Full and true account of a barbarous, bloody, and inhuman murder
Account of the murder of Mr Dighton the Excise Officer of Halifax, West Yorkshire, 1769.
Author: Unknown
Date: 1769
Location: Halifax
Format: Handbill
Document ID: 100419
Library ID: P343 R563
When Excise officer, William Deighton, was sent to investigate the fraudulent behaviour of the people in the Calderdale area in 1760s. "King" David Hartley and his associates clipped gold coins and moulded the gold into counterfeit coins, often French, Spanish or Portuguese, which were accepted currency.
On hearing of the Excise officer's investigation, the gang took fright and shot him on 9th November 1769. A successful Halifax solicitor, Robert Parker, then took up the case for the prosecution and the criminals were arrested. Robert Thomas and Matthew Normington were executed for the murder, and David Hartley and James Oldfield received the death penalty for clipping and diminishing the gold coins of the realm.
