McGUINESS, William

On Friday 19th October, McGuiness returned to his home at Barrow from his job as a labourer on a building site at Carnforth railway station. He had made a threat to a workmate that he'd commit murder before leaving Barrow for his native Ireland. Later that night a neighbour heard a disturbance at the house but paid no heed to it. A week later the next door neighbour, while hanging out washing, climbed onto a fence and looked through Mrs Ann McGuiness's window and saw her body on the floor. When the body was examined, it was discovered she had been kicked to death. McGuiness was traced to Dublin after a magazine carried a description of the crime and wanted man; he was arrested and brought back to face trial. Sentenced to death by Mr Justice Thesiger at Lancaster Assizes, and hanged by William Marwood on the 11th February 1879 at Lancaster. He was forty years old when he was hanged.