William Fish

William Fish was convicted of the murder of 7-year-old Emily Holland and sentenced to death. He raped and murdered her on 28 March 1876 after which he dismembered her body. He had run a barber shop at 162 Moss Street with his wife and two children. He later dumped the body in a trunk that was found at Bastwell. Her legs were found in Lower Cunliff, Rishton. However, the head had bit been found and the police decided to take two sniffer dogs, one a half-bloodhound/spaniel and the other a Clumber spaniel to William Fish's shop as well as the shop of another barber who was also suspected. They went to the two barbers shops simultaneously, with the police remaining at William Fish's shop whilst the dogs searched the other barbers shop after ehich they went to William Fish's shop to carry out the search. It was reported that as soon as the dog entered William Fish's shop that they scented something up the chimney of a front room upstairs and when one of them put their hand up the chimney they found in the recess of the draught hole the skull and other parts of Emily Holland wrapped in a paper and covered with blood. Medical evidence showed that the head had recently been burnt. It was noted that the trunk of the body and legs had been found wrapped up in copies of the Preston Herald, three of them being of recent date, on of 18 November 1875, and that William Fish's shop was searched twice, and copies of the Herald were found there, although the dates corresponding to those used to wrap up the body parts were missing. There was no heading to the newspaper in which the skull was found, but in one portion there was printed in italics, 'To the Editor of the Manchester Courier', and it was noted that William Fish took in the Manchester Courier. xxx1xxx It was noted that after the discovery of the skull that it was with difficulty that William Fish could be taken to the lock up as he was in danger of being lynched, and that if the police had not been prompt in getting him away that that voilence would have been resorted to. It eas heard that there had been strong feeling in the district against William Fish before the arrest and it was only a couple of days eralier that he had gone to the police to ask for protection. He was 26-year-old and described as being about 5ft 2in tall and to wear neither beard nor moustache. It was also noted that his shop was only about 40 yards from the grocer's establishment where Emily Hollandpurchased ½oz of tobacco for a man. It was heard that she would pass William Fish's shop every day and that he must have therefore known her very well. A further search of his house found some of Emily Holland's clothing amongst some coals. William Fish soon after confessed to the murder. In his confession he said that he sent Emily Holland for half an ounce of tobacco and that when she returned he carried her upstairs and in the front room committed the outrage, leaving her almost dead upon the floor. He said that he then took a razor and cut her throat, wrapping her clothes around her to prevent blood getting on the floor. He said that he then dismembered her body after bringing it down to the shop front at night. He then put the head and arms into the fire and wrapped the trunk and legs in newspaper and concealed them among the coals in the back kitchen. He then locked the shop p and went home, leaving the arms and head burning in the fire. However, he said that the following morning he was astonished to find that the skull was perfect and so he mutilated it with a hammer and then collected the pieces and wrapped them in newspaper and put them in the cimney where they were later found by the dogs. He said that he had been in great perplexity as to what to do with the other dismembered parts, but that his audacity was such that he managed to carry the away the legs to Lower Cunliffe Rishton the day after the murder and dispose of them. however, he said that he hardly new what to do with the trunk, and dsaid that about 9pm on the Wednesday night he ventured out with it, and that after wandering about for some time, pitched it in utter despair over the wall of the field at Bastwell where it was found the following morning. He said that the news having trtavelled spread so far and wide as it had, that he dared not move the parcel from the chimney. It was later stated that a perfect section of Emily Holland's skull was recovered, and that although the nose was burnt off, the eye was perfect and there was a tuft of hair remaining on the top of the skull of a light brown colour. the eyebrow was singed, but not burnt off, and it was stated that the mouth was was open, which showed that at the time of the murder she had been struggling for life. Portions of her limbs were later fitted together, and it was stated that there was no doubt as to their identity. He was executed at Liverpool on 14 August 1876. Its not clear where 162 Moss Street was, but most of Moss street has since been demolished and redveloped, with only what was the Florence remaining to this day. At just after 4pm on the afternoon of 27 March, Emily Holland (7), disappeared as she walked down Birley Street, Blackburn, after telling a friend she was going to fetch some tobacco for an adult. After a search lasting several days, the child's dismembered body was uncovered in a trunk, wrapped in a copy of the Preston Herald. The autopsy revealed she had been raped and had her throat cut prior to the dismemberment. Fish, a father of three, who ran a barber shop in Moss Street, was arrested and immediately confessed to the crime which had horrified the whole town. (Birley Street was to feature again in Blackburn's dark history over seventy years later, when child killer Peter Griffiths was arrested outside his house on the same street).