Henry told me yesterday afternoon, about three o’clock, that Robt. Hogarth had advised him to break the guns, for there was nothing but mischief attending the guns. Henry came into the house and was telling what Robert had said, and said guns would not go to the door by themselves. I said it was the best way to break them to bits and then there would be no more mischief. Henry and William then went out amongst some turnips and whilst they were away I took down one gun and broke it and put it in the fire. I had taken the other down to break when Henry came in, and said I should not break his for all the parish, it done no ill. He took the gun out of my hand and would not let me break it, and with that the police came in…
We have three beds in the house. Henry and William and Joseph occupied one bed on Saturday and Sunday night. Joseph came home on Saturday night about nine o’clock from Burgh in Cumberland … Joseph has been at home all summer except a month in the harvest. At Martinmas he hired at Burgh, and left on Saturday and hired in Carlisle the same day at Wetheral Shields, William Richardson’s. He left our house yesterday at four o’clock before the police came.
Other witnesses:
William Graham Longdales, small farmer and quarryman.
Robert Hogarth, Longdale, labourer
Susannah Hogarth, wife of Robert Hogarth.
Nanny Graham:
I am upwards of nine years of age. I slept with brother Matthew last Saturday night in the upstairs room. Henry and William slept in the other bed, my mother and father slept in the other which is downstairs. We had no sister at home. I was in bed at seven o’clock. Henry came to bed about ten, and William at eleven. I was awake and heard them. Father and Mother got up first next morning, William, I believe next, then Henry, then Joseph. He had slept with Henry and William. I was in when William came in from Ainstable, and when he went out. He did not take a gun with him, the two guns were hanging up… I did not hear any of them during the night. There was a pot in the room under each bed, I emptied them next morning. There was some spew in that under one bed, nothing but water (urine) in the other. Matthew had been sick and had gone downstairs about 11 or 12 o’clock…
(From the Carlisle Journal Nov 28th 1856):
Matthew Graham, Longdales (apparently about 12 years of age)
I was at home all day on Saturday. I slept with my brother Joseph; my sister Nanny slept with my father; William and Henry slept by themselves upstairs. I do not know what time they went to bed. When I went to bed at seven, Henry was in; I heard Joseph come in about an hour after. I did not hear him come to bed. We never spoke to each other that night. I first knew he was in bed in the morning when I got up; I did not know he was there before that. I did not hear Henry come to bed, nor William. I did not hear William come into the house. I slept in the same room with them. I heard Henry and William next morning, about three o’clock; they were in bed; they were not talking any. One of them was out doing a job for himself in the pot – it was William. Henry was out on the floor also, making water. I could not tell whether they were taking their clothes off at that time or not. I believe they would come to bed before – maybe four hours before.