The Murder of William Forster

CRIME

The Murder of William Forster

Tragedy in Nicholforest (from the Carlisle Journal September 1891)A Farmer Shot by a Poacher - Suicide of the MurdererThe remote district of Nicholforest in this county has been the scene of a terrible tragedy, resulting in the murder of Mr William Forster, farmer, Brown Knowe, on Saturday, and in the subsequent suicide on Sunday of his assailant, a labourer named James Armstrong, who cut his throat rather than fall into the hands of the police. Mr William Forster, who was 38 years of age, was a son of Mr Forster, The Nook, a well known judge of horses, and brother of Mr Arthur Forster, horse dealer of this city. He was formerly traveller for the Longtown Brewery Company, but had lately devoted himself to agriculture.On Saturday Mr William Forster went to his father?s residence, The Nook, and when he returned to Brown Knowe one of his sons informed him that he had heard a shot fired in an adjacent field forming part of the farm. Mr Forster thereupon told his son to let him have the cocker dog and to keep the pup in, and he would go on to the Knowe, the field from which the sound of the report had come, and see who was shooting. The son accompanied his father to the gate entering the Knowe, and then returned home. This happened about noon, the son being the last member of Mr Forster?s family who saw him alive.At Sunnyside Cottage close to the Huntsman Inn near Penton, better known as the Corner House, on the turnpike road, about three-quarters of a mile from Brown Knowe, lived James Armstrong, aged 47, a notorious poacher. He has been twice in the asylum, and until quite recently was employed by Mr Armstrong of the Kilns, Kershopefoot, but since his discharge from that place has worked as a day labourer at draining and other kinds of work for Mr James Irving of Pasture Head. On Saturday forenoon this man was seen carrying a gun in the large allotment near Greenriggs Farm by the farmer there, Mr Kennedy, who was engaged in mowing, and who know Armstrong well, having in fact lent him a gun. Shortly afterwards Mr Kennedy saw someone, accompanied by a small dog, advancing towards Armstrong, and when they were about ten yards apart he heard two shots from a gun, but did not think anything of it particularly. In about ten minutes he noticed Armstrong leave the field but did not observe that the other person left. Mr Kennedy, suspecting at the time nothing unusual, went home about four o?clock for his tea, having mentioned the circumstance to his wife, and after some talk with her, and suspicion becoming aroused, Mr Kennedy thought he would go into the field and look. He was horrified at finding Mr Forster lying dead with a gunshot would in his chest, the right side of his head battered in, and his dog lying dead on the other side of the fence.The discovery was made at five o?clock, the spot where the body lay being part of Stonegarthside Fell, about a mile from Mr Forster?s house. The deceased was removed to his house, and Mr Arthur Forster of Carlisle, his brother, was telegraphed for. On his arrival at Brown Knowe about half past eight, everything was done that could lead to the arrest of the person by whom the dreadful murder had without doubt been committed. The police were communicated with, the result being that Police-constable Dickinson of Penton and Police-constable Bird of Longtown arrived with all possible haste on the scene about midnight. These officers, the latter of whom had had to travel ten miles, made inquiries into the circumstances and were not long in coming to the conclusion that it would be necessary for them to arrest Armstrong and charge him with the wilful murder of Mr Forster . . .Knowing the antecedents of the man Armstrong, the constables Bird and Dickinson soon became alive to the fact that a difficult and dangerous task lay before them. He had recently been heard to threaten several people in the locality, and the fact that he was possessed of a loaded gun added still more to the risk that would attend his capture. It was well into the small hours of Sunday morning before the police became positive that the murderer had retired to his cottage, and in their discretion it was thought best under the circumstances that they should conceal themselves in some outhouse near the place and await his coming out, or at any rate until further assistance arrived. Very wisely, a messenger was sent off to Brampton to apprise Superintendent Lancaster of the affair, and the Superintendent received the news about a quarter past nine o?clock on Sunday morning. He at once set off for Nicholforest in company with Sergeant Lewis and reached the scene of the tragedy at noon, twenty-four hours after the murder, having had to journey a distance of sixteen miles. There he found Bird and Dickinson keeping their watch over Armstrong?s house - a task which had occupied them since six o?clock. It appears that they had been unable to find any outhouse or convenient ambush anywhere near the cottage, so that they had taken up positions on either side of the door. This watching must have seemed solemn in the extreme, the constables not knowing at what moment they might not have to risk their lives in the execution of their duty. Occasionally a noise was heard inside, and but for that incident at 6 o?clock in the morning it seems likely that Bird would have been shot through the head. At the side of the door where Bird was standing there happened to be an aperture filled up with loose stone. The constable heard a slight noise proceeding from this aperture close to his head, and looked round, only to find himself face to face with the muzzle of a gun. He also distinctly saw a pair of gleaming eyes, but at once dodged out of the way and retired with his colleagues round the gable of the cottage. There they maintained their watch for another six hours without there being the slightest sign of anyone issuing from the cottage, although it was learned from the numbers of people who had begun to congregate that Armstrong had a wife and family living with him.Superintendent Lancaster on arriving soon gathered the full meaning of what had occurred. He organised a gang of men and obtained three guns for the purpose of frightening Armstrong and securing his arrest. Captain Marley, a visitor to the district, was very active in assisting the police. The cottage was surrounded at a safe distance, and a window broken in with stones for the purpose of attracting Armstrong?s attention, the Superintendent informing those who were around him that the police might possibly have to call on them for assistance, but that he did not wish any but officers of the law to expose themselves to actual danger. Mr Lancaster then saw Armstrong darting about his house like a madman, and presently his wife and five children, ranging in ages from twelve years to three, came running down the field from the back door of the house in great fright. The woman, in answer to questions put to her by the police, was able to inform them that Armstrong was in the parlour with his gun, but having said this she immediately fell down in a fainting fit, and was carried into the inn close by. The police then determined to close with their man, it being known that he was alone in the cottage. The Superintendent accordingly first demanded admittance, and Dickinson battered in the door with an axe. An unexpected and horrible spectacle presented itself to the officers when they had gained entrance to the cottage. Armstrong was found lying on the floor of the kitchen in front of a looking glass, with his throat cut from ear to ear, and just about to breathe his last. Rather than suffer capture he had committed suicide with a razor . . . in the house was found a double barrelled gun loaded in both barrels, and one cap of which had been snapped, a circumstance which has suggested that Armstrong had attempted to shoot himself before using the razor.Much sympathy is felt for the families of both victims. Mr Forster was well known and highly respected in Longtown and the vicinity, with which he had formerly business relations in connection with the brewery. He is survived by a widow and five children. His wife was before her marriage Miss McIlrick, and then lived at Bush on Esk, having come with her parents from Glenluce in Wigtownshire. The man Armstrong is stated to have seen better days, and to have possessed a little money at one time, but mental derangement caused him to be placed in the asylum twice. He had seven children, two of whom, the eldest, are not living at home at present.