John Massey

John Massey was found semi-conscious in a cow shed having been beaten with a milk stool and died later that night.

Two men who were thought to have been in the area were tried for his murder but acquitted.

John Massey was a farmer and had lived at White House, Dalbury.

His wife had died in November 1909 and he lived alone at White House with his house keeper who had been with him for the last five years. He owned ten acres of grassland on the opposite side of the road to White House.

There was some shedding in the field opposite the house about 100 yards up the road towards Dalbury where he kept two cows which he milked himself. He would generally start milking at about 4.30pm and would take about ten minutes.

John Massey was last seen by his son on 25 April 1910 at about 11.30am when he left him at white House. He said that John Massey was in perfect health and that during the afternoon he was due to do some fencing for him as he was also a farmer.

The son went to Heath Top, Church Broughton at 1pm and when he got back at 5pm he was given some information and as a consequence went to his father's cow shed where he saw his father on the ground near the middle shed door. He said his head was covered in blood and also both his hands.

The son and his wife lifted him up and said, 'Whatever is the matter with you dad?' but he could not speak. He said that he had been lying on his left side as though he had fallen.

They got him a chair and then some brandy and then got some water to wash his wounds. They also called for a doctor. He had a bad cut on his forehead and a nasty wound on the second finger of his right hand. He also had two bruises on the top of his head and his left eye was very black and swollen.

After cleaning his wounds they carried him home and then about 15 minutes later the doctor arrived. The doctor was there until about 7pm and John Massey died at about 8pm.

The son said that whilst they were in the cow shed his father had kept pointing to his trouser pocket but could not explain. His pocket was cut down and torn across evidently by a knife. The son found his father's keys in the shed against a wall and the two buckets that he had used for milking were still there. One had 3-4 pints in it whilst the other had none although no milk had been spilt. The milking stool had lain against the door at the west end of the shed. the cows were also tied up at the west end of the shed.

John Massey's cap was also against the wall.

John Massey's son said that John Massey always did all his own work and never employed anyone else.

John Massey's housekeeper who was 18 and had been there for five years said that John Massey had been at home all day and in the morning had been helping with a piano that he was sending to his daughter. She said that he was doing some fencing in the afternoon but didn't know where. She said that he then came to the house at 4.30pm and took his two buckets out to milk his cows. She said that he was in good health when he went out and had nothing with him except his tins.

She said that as he went out he took three pence change out of the window and put it in his purse which he folded up and put in his pocket. She said she didn't know if there was already any money in the purse. She said the purse was a kind of canvas yellow colour and was folded over twice. She said that there was no cut in his pocket when he went out.

The housekeeper said that about 30 minutes later she went out to look for eggs and went up to the buildings where John Massey was and saw him standing outside the cowshed with his head and right hand covered in blood. She said that he was leaning against the wall of the shed and she went up to him and asked him what was the matter but said that he could not speak and did not reply. She then went off to get help.

John Massey had been beaten with the milking stool.

Two men who were alleged to have been in the neighbourhood around that time asking for money and food were tried but found not guilty and discharged.