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I am indebted to Elaine and John Jordan of Castleford for a copy of the following extract from the Wakefield Express of 10th August 1895. Elaine took up the search for the story from her ancestors who were
the Illingworth family in Methley. Some of the Jury of local men that were summoned for the preliminary inquest were :-
George Risker - Landlord Old Bay Horse PH
Phillip Connell - Landlord Lord Nelson PH
Thos Asquith - Grocer, Methley Junction
Thos Green - Landlord Mexborougn Arms PH
John Allison - Dairyman Coney Moor Farm
Thos Thompson _ Surveyor to the Local Board
Levi Winterburn - Grocer, Mickletown
THE WAKEFIELD EXPRESS SATURDAY AUGUST 10TH 1895
MURDER OF A METHLEY MAN AT ALTOFTS
INQUEST YESTERDAY
A great sensation was caused early in the week by the mysterious
disappearance of John Illingworth,a hanger-on employed at Foxholes
Colliery,near Methley. It appears that Illingworth,who had a wife and
three children,was twenty-six years old,and lived in Foxholes Pit yard.
On Saturday evening he left home,telling his wife he was going for a walk
and would return about ten o'clock. Where he went at first is not known
but at 9.45 he turned up at the Fox Inn Altofts,and soon afterwards
Alfred Beaumont,who lodges at the inn came in. There seems no doubt that
Illingworth had had a good deal to drink,and he got a bottle filled with
half a pint of whisky. Owing to his beginning an altercation with some of
the customers the landlord got him to leave about 10.45,and Beaumont went
after him to see him safe over the bridge. Beaumont,it would seem was far
from sober.What took place outside is not known,further than that.
Beaumont on his return said Illingworth was a queer chap,and wanted to
fght,but he had seen him on his way all right.
As Illingworth did not turn up at home that night inquiries were
instituted and the river was dragged.
Meanwhile the police,hearing that Beaumont had spoken about having
Illingworths watch,went to the fox Inn,and found the watch and chain in
the bed in which Beaumont sleeps. Beaumont was at once apprehended and
taken to Wakefield on a charge of stealing the watch. No tidings being
still forthcoming as to Illingworth the matter assumed a very grave aspect.
the dragging of the river was continued,and at 1.30 on Thursday afternoon
the body was found about 150 yards from Foxholes Lock,which is not far
from where Beaumont said he left Illingworth on saturday night.
The body which was much decomposed,was conveyed to deceased's late
residence.
Yesterday at noon Major Taylor held an inquest at the Mexborough Arms Inn
Scholey Hill, Methley.
The jury was composed as follows:- Messrs James Mathers, foreman, John
Riley, Levi Winterburn, George Risker, Philip Connell,Thomas Asquith
George Rooke, George Wood, Thomas Green, John Allison, Thomas Thompson,
and Joseph Taylor. Seargeant Asquith was in attendance on the coroner.
Considerable interest was manifest in the proceedings,in the circumstances
surrounding the death of the deceased causing no little exitement in the
district. The man Alfred Beaumont who is charged with having stolen the
deceased's watch and chain,was present at the inquiry. He was brought
from wakefield gaol in a cab under the care of Supt Shepley and Inspecter
Akeroyd. It was considered best to bring him in this manner to avoid a scene
Very few persons witnessed his arrival.
The jury proceeded to view the body,which lay at the house in Foxholes
Pit -yard, and they were away about three-quarters of an hour. On their
return evidence was called, the first witness being deceased's wife.
Mrs Illingworth appeared to be in a delicate condition and was over-
whelmed with grief. While giving her evidence she repeatedly exclaimed
"Lord help me" and "My poor Jack" and she was specially distressed when
her husbands watch and chain and cap were produced.
The evidence given was as follows:-
Mrs Nancy Illingworth said deceased was her husband. His name was
John Illingworth,and he was 26 years old on the 8th july. He lived at
Foxholes Pit-yard,and was employed as a hanger-on at the pit bottom at
Foxholes Colliery. He had been strong and healthy and always cheerful,
he had nothing to trouble him. She last saw him alive about 6.30 last
Saturday. He was then at home. He said he was going for a walk.
He went out alone. He was in the habit of going for a walk on Saturdays
He said he would be back about half past ten. Witness heard nothing about
him or from him that night. She heard from his uncle on Sunday morning
that he had been seen at wakefield. She had seen deceased's watch and
chain. (pointing to it on the table. witness said "That is my poor Jacks")
She could tell his watch and chain it had Perkin on it. (The watch was
a silver lever. no 15649. Perkin Wakefield) Witness continued that she
was shown the watch and chain on Tuesday by P.C. Scott. She saw nothing
else at the time but she saw his cap on Thursday.Looking at a cap produced
she said"That is my poor Jacks cap" She did not know how much
money he had,she knew he had a shilling but did not know how much more.
She was quite sure her husband had a watch and chain on him when he left
the house on the Saturday, he would not go out without it and he would
not give it away. He had bought it at Mr Perkins at Wakefield.
Mary Ann Plimmer wife of Eli Plimmer landlord of the Fox Inn,
Altofts,said she did not know John Illingworth the deceased. She saw a
stranger a little before 10 o'clock on Saturday.He came in alone and another
man was just behind. The second man was Alfred Beaumont. They came into
the filling bar. Tey came very friendly up to the counter. She heard
deceased called Jack and they all called him Jack. Beaumont said he did not
know deceased,but Illingworth said he knew Beaumont. There were several
customers in,she was behind the counter,and the stranger(Illingworth)said
"Fill me a pint of beer missis" and addressing Beaumont he said "Will you
have a pint" He said "No I will only have a glass." Afterwards he put down
a half-pint bottle and said "Fill me this with whisky." Illingworth said
"What is it." and she told him,and he put a coin down-eithera florin or a
half crown and said "That will pay for it." Beaumont and Illingworth were
talking to a man named Robert Woodhead and asked him if he would have a
glass, but he declined as he said he always paid for his own. Illingworth
then asked Woodhead if he knew "Soldier Jack" Woodhead said he did not
know Soldier Jack,and that he did not know him. Illingworth then said"You
are a liar,you do know him.Your wife and Soldier Jacks wife are sisters."
Woodhead said "Sit you down I don't want to have anything to say to you."
Witness/s husband who was sitting by Beaumont said"You go and sit you down
I will have no disturbance here." Witness also said "YOung man, you go and
sit you down,and give over talking to the gentleman.I don't think you know
him" Illingworthhe did know him. Witness said "You are mistaken about his
wife she is a Methley woman." and Illingworth said "So is the woman I mean>"
Witness asked if he had to go over the river and he said he had. Looking
at the clock she said it was time he was going,as they did not put people
over the river very late. He replied he should not want them to put him over
the river as he had a boat of his own. She said "Then you are a boatman?"
and he made no reply to that. Witness then said "Where is your boat?" He
then replied "This side the river." She thought he was a sand boatman,and
told him to be careful how he got into his boat,and he replied"You need not
be afraid of me getting into the water. If I get in I can get out." She said
"There are plenty of good swimmers who get into the water and cannot get
out" In the meantime he was haggling Robert Woodhead. He called for another
pint of beer Which she served. He asked the company if they would have a
song,and one man said "Lets have a song and lets have a bit of quietness."
Illingworth sang two songs and the company joined in the chorus.
About quarter to eleven Witness's husband took hold of Illingworth quietly
by the coat and told him he would have to go out and said "You should not
go against that man(Beaumont) and Illingworth replied "I was only kidding
him" If he had been quiet he could have stopped. She recognised deceased
coat by the shape of the collar,and she noticed he had a watch chain on.
Supt Shepley: who left at the same time as Illingworth?-Witness: Alfred
Beaumont left at the same time. Beaumont lodged with them six months the
last time,he was with them a good bit before that. He was in the house
all day on Saturday after he had finished his work,which is sand getting.
Beaumont left at 10-45 and she saw him again at about 11-15. She asked
Beaumont if he had seen that man(Illingworth) over the bridge safe, as she
wasvery particular when they left her place to see them safe away.
Beaumont replied "Yes missis I have." She asked how far he had taken him
and he said "I have taken him just over the bridge. and watched as far as
I could see him." She asked him if he could do and the young man said he
could do alright. Beaumont said the man who had left was a queer man for he
was wanting to fight. Alfred had been drinking all the afternoon, but he
was a man who couldtake a lot of drink. Beaumont was the drunker of the two,
and the other was bad enough.
The first she heard of the man being missing was on Monday morning:she did
not see him early on Sunday. Beaumont was out early on Sunday: He told
witness he went our early, but he did not tell her any particular time he
went out. Beaumont was at home all Sunday. He was seen to bed on Saturday:
they never left him up. She was up the last,but did not know when Beaumont
went to bed. She never saw Beaumont on Monday. On Monday a young man asked
"Had you a stranger in here on Saturday night?" and she said "Yes" and the
man then told her Illingworth was missing.The first she said to Beaumont
about the matter was to tell him there was a man missing and remarked"I
should think it is not the young man you saw over the bridge on saturday
night. He went off right enough." Beaumont said nothing about a watch or
chain or cap. She was present when the chain was found,which was on Tuesday
about eight o'clock. When she got home a policeman came and asked if anyone
had been in the bedroom(Beaumonts) since he was there. He said he wished
to go up again,and he did so. He lifted up the bedclothes in a particular
place and found the watch and chain between upper and lower sheets.
That was the bed Beaumont always slept in. The officer asked her if it was
like the chain deceased wore,and she said she thought Illingworth wore a
chain like it. Witness went to the wash-house on the Wednesday and found
two coats hung up. She examined the pockets and found two caps. She did not
know whose they were,but believed they belonged to Beaumont-his working caps.
She did not know whether deceased was wearing one of the caps on Saturday
night. Illingworth was not drunk but he was not sober: the two men were
about alike. Alfred Beaumont was as nice a man as walks.
Dr Taylor of Oaklands Methley,said he knew John Illingworth very well.
He last saw him a few weeks ago. He saw the dead body at 10 O'clock that
morning at deceaseds home at Foxholes Colliery-yard. He judged that he had
been dead five or six days. There was a bruise on the bridge of the nose
and one behind the right ear,which had been caused prior to death.
The body was well nourished,but very much decomposed. Witness's son John
William Taylor, M.R.C.S.E, L.R.C.P.E. assisted him in making a post-mortem
examination. First opening the head,they found the brain healthy. There was
no frothy matter in the larynx to indicate drowning: the lungs,larynx,
trachea and bronchial tubes were healthy. he found no blood in the heart.
The stomach was empty and healthy,also all the abdominal organs were healthy.
Cutting down to the spine they found the sixth vertibra fractured,and came
to the conclusion that that was the cause of death. It would cause instant
death. It could have been caused by a fall from a height on to the head, or
by a sudden push from behind causing him to fall forward.
In witness's opinion the cause of death was not drowning: he thought the man
must have been dead before he got into the water. In reply to the foreman
witness said he did not think falling down the bank would cause the fracture.
The body was empty of food but any quantity of gas was present. He could not
say how long it would take to absorb the liquor taken by the deceased.
Eli Plimmer, landlord of the Fox Inn Altofts,corroborated his wife's
evidence. He also said Illingworth knocked Mr Woodhead's hat off as he sat
on the form,and picked up a pint pot in his left hand with intention of
throwing it at Mr Woodhead. He did not think the two men(Beaumont and
deceased) were much amiss for drink and there was not too much difference
between them. The man who walked over the bridge did not seem to have any-
thing the matter with him. It was not necessary for Beaumont to go over the
bridge with Illingworth. Beaumont was out early on sunday morning but could
not say the time. P.C. Scott came and found a watch under the matress of
Beaumonts bed. the officer asked where he had got it, and Beaumont said his
brothergave him it six months ago.
Mr Robert Woodhead,farmer,Foxholes farm,Altofts, stated that he was at
the Fox Inn, Altofts on Saturday. It was about 9.10 when he went in. A
Stranger came in,and someone followed him just after-which was Beaumont-
the time being about a quarter to ten. later on the landlordasked the
stranger to go out. He could walk right enough:he was not what he should
call fresh. He saw them on the bridge. On Sunday morning about 8 or 9 he
saw Beaumont on the bridge. He asked him how he got on with that man on
Saturday night and he replied "I took him through your gates and then left
him, as he said he could manage. He was a man who came over in Mr Woods
boat. The boat was on this side of the river and the oars in winess's
turnips.
Fountain Wilson,miner,Calder Terrace Bottom-boat, said he had known
John Illingworth ever since he was a child. He heard on Monday that he
was missing,and along with others dragged the river till six o'clock,and
agoan on Tuesday and Wednesday,and on Thursday they found the body about
1.30. It was found floating,and at a point which had been dragged several
times. he helped to get the body out of the water and assisted to lay it out.
Alfred Beaumont, river sand getter,who lodges at the Fox Inn, Altofts,was
asked if he desired to give any evidence,and having said he would do so, was
duly sworn. This having been done, he after further consideration, decided
not to say anything.
P.C. Scott,who apprehended Beaumont and found the watch and chain in his
bedroom,was present and ready to give evidence,but as the enquiry had been
carried on from 12o'clock until nearly five,it was decided not to call him,
as he could only corroborate the evidence given by Mr & Mrs plimmer.
The Coroner then briefly summed up,pointing out that the cause of death
was not drowning,but a fracture of the spine before deceased got into the
water. If death was not caused by drowning the surroundings pointed to his
having fallen down the bank and injured himself in that way.
The circumstances were altered by thethree articles belonging to Illing-
worth being found,and which had been got from the deceased befor he got
into the water. The men seem to have been on friendly terms,and were seen to
go in the direction of the boat intended to carry Illingworth home. They
were seen after eleven going over the first bridge,and then over the second
one. When Beaumont came back to the Fox Inn he seems to have remarked that
the man was queer,as he wanted to fight. The Coroner reminded the jury
that the watch was found under the mattress of the bed on which Beaumont
slept,and to which no one has access but him,and that the watch chain was
also found in the same bed,and that the cap of Illingworth was discovered
in a coat belonging to Beaumont. The question was-- how had they got there?
If Beaumont had given an explanationit might have cleared up the matter,but
he declined to say anything. They were asked to say what they thought of
such transactionsas that. If Beaumont broke the mans back and put him into
the water,then he was guilty of murder.
The jury then deliberated for nearly half-an-hour,and returned a verdict
of "Wilful murder" against Alfred Beaumont-the man in custody.
On Wednesday Alfred Beaumont,aged 40, a boatman,residing at the Fox Inn,
Foxholes Lane Altofts,was charged before Mr Thos Hargreaves,at the West
Riding Police Court,Wakefield,with stealing a silver lever watch and steel
chain, the property of John Illingworth, a hanger-on at Foxholes Colliery,
near Methley, on August 3rd--Supt Shepley,in stating the case,said the
prisoner was found in possession of a watch and chain belonging to
Illingworth,who at present was missing,but who was last seen in company
with the prisoner,near the bridge over the Calder leading from Altofts to
Foxholes a little before eleven O'clock on Saturday night last.
On account of prisoner being the last person seen in the company of the
missing man, an enquiry was made.whichled to the hose being searched where
prisoner lived.(The Fox Inn), and the watch was found between the bedding
and the mattress of the bed used by him; he was accordingly arrested. the
watch and chain produced had been fully identified as the property of the
missing man,and seen in his possession when he left home at half past four
on Saturday afternoon,last.
P.C.John Scott,stationed at Methley Junction,deposed--From enquiries made
yesterday. I proceeded to the Fox Inn Altofts, and ther saw the prisoner.
I put several questions to him,and asked him if he would allow me to search
him and his belongings. This he refused to let me do,and I then told him he
would have to go with me to Methley. I took him to the boat that goes across
to Foxholes colliery yard, and then he said he would allow me to search his
things. so I took him back to the Fox Inn. In a garrett of the house between
the bedding and the mattress, I found the watch produced. Prisoner said his
brother gave it him six months ago. I took him and the watch across the river
to Methley. The wife of the missing man,Illingworth,having identified the
watch. I charged the prisoner with stealing it. he afterwards said the watch
had been given him by Illingworth at ten minutes to eleven on Saturday night.
I returned to the Fox Inn and found the steel watch chain produced,in one
of the sheets in prisoners bed. I know the prisoner by sight.
Prisoner had no questions to ask the witness.
Mrs Illingworth was evidently much affected, and sat while giving her
evidence. She said--This watch and chain are my husbands. He bought the
watch at Mr Perkins in Wakefield,and we have the number down.
Mr Shepley said Mr Perkin had a memorandum that the watch was sold to
Illingworth in March 1893 The officer stated that it was believed the
missing man was in the river,and men had been continually dragging for the
body which it was hoped to find soon.
Mr Hargreaves(to prisoner) Have you anything to say why you should not be
remanded?
Prisoner: No
The prisoner was remanded till Monday next.
Who dunnit - looks to me like Beaumont took a liking to the gold watch and followed Illingworth across Stephensons bridge.
My theory is that he hit him on the head in order to get the watch and chain and found that the poor chap had expired, at which I suspect he tumbled the body into the river below and made a run for it.
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