The Murder of Thomas Davidson 3

CRIME

The Murder of Thomas Davidson

Poaching was a way of life in the Longtown district: although the Netherby Estate employed gamewatchers and river watchers, some men made a living by poaching. The Hogg family, originally from Canonbie, were one family who appeared regularly in the crime reports, accused, and usually found guilty of poaching. Thomas Davidson, a former poacher himself, was employed as gamewatcher by the Netherby Estate: in November 1849, he was found murdered on a moor in a remote part of Bewcastle. Two of the notorious Hogg family were arrested for the murder, along with another man, Andrew Turnbull. . .

December 1st 1849 Carlisle Patriot - The Inquest into the death of Thomas Davidson The inquest was held at a public house in Line Bank in Bewcastle. Turnbull was taken there from Carlisle Gaol?? Turnbull was a well made and good looking young man little more than 30 years of age, having a frank and open countenance exhibiting none of those peculiar marks that are said to characterise the features of a murderer. On the journey he conversed about the nature of the country, looking out at the carriage windows and drew attention to some partridges and other game which the noise of the wheels had startled from their hiding place, laughed heartily at the police officers? wrong estimate of distances and without once alluding to the cause of his fetters, conversed cheerily upon such topics as the changing scenery forced upon his notice.Some idea of the wild and rugged district which they had to traverse may be formed from the fact that with two good horses and the utmost efforts to get along, the carriage was upwards of four hours in travelling seventeen miles? the hills are neither high nor rocky, but the land is all heath and morass; the houses poor and mean and at a great distance from one another. The people too are of a ruder and more inhospitable class than are found elsewhere in Cumberland, arising partly from their habits, partly from their intermixture with vagrants and criminals who make this wild country a refuge from justice?That there are many there insensible to all shame and decency we had incontestable proof on Monday, for of all the scores that flocked to the public house where the inquest was held, instead of behaving themselves with that decent reserve which the melancholy nature of the event demanded, the majority of them seemed to think it a fit occasion for rioting and drunkenness, and in the course of the afternoon, whilst the Coroner and the jury were pursuing their solemn inquiry upstairs, the scene below was enough to shock the strongest mind. On the one hand the landlord of the hovel, dignified by the name of public house, was brawling at the door, uttering oaths loud and deep, and threatening to ?do for? some obnoxious fellow who had disturbed his drunken equanimity, whilst the interior of the place was crammed by a posse of riotous fools, upsetting glasses and seats; some boasting of their money and others crying out with maudlin sympathy ?Where?s Davidson?? ?You?ve murdered Davidson? and the like. In fact, though we have been forced upon many a scene that has shocked and disgusted us, yet we do not remember to have witnessed anything so really disgraceful as that profane and drunken exhibition on Monday evening? The widow of the unfortunate game watcher came into the house in the course of the morning, accompanied by her daughter, a pretty and intelligent girl. As no chairs could be had, they were seated on a bed, and their grief-stricken countenances bespoke their sorrowful mission. The sight of Turnbull and the bustle around, seemed to awake the most poignant feelings within the breasts of the disconsolate widow and her child, and they strove in vain to repress the sighs and tears which followed each other in quick succession.Witnesses at adjourned inquestAndrew Turnbull, of Langley Burn, Bewcastle.Described going searching for game with the two Hoggs, shooting two brace of grouse, a blackcock and a woodcock??We were just coming out of a line doon the Routledge Head when I leukit roond and said ?Hey, there?s Tom coming.? That was the deceased, and Joe leukit o?er his shoulder and Nichol likewise, and Joe said ?Ah currse it,he is!?I said let us ren. Wi? that we a? took to t? gait ? we took to running. We ren aboot a hundred yards and Tom was aboot sixty or seventy yards ahint us. At last Nichol cries ?Stop, I?ll shoot him.? Nichol was last and I was firrst, and the reason I was firrst was because I hed nae birds but ane on me, and I war lighter limbed than them.Joe cried to me to stop and with that I said I wad not. Joe said ?D?n thee, thou?ll not ren away that way,? and I ran aboot 40 yards and then I stopt. Joe flang doon his gun and off wi? his cowt. But afore that Tom says, ?Hey, boys, what?s brocht ye here?? and Joe says. ?D?n thou, what?s brocht thee here??Joe then says, ?D?n thou, I?ll gie thee a good threshing i?t? firrst pleace.? Wi? that Tom says, ?Well, but ye ken t?warst on?t boys,? and wi? that Joe made a brek at him and twisted t?stick oot o? Davison?s hand. Joe then struck at Davidson with his neif. He het him i? the centre o? his forehead. I seed the pleace efter, but I didn?t ken it at the time.Joe then flang him doon,and Tom says, ?Gie o?er Joe, and it?ll be better for thee, ye ken the warst on?t ony way.?Then Joe grippit him i? t? neck here (Witness put his hands to his throat in explanation, adding) ?the front o? his neck.?Tom says, ?Gie o?er Joe, thou?ll not murder me will ye??Wi? that Nichol said ?Thou?s well deserving it; thou?s nobut a mane sworn thief at t? best,? and Joe said ?Thou?s cost us a deal o?money and trouble? (I believe that is the way he said it) ? ?but d?n thee it?ll be t?last time.? There was nae mair said.Joe took him, I think it war by the coat collar, and flang him on til his forehead wi? his feace to t? ground, and cried for Nichol to come and help him. Wi? that, Nichol flang his gun doon, and they did it a-tween ?em, some way aboot his neck, but what way I couldna rightly discover.After they had gotten t? job done, Joe gits up and swore at me ?What was I standing there for? I was nobut a feant hearted b?r at t?best,? he said. I went forrard for them and I war trembling and he damned me what war I trembling at. I telt ?em I dooted I wad hae to tremble yet, and I said I had never trembled afore. Joe says, ?Thou?ll net tell whae it t?war, wilt ye?? and I dursen?t but say I wadn?t or else I might hae gane the same road. Then Joe war for flinging him into a drain o?water, I telt ?em that as they had done as they hed likit, they might jist carry on?.Joe said that he wad hae the plaid some way. Deceased hadn?t his plaid on at this time, he had left it where he hed been sittin?; we went to a little ford at t?head o? t? Caldwell Syke, where we found the plaid and prospect glass. I lifted t?glass and Nichol t?plaid, and I held it i? my hand a wee bit; then I gave Joe it.I went wi?em back to deceased, and Nichol and Joe put t?glass intill his inside cwoat breast pocket, and t?plaid aboot him. Nichol said, ?The thief might easy hae some money on him, and we might as weel hev?t; it?s a? as ane noo?.He opened his waistcoat, and he took out t?purse and t?money that war in it. Nichol took three sovereigns and fifteen half crowns, I believe. They put the purse back intill t?same pocket and left ane pound note and some silver, but I diven?t ken hoo much. I heard ?em say this; I ony saw t?purse at a distance.I got a sovereign and five half crowns for my share, and their?s war the same. Then we left and went for hame, doon the Coldwell-syke, and doon the east side o? the Shiel, and came straight for a place called the Beach Dyke-end, leading into t?Routledge Burn and we parted i?t? meadow field belonging to Thomas Armstrong. I had ane bird i? my pocket at that time, and I gev it to ?em there. I saw no mair o?them till Sunday night, the body war not moved at a? fra the place where he war killed?On Sunday night Joe Hogg came intill my house; my wife and me war sitting doon to supper. Robert Dodgson and Joseph Telford came in immediately after him?They then got supper and sat in t?house about five-and-twenty minutes. Robert Dodgson, I believe, got up first, Telford then went away and Hogg followed. I set them to t?door, and I went oot about a yard oot o? t? hoose, and turned to t?hoose end to mak water; Joe then cam and whispered to me, and telt me to hide shoes, claes and everything I hed on at that day. I said I doubted its going to be a bad job; he said they could mak nothing on us. I replied I thought if we could only keep our ain counsel they couldn?t. He telt me to gang doon till his hoose i? t? morning, and we wad come o?er together. I said I wad not; I wad com myself. That is a? that passed?Coroner: Was nothing said between out as to the tale you were to tell at the inquest?Witness: We said on t?Thursday night that we must stand to that we had never been frae hame. I said I wad say I laid i?bed a?day. Joe and Nichol were to say that they hed been at hame a?day.Coroner: Did you tell any person what had happened when you came home?Witness: I telt my wife only. I telt her of the murder when I came hame. On Wednesday morning I telt her to hide my boots. I did not see her hide them; they had not been hidden when I left hame on Monday morning.Helen Hogg, mother of Joseph Hogg.She is a dark woman, above the middle height, and has a very sinister countenance. The Coroner having administered the oath to her, she would not kiss the Bible, but exclaimed ?I telt ye a? afore and I canna tell ye ony mair?.Coroner: Now, kiss the book. If you refuse to be sworn I will commit you.Witness: I canna tell ye ony mair; I telt ye all afore.Coroner: Now do you understand me? (Mr Carrick then repeated the adjuration, afterwards observing) you have an opportunity today of correcting the evidence you gave on an earlier occasion.Witness: I ken naething mair aboot it; I telt ye it a? afore.Coroner:You have now an opportunity of telling the truth, and if you do persist in stating that which is untrue today the penalty is that proceedings will be taken against you for perjury.Witness: I can sae nae mairCoroner: Now just take notice of that.Witness: Yes I tak noticeCoroner: Are you the wife of Walter Hogg?Witness: Yes, I am.Coroner: Now I ask you whether your son was at home or from home on Thursday the 8th instant?Witness:Yes, I telt you that afore, didn?t I?Coroner: Was he from home?Witness: Yes, I telt ye that afore.Coroner: What time did he leave your house?Witness: Sometime in t?forenoon.Coroner: Did John Nichol go with him?Witness: Yes.Coroner: Upon your oath, at what hour did you return?Witness: I canna say, I was oot at t?time. They cam back together i? t? darkening. Joseph had his gun wi? him; I will na say Nichol had his gun wi? him. He might ha? ta?en ane wi him in t? morning.Coroner: Are you sure he had a gun with him?Witness: I am not sure.Coroner: Did you not give two guns to Mr Sabbage as being those which your two sons had with them on the Thursday?Witness: Yes, they war gi?en to him, but I didna gie them.Coroner: What game had they when they came home that night?Witness: A partridge and a snipe.Coroner: Do you mean to swear that they did not bring home two grouse and a black cock?Witness: I don?t mean to swear anything aboot it.Coroner: Answer my question.Witness made no answer.Coroner: Do you hear, answer my question.Witness still remained silent, but after a while she said, ?They might bring them hame?.Coroner: Well, but did you not see them?Witness made no answer but looked enquiringly at Mr Moore, her son?s legal advisor, who was sitting close to Mr Carrick.Coroner: No, you may not look over here, but look at me.Witness: I war na lewking o?er there.Coroner: Yes, you were. It is unfortunate that Mr Moore and I sit together. You have twice looked to him for an answer.Witness: I war no lewking at him.Coroner: I don?t think Mr Moore would do anything wrong, but you are very much inclined to do so.Witness: Na I isn?t.Coroner: Now answer me. Did not your son Nichol bring home some grouse and a blackcock?Witness: I canna say.Coroner: I insist upon your answering the question.Witness remained silent.Coroner: Now I ask you this question ? Did not Joseph and Nichol bring home some grouse and blackcock that Thursday afternoon?Witness: Weel, there was some but whether they brought it hame or na, I canna say.Coroner: I ask you whether they did not bring them home that afternoon?Witness: Ye ken just as weel as I do mesel? so its nae use my telling ye.(Asked about how many grouse were brought to her house that Thursday):Witness: I?se nae gaing to swear ony mair.Coroner: You must either swear you did or did not see any more grouse, or I must take it that you refuse to answer my question. I ask you whether you saw more than two grouse?Witness: (laughing) Yes, I?ve seen mair at our hoose.Coroner: Don?t trifle with us in that way, and keep your hand from your mouth. I ask you again.Witness: I just saw them twea when I cam in, I was na at hame when they cam in?The jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against Joseph Hogg, John Nichol and Andrew Turnbull, by strangulation with deceased?s neckerchief.On being again placed in the carriage to convey him back to Carlisle, after having given his evidence, Turnbull expressed great disappointment at not being allowed to go out on bail, observing that he could get it to the amount of a thousand pounds. He also said, without being spoken to, that if the devil and all his angles were to meet him then, he should not care, for he had spoken the truth that day, whatever he had done before? He seemed much oppressed with the idea of his being confined in gaol and anxiously inquired if he should have to remain there until the next assizes, and whether the coroner was not obliged to take bail if offered?He observed that he was afraid it was going to be a bad job for him; and subsequently when some remark was made about the slowness of their progress, he said that it was all one to him, for he would as soon leave be where he was than confined in that dark hole, meaning we supposed his cell in the prison.About a quarter past nine in the evening, he was again placed in his cell in Carlisle Gaol, to all appearances in very good spirits.Upon unlocking his cell however on Thursday morning, the turnkey was astonished and horrified to find the unfortunate man suspended by the neck from a towel from one of the iron bars of the prison window. The body was quite cold when discovered; life had evidently been extinct for some time?