had nothing to do with the case. Some letters between the prisoner and Sarah were read out, which indicated that he had asked her to come and live back in Todmorden once more. He had written to her, stating that to walk out together would plague the Plows more. One of the letters read:
We should not have had any occasion to be parted at all had Plow been a gentleman. He and his wife and the traitor [Jane Smith] have spoiled our happiness, and unless that happiness can be renewed they shall rue it; for I will open Jane’s secret to all Todmorden, and [we] will not be the only ones to suffer. No; the traitor will suffer a little. I cannot forgive them for doing what they have done, because we acted honourably, and it was not right of them to do as they have.
Sarah told the court that the Revd Plow had found out about the deception and she left their employ on 12 November. On that date, Weatherill had accompanied her to her home at Newby Wiske, near Thirsk, and he had stayed with her for two or three days. Once she had been given the position at York he had also visited her there. During his visit she told him that Jane Smith had been telling tales to the Revd Plow about his visits and he vowed that he would have his revenge on her, although he did not state what form of revenge it would be.
Medical evidence and a description of Revd Plow’s injuries were given by the surgeon, Dr Foot. He described that the Reverend had several deep wounds on his head and his left ear was split in two. The doctor stated that Mrs Plow’s injuries were also extremely severe; the bone of her nose was broken and her head was cut in several places. The jury found Miles Weatherill guilty and he was committed to the Manchester Assizes to take his trial. At the dismissal of the court, Sarah Bell went up to Weatherill and embraced him for the last time.
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‘his left ear was split in two’
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Despite the fact that the proceedings had taken most of the day (they finished at 9.30 p.m.), the police were unable to remove the prisoner due to the crowds’ refusal to disperse, and it was with great difficulty that he was finally removed from the courthouse.
The funeral of Jane Smith took place later the same day and was attended by a large concourse of people. She was buried in the churchyard of the par
ish church, which adjoins the parsonage; her grave was only about twenty yards away from the spot where she was murdered.
Todmorden parish church, c. 1912.
Shockingly, news was heard on Friday 12 March that Revd Plow died from his injuries. He had died that evening at six o’clock from inflammation of the brain, which was caused by the injuries inflicted on him by Weatherill.
The inquest into Revd Plow’s death was heard on Monday 16 March at the Black Swan Inn. The coroner, Mr F. Dearden, announced that a vast amount of rubbish had been reported in the local newspaper and demanded that all reporters leave the inquest, something which was not popular with the jury. Nevertheless, they left and the inquest went ahead. After hearing all the evidence of other witnesses and the statement of the surgeon, the jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against Miles Weatherill. At the close of the inquest, the coroner offered condolences to his widow, Mrs Plow, and the two young children who were left fatherless.
On the day that Revd Plow’s death was announced, Weatherill’s case opened at the South Lancashire Assizes at Manchester before Mr Justice Lush. When the prosecution announced the death of Revd Plow it seemed to come as some surprise to the prisoner; he pleaded not guilty. The prosecution lawyer, Mr Campbell Foster, who was aware of the notoriety of the case, asked the jury to clear their mind of the sensational nature of the crime and to judge it on the evidence produced in court. Weatherill’s defence, Mr Torr, tried to prove that at the time of the murder the prisoner’s mind had been affected, which was indicated by the atrocity and manner of the deed. After a lengthy trial, the jury returned a verdict of guilty and the judge passed the sentence of death, dismissing the claim of insanity.
On the Sunday morning following the trial, the assistant curate preached the sermon and it was noted that the entire congregation passed the parsonage on the way to the service. Opposite the eastern end of the church was the grave of Jane Smith and next to it, within ten yards of the church, was an open grave which was to receive the remains of Revd Plow. Prayers were said by the congregation, not only for Revd Plow, but also for Miles Weatherill, who was now lying under sentence of death.
It was announced that the execution would take place at Manchester on Saturday 4 April, where he would be hanged along with another murderer, Timothy Flaherty. Revd Plow’s own father asked that a day of prayer and humiliation be offered, stating: ‘Lest the vengeance of the Lord should come upon the congregation for the murder of a priest.’ Meanwhile, Weatherill remained unrepentant of his crime. Indeed, it was said within the prison that Weatherill had commanded the chaplain to leave his cell, to take his books with him and to trouble him no more.
Miles Weatherill and Timothy Flaherty were hanged at the New Bailey at Salford at eight o’clock in front of an immense crowd of spectators said to have been between 20,000 and 25,000. It seems that his outburst against the chaplain was forgiven, as Weatherill spent the remainder of his time in prayer with him. Before he was hanged, Weatherill also acknowledged the justice of his sentence. When he appeared on his way to the scaffold he was clutching a prayer book and it was reported that his lips were moving as if he was repeating prayers. Both condemned men were reported to be pale and the gaol chaplain accompanied Weatherill. The chaplain reported that he had repented of his transgressions on the night before his execution.
Christ Church, Todmorden. Revd Plow’s grave lies to the rear of the church (hidden by the tiles of the lych gate).
Weatherall’s was one of the last hangings to be held in public. The following month it was decided that all hangings were to take place in private and that a black flag would now be erected in order to show the public that the execution had taken place. The same month, it was announced that the congregation at Todmorden were planning to erect a stained-glass window in the church in memory of their late vicar. The newspapers no doubt exacerbated the excitement in the case, but there is no denying that many were completely stunned by the viciousness of the attack inflicted by such a cold, calculated killer.
CASE TEN 1870
MURDERED BY
HIS SON
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Suspect: Walter Crabtree
Age: Forty-nine
Charge: Murder
Sentence: Not Guilty
* * *
The early Victorians were great newspaper readers, avid for news of what was happening in the local area as well as in the towns and cities of Great Britain. As the century went on more people had access to education and many taught themselves to read from the newspapers of the time. Morning newspapers were usually delivered by early trains and so towns like Halifax would be able to read about the goings-on of the metropolis with their breakfast. For those who got their newspaper in December 1870, they would read about a shocking murder which happened in their own town.
William Crabtree, a widower aged forty-nine, was a printer who had sold newspapers and books for more than twenty years in Halifax. He was the proprietor of a three-storey house in one of the main thoroughfares of the town – Waterhouse Street. The building held a sitting room above the shop and the floor above was Mr Crabtree’s bedroom, which held a double bed that he shared with his youngest son, Samuel, aged ten. There were two more bedrooms in the building, one which held his two other sons – Walter, aged nineteen, and George, aged seventeen – and in the other slept a woman named Kate Byrne, a distant relative who was their housekeeper. Walter and George were partners in the business with their father, but it was rumoured that Walter and his father had recently argued over which direction the business should take.
At about five o’clock in the morning on Sunday, 18 December 1870, PC George Wilson was on duty and was walking past the Crabtree premises. There had been a spate of burglaries in and around the town and as he passed the shop of Crabtree & Sons he decided to check that the building was secure. As he was trying the door he heard a number of dull blows emanating from within, followed by the cry of someone in terrible distress. The policeman went to the door at the side of the house, which led into Gills Court and granted access into the building when the shop was closed. PC Wilson pounded on the door, and Walter Crabtree answered and told him that his father’s throat had been cut. The constable noted that Walter was wearing only a shirt and trousers and that he had neither a waistcoat nor jacket on. The two men went upstairs where they met George, who indicated towards his father’s bedroom. Inside, PC Wilson found the body of the elder William Crabtree in bed alongside his younger son, Samuel, who was very distressed. Lighting a candle they discovered that Mr Crabtree had been beaten about the head so badly that the bed was covered in blood and it was hard to recognise him. Checking for a pulse, PC Wilson found that the man was still alive but appeared to be unconscious. Walter asked, ‘Who hast done this?’ and Samuel replied, ‘Thou knowest who has done it.’ PC Wilson immediately sent Walter to the Town Hall to notify the police that Mr Crabtree had been attacked, whilst he ran to summon the surgeon, Dr Hodgson Wright of King Cross Street. When Walter arrived at the Town Hall, he asked Sergeant Jonathon Potterton to come quickly to the house as his father had been attacked.
* * *
‘the bed was covered in blood’
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Kate Byrne had been woken up by the noise and, hearing what Samuel had to say, asked Walter upon his return if it was true that he had murdered his father with a poker. Walter denied it, saying he heard sounds of an attack and had gone to his father’s aid. A search was made for the murder weapon and PC Wilson found a piece of wet iron in the kitchen sink. The constable took Walter’s hands and noted that he had blood on the cuff of his shirt. Walter was arrested and charged with the murder of his father.
Later on, Samuel and Kate Byrne were discussing the events of that night when he mentioned that he thought the man who had attacked his father was taller than Walter. Samuel was taken to the police station the next day and was questioned about what had happened. He said that he had been sleeping next to his father when he was jolted awake b
y a blow to his back. He said that he could make out the outline of a man raining blows on his father’s head. The candle, which had been placed on a nearby table, had been put out and as a consequence there was very little light in the bedroom. However, he was able to see that the man who attacked his father had covered his face with a piece of cloth and that he was dressed in a white shirt and dark trousers. His brother George stated that he had been woken by the sounds coming from the next room and noticed that his brother was not in the bed.
The inquest into the death of William Crabtree was held on Monday 19 December before the coroner, Mr Barstow, at the Town Hall. The crowds which attended were very large and it was decided that the inquest would simply be one of identification, so the jury went to the house to view the body. On their return the proceedings were adjourned until 3.30 p.m. later that same day. When the inquest resumed, PC Wilson described how they searched the building for the murder weapon before finding the piece of iron – which had previously been used in a printing press but now served as a poker – in the sink. The piece of metal was still wet and appeared to have been washed by the person who had committed the murder.
A post-mortem had been carried out on the day before the inquest by surgeons Mr J.H. Wright and Mr Bramley. They confirmed that Mr Crabtree’s skull had been fractured in three places. On summing up, the coroner told the jury that it was apparent, given the circumstances, that the murder could only have been committed by a member of the family. The inquest had lasted for five hours and when the jury retired to deliver their verdict at 8.30 p.m. it only took five minutes for them to find Walter guilty of the wilful murder of his father. Throughout the inquest the prisoner exhibited no sense of concern or remorse, although he appeared to be upset when Samuel gave his evidence.
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