A DOG DETECTIVE.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 211, 5 September 1924, Page 3

A DOG DETECTIVE.

THAT HANGED A MURDERER.

A SENSATIONAL CRIME.

i Vie of dogs by the police in murder 1 mysteries recalls one of the most sensational crimes of the last century, in which little Emily Holland, a Blackburn school girl, was murdered by a local barber named William Fish. A sagagiotis hound owned by Mr. Thomas Parkinson, of Preston, secured proof of Fish's guilt and sent him to the scaffold. The exploits of "Morgan," the famous bloodhound detective, are given to the ! "'Sunday News" by Miss A. Marx, of Clapham, daughter of Iks owner's greatest friend. j "Morgan" was the property of Mr. Thomas Parkinson, chemist, oil merchant and tobacconist, of Preston. He was of mixed bloodhound and mastiff breed. From puppy days he displayed great sagacity, and constantly amazed his owner by his almost uncanny intuition and intelligence. Every morning when Mr. Parkinson rose, "Morgan"' would bring up his daily > paper and place it beside the bed. lie I would then leap up on a chair and carry to his master h.s garments, always j bringing them in the proper order, lie ; did these, and many other equally : astonishing things, without any special | tra-'ning. , ! On Tuesday, 25th March, 1876, a little | girl of six, named Emily Mary Holland, I left Iter parents' house in Moss Street, ■ Blackburn, to go to school, where she j was due to receive a prize. She did not | return. Her father searched for her, and, failing to find her, went to the police. ... I She had -been seen, after leaving school, in the company of a man. This man was thought to be 'WEI-Tarn Fish, I a barber. Fish, however, denied that I lie had seen or spoken to the child. I Five days later the mangled body of a child was found in a held near a I cemetery. The head and arms were ' missing. The rest of the body wa_. 'wrapped in newspaper, which had adhering to it pieces of hair of many , colours. ', I Suspicion centred on Fish, but the ' police could get no further evidence tn identify him with the crime. They had almost aiiandoned their quest}, when Mr. Taylor, who had charge of "Morgan" for the time being, suggested that tlie dog should join in the search. The dog- was . taken to tbe field, where it j smiled about, but found nothing. I Mr. Taylor, who firmly belveved in the dog's instinct, then suggested that . "Morgan" should be taken to Fish'a shop. I Fish and his wife were present. They ! gave permission freely. But Fish was I seen to tremble and become pale. '"Morgan," tail erect, ran round the shop in circles sniffing with nose flr_t i h-'gh, then low to the ground. Then, j while the jp-oup of police officers, Fish j and his wife, and Mr. Taylor watched with bated breath, the animal dashed into the back room. 1 '"Morgan" was now keyed up to a pitch of intense excitement. His nostrils i dilated, his ears standing erect, he (seemed obl-'rvious" of everything but the ['scent. - j All of a sudden "Morgan" paused, I raised his head, and pelted upstairs. Detectives, owner, and Fish aud. hi.-? wife followed. The hound ran into the • front bedroom, a room bare of furai--1 ture, for Fish had moved his living j quarters some ■ time eari'er further I down the road. I The hound circled tlie room, and then J dashed for the fireplace. Here he inserted h-'s head in the chimney and began scattering the soot with his fore- ! paws. | He was dragged away by Mr. Taylor, who, after feeling about for some time iv the chimney, made a grisly'find—thc i head and arms.of the child. j Fish, who was in a state of collapse, j was immediately arrested. He denied j all knowledge of the crime, but before . trial made a free confessiou. I The result of "Morgan's". amaz-nr; i part in this murder was a flood oi i oifers to his owner. Mr. Parkinson was i offered .€OOO for the hound, but refused Ito part with him. Superintendent Pott.. ; presented the hound with a silver colj iar, and lie became a. famous local [figure. • • j In his ohl age "Morgan" became savi age, and scarcely approachable. But he j never wavered in his devotion to his master, and, when quite a decrepit old j hound,.would fetch and carry with the | old cleverness. i When "Morgan" d-ted, Mr. Parkinson ; had the body stuffed and placed under j a glass case in his Preston home.