The Times (08/Sep/1891) - Arrest for Murder
The following article from the London Times contains several errors in place names.
Arrest for Murder
James Stockwell, 32, teamster, Linthwaite, was yesterday arrested for the murder of Catherine Dennis, servant at the Guy Hotel, Linthwaite, near Huddersfield. The arrest took place at his mother's house, in Paddock, a suburb of Huddersfield. Mrs. Stockwell, awakening early, found her son standing on the top of the stairs. He had been missing for some days, and the police had been looking for him. She asked him if he had had anything to do with the murder, and he replied that he had not. Then she besought him to speak the truth, whatever were the consequences, and he said he would. She thereupon called Police Constable Taylor, who came to the house and arrested Stockwell, who was too weak to offer any resistance. The prisoner was conveyed to the police station. During the morning he was taken ; before the borough magistrates. When the warrant was read over to him charging him with the murder of Catherine Dennis and he was asked whether he were guilty or not, he replied "Guilty" in a low tone. The reply was not distinctly heard, so he was again asked, and this time replied in a louder tone, "Guilty." Mr. Ward, the chief constable, merely asked for the prisoner to be handed over to the county police, and the magistrates ordered that this should be done. Subsequently Stockwell was brought before the county Bench, and Superintendent Pickard briefly recited the facts and said that the circumstances clearly pointed to the prisoner as being the murderer of the girl Dennis. He asked for a remand for eight days, and the clerk to the magistrates said he would in the meantime have to communicate with the public prosecutor. Prisoner was remanded accordingly. He was in the afternoon conveyed to Wakefield Gaol. There were large crowds in the streets in Huddersfield, and public feeling ran high, suggestions to lynch the accused man being frequently heard. During the time he was in custody at Huddersfield, Stockwell made a number of statements to the effect that he had been in the neighbourhood of Crossland Moore and Hanley all the time he has been wanted, and that he had not tasted solid food for many days. He has slept under haystacks on various farms in the neighbourhood and has heard the police were searching for him.