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Frow IdOTiilnn papers /v/r/cer/ at flu Utficc u/tl, .V. ) . S/tfotidor* unlet LASCASXV& ASStZES. Trial<>/fi,c.4slnrof/$, ftcfor Mi James Ashcroft, the elder, Daniel Ashcreft, (brother (o the preeediu.: prisoner.)JaTifi'*J Ashcroft the yonder. ( on of V*C first prisoner.) VVilttaOl Jf-idm, and John Roberbon, for th^ afrociou* murder-at J'cudlctou, near jVinuehc-Ler. A great number of Ju- r<c* fcere dialleugcd on the part of the prisoners. Mr. Cross stated, in fl tDOSt imprCSKiTO address, the circum¬ stance of ihe^c murderers, and the ev¬ idence Hgftil>£f fnc prisoners. These fttrOcioiK minders were committed in X'tv middle of the day at lVudMon, a large village .about two miles from Manchester, and adjoining upon one of the most frequented turnpike roads in the kingdom. Models of the pre¬ mises upon a large scale were exhibited in court, and also drawings and plan* of the house* adjoining \ in short, no expense on the part of ihe prosecu¬ tion was spared to elucidate those hor¬ rible murders, and bring the perpotra- Un* to justice. Twenty-six witness?* vereexamincd on the part of the pro- see nt ion. Mr< Lit tie wood, who appears to be a person in easy circumstances, occu¬ pies n genteel house at Pendleton : he ha s a No a shop at Sal ford which he at- t- tuh onee a week. His family, on Saturday ti'" 26th of April, consisted of himself, his wife, Mr«. M Hidden, (his aijed housekeeper, who had lived with him 20 year-.) and a female servant, 20 years of a*e. He had notes and £old in his drawer up stairs, which\ from the entire Confidence he had in these dome lies, he always left unlocked, to the amount of flfiO. On the morn¬ ing of the fatal day, Mr. and Mrs. Lit* tlcwood went to Manchester, leaving their family in good health and every thing safe : when they returned at se¬ ven in the evening, they found the ho'iseshut up, and it was not until th*y entered the garden that the) trere apprised of the bloody deed which had b^en perp'trated in thrir absence, «nd which had only been* just discov¬ ered. Mr. Ijittlewiiod and a number ofnis neighbor- entered the house by Tn-ans of a ladder, and on going into the kitchen his faithful and ancient domestic was found dead with !>er head inclined upon -lie dresser, sitting in her usual chair and plaee, and the y otig H.'inbu «iiso Inyiu« dead at her fetf, her body mangled in the most ^iocUng manner, And (he floor covered with blood. The murder of the home- keeper hud been effected with a Inr^e ifenp'tker, which »vns found bended and bloody ueurthc body j the skull wa^ dreadfully fractured and beat in upon the ftrain. The young woman. who Wfts ,-fitod in the evidence to hare -wore tt$ tlfP prisoner, William llol- len. This wjtne^ at the same time ■ hat she saw llolden, saw also Mrs. .Viarsdcn, the hou'-e-koeper, who was •ittinu in her usual corner.—In a very low minutes after Holden was seen by 'he lastwitness. the murder must have men COilrtifttted > for a iiftfe- before two o'clock, the shutters of the kitchen window, which shut in the inside, were observed to be partially closed, and in a few minutes after they were quite shut. It was about an hour after this" time that the two Ashcrofts,and a per¬ son, who waS doubtless llolden, were, ••ecu to come out of the gate Leading from the house of Mr. Littiewood into the Manchester turnpike-road, two of them having each a bundle with them. it must be observed here that the shut- ters did not reach to the bottom of the window, but left the lower square o- pen. Ilrt. Powell statedjthflrt the was ser¬ vant to Mr. Hewell, of F«Mi<Heton : ^he went on the afternoon of this day, a* bout a quarter pat four o'clock, to see the young woman, (Hannah Parting¬ ton) but looking through the lower part of the kitchen window, and seeing the house-keeper reclined w ith her head •jpon her hand on the dresser- she was induced to return, not wishing to dis¬ turb her; there was blood spiinkled upon the dresser. Witness went again about half past seven o'clock, and saw her in the same position, her h'*ad down towards her knees, and finding the door locked, witness gave an alarm and the dreadful deed which had been perpetrated was discovered. Though no part of the property which could be id en tilled was traced to any of tire pri- soucTS9 yet property corresponding w ith that lost by Mr. Littlewood, was pro¬ ved to be in the possession of young James Ashcroft, a few hours after the murder was committed, who, on a piece of vacant ground used wind^v : If T xrhfj (saw) any bwty'U**J ing towards the ho%Use, I was to put my hat upon a thorn ius a signal ; I never saw any person go, towards the house and I never put m,y |,at upon the ihorn ; I afterwards saw irhem come out of the hou^e, and I W^nt towards them.'* Witness said, forme other prisoners were put to them just a> .fas. Ashcrofl had said this, and the conversation was never again renewed. Witness on his cross examination, said he was never asked by Adam Alwull, after he was released from prison, what he thought of the Ashcroft*, and that he neversaid ftt&J he thought thfty were not guilty, nor any thing to that effect. Jamns Burdckiu proved the fact of the elder James Ashcrofl having call¬ ed at his master's -hop, who is a butch¬ er at Pendleton, to ask for a little pith. Being desired to sf«to the very words of Ashcroft. Raid, « I am come a beg¬ ging." Witness replied, " Begging is b'fore stealing, whar do you want?" fcw A little pith from a neck of mutlou." M What do you want ir for?" " to rub my c^rn which is painful." Witness gave him some, and Ashcroft went away. Alice Robinson lives at Pendleton : proved that W. llolden came to her house on the day the murder was Com¬ mitted, and that sh* shaved him. The case on the part of the prosecu¬ tion finished at four o'clock. The pri¬ soners being called upou for their de¬ fence, % James Ashcroft the elder, strongly denied the confession spoken to by witness Collins, and declared that no Mich conversation as that stated by him ever took place, and that he never in Mm life said any thing to that effect : heal*0 declared that he never was in Mr. Little-wood's house in his life, and that he never saw the two murdered women «ince he was born : he conclu¬ ded with stating that his hope was in God. I am inno- may be revealed- vrho ftsi t'one this cruel murder, when 1 am gone, for the satisfaction of the countn. James Ashcroft the younger- going to die forthis,*nd I die cent, and I thank God for it; and, looking round, he said, I hope you will be kind to my pr*>r wife and d»ar children whom I leave friendless in tlw world, and 1 hope and pray that God will protect them. Wm llolden—Yes, there is a Cod who will judge this cau^e again, and those who now sit in judgment upon us ; I am as innocent as a child of this murder. Here there was a general, loud and vehement CfV from all the prisoners — Yes. we are all innocent, and we shall die declaring our innocence ; and the elder James Ashcroft, with the most en¬ thusiastic vehemence, extending his arm as high as possible, and waving a har.dkorchiof,exclaimed in an elevation of voice which reverberated through the Court, " Glory be to God, we are in- uocent, and we shall die innocent." The Judge, who appeared evidently distressed by this strange and unusual scene, said, « Prisoners you behave in a manner very unbecoming your un¬ happy situation." Silence being resto¬ red by this admonition, his Lordship then proceeded in the most impressive terms, in which he expressed his per¬ fect satisfaction in the verdict of the Ju¬ ry, to pass sentence of death upon the prisoners, and their bodies feiven to the surgeons for dissection. r, .....----------as a gaming i place at Manchester, produ. ed a hand- ! ful of gold and a great number ^ ] I). Ashcroft said, «I am as innocent notes, though the same morning h- w*> -■ *hc child unboftl. I never went to so poor that he could not pay a debt of; •.. - sc of Mr. Mttlewood, nor did hree shill.ngs Lpon the person of I « seethe women whu were mur- Dav.d Ashcroft was found five . -ne j idered " Ur pound Bank of Kngland notes, and *.' I James Ashcroft the younger said ven and a half guinea, in gold. The ; that he never was at Mr. uSrS£ mdence hitherto given applies less to hou^in his life,a»id never ST£ herase of th^ r» \Aa* &.u,.ri «i.. ,• l___ i .... me se h-en Riofftilari) handsome, M been butcftercH with an iron cIcTer, and her ," \ ,',a\ "W'gW Ul a manner too Knocking lordescriprion. Tli ■ prisonerg, Ashcroft, two broth- er>. itwia SOn, bad formerly iivetl atthi, tmajce.rh.oagh it waa d great nmdwt o. years aa0. On this dr-adf.il day fh-> rtereall seen at Pendlotan,where th.-M were proved (o l,av„ been from eleven o'clock in the mamhig to three inrlieafterno-vn; and David Ashcroft and young James A«hcro/t, and a per. smi fitated, though with lesscontideuce to be llolden. were seen comineo.it of t.K-uardcn gate of Mr. Littlewood's «ritli two bundles, about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the. rerv time when the murder must have been completed ■ they had aUo been seen by many per¬ sons hovertog and forking about the premises, particularly in a firld called the three-nook .ield, which comtnaods a perfect nen ,.f the premises, for se¬ veral hours before this pe.iod: and lastly, .f any confirmation «M matte* Of tins important circumstance, they all admitted themselves to have been & Pendleton oni this day, and at the ren tin..- when this deed of blood must have been committed On the preceding eve,,,,,, ,henhole party were proved to have been together at a public ho,.,.. at Manchester, engaged in a close and earnest conversation in a low tone of TOlce f.-r more than two hours. Mary Hallas ,ives at Pendleton, *a>serva„t ma family who lived on tt* opposite side of the mHd to \ir Hf rr* 0n ^a,urtl:,>-t,,e »6t - Apnl, ,he went between one ail(I fwo o . Ii.ck in the afternoon to vir Lit tle;,ond's plimp f(„. some ' - ««'"« wh.ch she necessarily passed (he kitrhen window, she turned her head on rmeside and just opposite the wiu- 7 h" «* a |»a" »«ftd J she look- evM npoil h ith surh . <m J t-h.hada full impress!,,,, of hig •ndsl.e -...^led the same man out of i «7'»»"»»Tor ,..,son, on th, „.Mow- togiloudarj urn man she- positively the case of the elder A^hcioft than tie other prisoners, hut this def-ct \vas supplie<l bv a confession made under rerv *intfttlttr circtfhfistaneeSe \Vil!nm Collins stated, that he Imd been -ervaut to Mr. Ilaiupsted, a rriR- i;"r11'ate, aboe* seven y^afR, w ith whom he lived until his death, v hen he came to live at Manchester ; removed h\^ goods to .M'.inchesfer in a cart which he borrowed of a person of the name of Asfley. A Richard Young claimed this cart, which he snid he ln<l bought of A>tlev, who hnd refused to deliver it. and hocRasod the witness to be ap- prohended en a charge of stealing; the enrt, and confined until Saturday the •2d of May, vrheii he was discharged. During part of his confinement, he oc- cupied the ^mp ceil as James Ash¬ crofl the elder, who was taken out to be examined two or three times every day. Upon his return after one of his examinations, witness said to him, u wet], James, how hare yon gone on oow ?" Ashcroft said he was in very poor heart, they brought fresh witness¬ es against him every time, lie also aid,'* nurdered women entil he was carried tose- their dead |i"dies, and a dread¬ ful wght it was ; | kissed their inno¬ cent lips, continued t,1e prisoner, and j I hop: to meet therfl W M^hWk \ Art. 'meet them with, adlear conscience,and 1 think tiod f r it. Wiliiam Holden said.'he never tur¬ ned away from the dead bodies as Mr. j Xadin had stated, though it was a shocking sight ; so far from it, he kis¬ sed their lips ; he said he had neither part nor lot in the murder ; he had ne¬ ver been at Mr. Littlewood's house. : and had never seen these women in his life. On the part of the eld^r Ashcroft. Wm. Alwell was called to doawaj tlir eff'ct of Collins' e>ideuce ; he stated that he saw Collin• on the day he Mas released from prr <»", and he asked him if he had seen nr h*anl any thing of the men who hail been taken up for the murder; Colli**3 replied, he. be¬ lieved they were as innocent as a child unborn. Several other wUM9**> ivero called on the part of the prisoners but their sow, it would Ko betVr nit, il T ' °' "lc T'T'*"' huf tlui •'"•v could not rind I c em'h,t fW«««»w not safliciently im,,or -i k. did J, th vt' ,rIS,firtf If tQ. "**«*« ^ '•""<-"- « it for he thought i» f u y d r,"'] tl"' l),IS0"ers. mother £S££P35^* Hii Urttf-*?pr|qone" **i WW, " thai he douht., tl"$Tm , tf*ia'^^^Si "^oVIoek, *H banged ;'« a„d SfcSi 5 l? be l***Mp began fnschargc to the ju- as St go 'n at that time- ehev (h,.n Plncev, he,,-there is Vra W fo a terlooking at L ' r*'c» kpP* ; »f- ^dnotgo"n wSf^frh*0*1™ ^n went! to into a barher'c a "^,™«tti then I, th 57 ,Vf,"f into °P and bought coming from '•"re desired ikvZtl' (llU l^<hh\p ■ ' - ma witness wonJd use finished at live niinii""* past liveoVloek^ his lordship began M*charge to the ju¬ ry, which occupied about two hours. As soon as his- [0i-d>hiphad concluded' the jury turned ro.:'"' in their box, and in about two or threeminutes the tore- man pronounced n verdict ofgnfUutig. amst all the prison/-'" except John Ro. binson, whom they ol'course found not guilty. As soon ns the fprdict was delivered a scene which begj?*" "H description took place. The prisoners as if wjtj{ one voice, rehemen"ty protested their innocence ; and th'e wife of the youn- ger James Ashcrofl; rent the Court with the most pierc^'S shrieks, which produced evidently the most distress- HiJ reelings in ev^'O' person present. After some degree of Composure and silence had been restored, the Clerk of the Court, put the i^s,»al interrogatories » each of the pr'>oners, demanding I ■ ^t thej had to ^»er why judgnie.it 01 death should n..ll P»S« upon themao- w>rd«ig to the lav. -"hen the prJsOJJ. ers severally addr?essed tlic Court in "early the feUowftf1* terms. James Ashcroft ,the elder said-— Be- canse so many lie > have been fold of «s; and I pray rfM Cod Almighty would eve., now seS"d down upon thai 'aide the an/f,|s 0f' those murdered w0 nun to festifv ofalP* '""oce,,,,.. l>avi,l Ashcroft —There have been jo many perjured witnesses naAn^n gainst »s, thatwe^ no meansofde-li fending ourselves = we are i„1M,cantof this murder, ^d jU"ay to trod that it Execution of the Aftltfrofte and Holden at Lancaster* On Monday at half past twelve o'clock, the execution of Juntos Ash¬ croft the elder, David Ashcroft, James Ashcroft the younger, and William Holden, convicted on the preceding Fri.lav, of the, wilful murder of Mar- garet iMarsden, and Hannah Paiting- tofl., at Pendleton, took place on the Outside of Hie castle at Lancaster. The platform bring fixed within a few yards of tl»e Uight of steps leading into the court; uhich was then sitting. The public curiosity having been strongly excited, as well bj the atrocious nature offhese murders, as by the l;rm denial of them by all the prisoners when sen¬ tence of death «ps passed cpon them, an unusual number of persona hnd as¬ sembled to witness the execution. After the prisoners were removed ftWft the hnr on Friday niglit, they were each taken to a sopftnlie cell, wh'-rethey were visite<Iby the Rev. Mr. (Rowley, the ordinary, who endeavored b\ the most solemn persufttions, to in¬ duce them to make the only atonement in their power for the dreadful crime for which they bad been convicted, but [each of them declared their innocenc* in the most solemn and emphati.' terms, though they confessed the; had lived 1 in a very wicked manner and done ma¬ il)- Wid actions, and which David Ash* croft, in particular, scmed deeply to lament. On Sunday the prisoners at¬ tended divine service in the chapel, and at the conclusion wished to be left a- lone, and the other prisoners and at¬ tendants withdrew. One of the latter, however, remained in a situation where unknown to the prisoners, he could hear their conversation ; but without Stating what this conversation was, it may be sufficient to state that it procee¬ ded upon the assumption of their inno* cence, and rhat David Ashcroft, on (hi* cousrderation, exhorted his fellow pri¬ soners to die with fortitude and resig¬ nation. The prisoners a^ain assembled in ffn chapel on the morning of execution, at I 1 o'clock, to engage for the last time in the public offices of religion, and to hear the service appointed for such a solemn occasion. The sacrament wasthen administered, and which the prisoners received with every appear- ance of sincere devotion. Just before the solemn procession begun to more towards the platform,the Under Sher¬ iff inquired of all the prisoners if they had any communit-atious to make, or requests to transmit: to their friend.*. They severally replied* that they find only to req nest that he would commu¬ nicate to the public the protestations they had made of their innocence.— D;ivid Ashcroft aslu-d if he might be allowed to address a few words to the people from the platform ? lie was an¬ swered in the affirmative ; and inquiry was made if the other prisoners wished to say any thing. James Ashcmft the elder said, he was a rude uneducated man, and his brother David had better speak for them all. James A<hcrofi the younger expressed hi* ........-- ■ •* chi sons nr<Ptt Mm} in flic following Urms j lt Friends and neighbours and fej] lew countrjmro, you are new assem bled to witness our iguimiiHui? death, declarebcforeCcd, in whose presence iim gning to appear, and before youal that I am a* innocent of the crime |c which I am aboflt to Mt'fler as a chi! that is unborn, and if I were to tal- ever so long to you I could say nomorj I hope God will forgive all my perse cutors, and that he will pardon all m sins, for 1 am innocent of this. And J pray God to bless you all. I f0rgjTe| every one of my persecutors: and humbly hope that the Almighty «j receive my soul." The executioner then proceeded to place the fatal cord around his neck and to tic it to the beam, andputacap over his face- David Ashcroft was then brought upon the platform, and placed next to Holden. Hi immediately turned round and in a linn and elevated, and yet mild tone of voice, spoke to tig fol¬ lowing effect :— " You are all (the hundreds and thousands of persons who are now he fere me) assembled to see four inno< cent men sutler death—me« as inno¬ cent of the crime for which we are to 'suffer as any one of you. I am bcttj for the last time, to testify to the fact of our innocence ; and now, that I am going to die, I will declare that there were witnes-es examined against 01 that did not speak the truth, faery one of you are as guilty of these uiui* dersas we are. We are really innn- cent, and 1 would not die with a lie ia my mouth. No, I bless God that 1 can with truth make this declaration; and it gives me a consolation, which I cannot express, that 1 ran thus public¬ ly tcatif\ our innocence ; and I aa perstfaded that many of those who hart given (heir evidence against us, bawl more aching heart at this moment than I have. 1 humbly pray to God (W we may be the last who shall wronj(' fully sutler from this castle, and IpraJ that God would, by his Holy Spirit, Instruct the people of Manchester,it* that they may be better informed, awl that he may turn their hearts. I a'4 now going to depart from fids World; 1 ♦rust into glory. It is a change fc,f which I am prepared, and I tructsnoH to see thr Lord Jesus. I make it n'J fervent prayer to God rhat our hwj cence may at some linv' ,v' rotdrflflfllj1 test , and i hope and im>i ((.,,. " men who have really t'omnutfftj rl'!* crime, will bo discovered and broi /"' to justice ; and that fhpj *\\\ •*" this place, make as public a ronfes "* oftheirguntftswelmTiPitJr^iideiilifQf?1 If J knew any thing what.-ve* «.f (j/'* murders : if 1 had either n ceiv-d ,^e part of the property, or knew vv.^i,,"/ if 1 knew who had commit'ed rheni had any knowledge of an; one r ire.'^ stance relating to them, 1 <houlrfi)(, ' guilty, and I should deern myself guilty, as if I had done them wiftJ! own hand ; but thank God I d0 n J 1 pmj God Atajtfbtji to blessyoualh James Ashcroft the younger al r then brought upon ttepla,^- J mflde »o «W»m to the ptW Zti ^ecufione, prodded to &%gt alr^adv performed fur the other prisoners* l^° Jam ed la no* apart, and .hen quieflyZ! himsc f by his sidf Tl, J \ l i*pmuA his approval of Af ^"^ after twebe o'clock s arrangement. ^ door lead!,,, fro,,, t,1P C^^hl l\ H *k»* -I . * * "*> brou^htand pkled arthTZ^ ? "* executioner, ni .u. A o. .i. .... ■ I ■" »«aiM ad \ 4 ma iminett8C uumber of per- mes Ashcroft, tho fafher, appear. st upon the sraflbld, he had 8(j. vantvd to his son and kissed him in the himself by his side. The executiomr having adjusted the cord- and pulled the cap over his eyes, left (he platform. Wm. llolden tjieu turned round as far as the cord would allow, an<l paid, "I am innocent) J can only Rpeafc form). self, J left the other men at half pastj o'clock;" he then ceased for a mo. menf, and afterwards added, u but I believe they are innocent too." Tfa prisoners were then heard to pi«v; they acknowledged tUo sinfulness of their past lives, but appealed to the great sea rchcr of hearts- as to ihvir in¬ nocence of that crime for which they were about to suffer. Alter some mo- mentsspi-nt in prayer, the executioner appcam'd upon too platfornl, he pulled t'lecaps Umvi r down, and lo.kedatthe cords to see fliey were all properly pla¬ ced, and then retired. The writer of this account wishing to avoid the shock and pain of witnessing the completion of the dreadful ceremony- hurried i* way, when his attention wasarre.'Ml by >omc voices Staging a hymn; his first impression was that jtproceedw from the room out of uhich the prison¬ ers had just come, but turning liisej« to the platform hepeiwfred that it **> the prisoners who were thus engaged. They suui; with an unfaltering voice \nll.....:- 'he folio wing ste.n/a:— An,| uj »»v Ahikeriviifi my brratb; ,,,,lm) *»ier is lost in death. ,,^«'^li,(ll,,[o>mvm,,),lTr,lttVi Jjy««j»afjmiMrialtBlie>rfctfH WWteJIfc and Mfltt^v/ aaj bcU,$:m, WioVMrbitUiotfaiWi