ILLINOIS
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
Production Note
Project Unica
Rare Book & Manuscript Library University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign 2015








Horrid
OF A LITTLE GIRL,
AT ACKHURST, NEAR WIGAN.
T& '! / U
murder
A most ctuel murder lias been committed at Ackhurst, near Wigan. The unfortunate victim is a little girl, the daughter of William Houghton, a farm bailiff. It appears from the evidence of the little girl, a sister of the deceased, that a man entered the house about half an hour after her father and mother had gone out and asked for her father. He was told that Mr. Houghton lived there, but was at the farm. He then commenced au attack upon herself and sister, striking herself and sister savagely with a hammer. Deceased ran out of the house and he followed her, returning in about five minutes He struck witness again with the hammer and
kicked her, and afterwards threw her over the hedge into a field. The man did not appear tipsy In the evening as the mother and father were returning home from his employer, accompanied by a man named Parkinson, when the mother, called the attention of the father to something a short distance from them, and remarked about the ducks being astray. On the father stepping forward he was horrified at finding the dead body of his child. There were five wounds on the skull, several of which were sufficient to cause death. No trace of the murderer has been discovered, although a reward of 100/. has been offered,
Oil list, you tender parents dear,
To this sad sad tale you shall hear,
And when the same I do relate,
It will make each pitying hea:<t to ache.
Near Wigan was done this cruel deed,
The facts are dreadful for to read.
At Ackhurst, a pair did happy dwell,
And round Wigan were respected well,
At Mr. Roper’s farm they were employed, And now this sad deed has their peace destroyed.
William Houghton and his wife, not thinking harm,
Had been unto their master’s farm;
To their family were returning home,
Not thinking they’d have cause to mourn.
They .with a friend named Parkinson,
In pleasant converse passed along,
When Mrs. Houghton, she did say,
Just see those ducks have got astray.
But, oh, alas, how sad to tell,
A form was there they all loved well ;
Poor Annie’s body there they found,
A lifeless corpse upon the ground.
The mother she with grief near wild,
At the sad tale of her dear child;
For her other children she did seek,
And found her infant fast asleep.
In her parentis absence, as we find,
The author of this dreadful crime,
The coward did her dear life take,
As her sister Catherine did relate.
She said a man to the house did come,
And was told her parents was from home; And then commenced his cruelty,—
Oh what a monster he must be!
He beat pcor Annie upon the head,
With a hammer till the poor child fled,
But after her the wretch he run,
To complete the work he had begun.
Then back again he did repair,
And beat and killed poor Catherine dear, Then her body o’er the hedge did throw, None but a brute could serve her so.
The monster has escaped we see.
But let us hope he will taken be;
For poor Annie’s blood for vengeance cries, WThat mercy can he expect from high.
May God above now hear my prayer,
And dry her parenrs briny tears ;
And this cruel monster bring to light.
That took poor Annie Houghton’s life.
H, Disley, Printer, 57, High Street, St. Giles, London.