Yorkshire Moot Tragedy.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 196, 17 August 1895, Page 4 (Supplement)

Yorkshire Moot Tragedy.

Hudson Arrested,

Robert H, Hudson, charged with the murder of his wife and child on a Yorkshire moor, was arrested on June 20bb. The arresb has aroused very great itrtereeb in Birmingham, and in connection with the inquiries there made the first indications have come to lighb of the probnble motive of the crime. It now appears the accused had become tired of his wife, and resolved in his own mind to obtain a now female partner. He appears fco havo been in Birmingham for about ten days, and to have spent some time in replying too matrimonial advertisements in thenewsp?ipers. An entry in his pocket-book indicates thab he himsoff eenb an advertisement of the kind to several papers. At this time he was staying in respectable lodgings in 27 Pershore Road, under the name of H. Hunter. In his box were found a number of hie own portraits, presumably for sending to expected correspondents. On the nighb of Tuesday week he told his landlay that he had come from Sheffield on holiday. Hβ appeared quieb and gentlemanly, and she had nob the least suspicion concerning him. The prisoner brought with him a large new leather bag and 'two boxes, one being a large one, and a bioycle. He was oubon his bicycle inoeb of each day, bub came in regularly to meals, and in the evening entertained the household by playing lively music on 'the piano. He paid for his week's lodgings on Monday. Next day he left and d£d nob return, bub addressed a letter to .the landlady thab ha had been ?palled away /or a week. At the time of his.arrest ho htid aboub £20 in his possession.

Ab the inqueer, on fibe bodies of Kate Hudson and her child, Edward Trenham, ironmonger, of Helmsley, said thab aboub the last week in May or the first in June, Robert Heselt/.ne Hudson purchased afc his shop a spado (produced), which witness identified. Witness assisted Hudson to tie tbe spade on to his bicycle.

Reginald Richardson, a farm servant, deposed tba.b on the 156b, while employed afc Brixbon Hill, he saw a gentleman with a bicycle and spade tied to ib going towards Roper Moor. Later in the day the same no an came baok with his bicycle, bub wibhoVib the spade.

Barker Tyerman, a labourer, deposed thab on June 6bh, while getting his dinner at Roper Moor, a few yarde from where the bodies were found, he noticed a hole dug aboub S feob long, 3£ fee*/ wide, and 5 feob deep, and aboub 12 yarde from the road. On Friday evening he heard of Mrs Hudson and the child being missing, and on Saturday William Leonard Snowden and he arranged to go and search for them, being suspJ.ciouß aboub that hole. On going to the place where he saw blhe hole dug they noticed that it was tillod up, as though something was buried in ib. Robert Barker, who had joined them, removed some of the earth with his efAck, and soon disclosed the woman's foouj and then the body of the child.

Charles Robson, a farmer, residing at Carlbon, near Helmsley, sbatod tha/o on tho Bth insb. he was returning f&rora Helmeley to Roper, and saw a woman arvd a child and a man on the road. Th>9 woman, who was attired in a white bio asa with blue stripes, and had on a black hab, was sibting wibh the baby on her knee, while the man stood two or three- feet in fremt. The time was about noon. When he tyeard thab Mrs Hvadson and her child we/lie missing on Saturday he told Sergeant Featherstone what he had seen. Witness searched with others, and met Tyerman., who told him thab ha had found the bodies. The clothes on tho woman were the sanie as worn by Mrs Hudson when he saw hoc.

Colin Baldwin, a farm sei'vanb, said he was in charge of a waggon on the Bth irist., aboub 100 yards on the Ho'imaley side of the 'Carlton,' aboub twen(;y minutes to two. A man passed hinji, walking so quickly that be (witness) could nob speak 0b him. The man's hands wejre trembling and twitching. He was a dark man with a dark moustache, black jacheb and vest, and a pair of striped trouseru. Witness had not seen the man before ac since. Witness noticed him by reason of ;the pattern of hie trousers, which witness a dtnired. Witness did not notice whether his bands were dirty. Sergeant Feafc'berstcsne, of Helmsloy, said that on the Kith inefc. he proceeded to Roper Moor, whore he met Tyerman, and accompanied hAm to a clump of trees, where he b£uv»- a human foob protruding from the earth. He removed the earth, and found tine two bodies. The carving knife (produced) was laid on the chesb of the woman. The knife waH stained. In the hole irith the bodies were an umbrella and a lady's hab. The witness searched the bodies Sit the mortuary, and found a white handkerchief, 4d in coppers, a spade guinea, aoimo white powder in paper, BOtne humarii hair folded in papor, three rings and a, brooch. All these articles witnees produced. The grave wae 4rb 10in in length, lfb 6in in width, and varying from 6in to 9in deep. Witness attended the post- mortem examination, when Dr. Reid handed him a piece of lead (produced). Witness produced a spade, found 220 yds froo x the grave, buried in the heather. Dr. Reid, of, Helmsley, deposed thab there were six wounde on the body of the woman. In a portmanteau belonging to Hudson, a six-charaberfd revolver and nine cartridges wero found. The coroner, summing up, pointed oub to the jury fjhab considerable excitement had been cawsfed locally, and feeling ran again/jc Hudeoh. They should diveeb their ml.nds of any of that feejing before arriving , ab their decision. "The evidence, however, pointed in every phase and aspect in one direction. The buUet found im the woman's head exactly corresponded with the six - chambered revolver, and with the bullebs found in Hudson's luggage. Murder ifc undoubtedly was, and the jury could nofc get away from the facb. Having convinced themselves on this point they had to decide who was the murderer, and on that he did nob think they would have any more difficulty. The affair had b?ien almost providentally revealed to them, and although the police might offer more evidence, yet for a coroner's jury they had all t.hab was necessary to guide them in Bending the case fco another court, in whose hands the decision would ultimately reato. The jury retired ab 10 minutes paflb two o'clock. In five minutes they returned with a verdict to the effect that deoeased was • Wilfully murdered on Roper motH by Roberb Heseltine Hudeon,' —In the case of Heselbine Hudson the medical evidence ehowed tbab the child's head had been nearly eevered from the body. No fresh testimony wae offered, and a second verdict of 'Wilful murder' against Hudson was returned.

Where the Deed was Done,

For euch a tragedy a more lonesome spot could hardly have been chosen. You go for aboub three miles northwards from Helmeley town, up and. along the moorland road, until you reach the farm known as High Baxton. Here you are ab the last habitation for a very considerable distance. A little further on there is a gate, and the road merges into what in practically only a bridle path over the moors. Behind you leave a thiok fir plantation for open moorlands, which roll away before you for miles, A few fir trees, however, relieve the landscape on the left, and it was behind a clump of these that) the dark deed waß done.

Hudson's Letter to his Parents.

In two letters of Hudson's to hte fafche and hia Btiepmobher stated! th&fc hie wlj

had left him and eloped, raking the child with her.

Mrs Hudson, the accused man's stepmother, has been interviewed. 'Neither his father nor I can understand in the leasb, , she eaid, ' why Roberb should do such a terrible thing.' He and hie wife always seemed a loving couple. He used to write to us regularly once a week, and 1 in his letters etated whab a good wife he had. Roberb was always a good lad ab home. The Spade Discovered. The spade with which Hudson is supposed to have dug the grave on the lonely moor was found on Friday afternoon by a search party within a very few yards of the place where the bodies were interred. The spade was simply placed in a hole and covered with a few sods of earth.