The Roche Abbey Murder
'They've hung the wrong one'
Probably the most remarkable feature about the case is that all reports depicted Sargisson as a wicked person. In May 1862 he went to reside with James Schofield as a lodger in his home at Lockwood, Huddersfield. Mrs. Schofield made a statement to the local press:
One Saturday evening I was at the beerhouse and I saw Sargisson sitting in the kitchen alone having something to eat. The landlord asked me if I would like a lodger, I said I would and the landlord returned with Sargisson. The lad was not without money when he came, though he had no employment. He never rested until he obtained work, and in a few days he went to work at a brickyard. The man with whom he had to work, however, was frequently drunk, and this caused Sargisson to lose a great deal of time. The summer then had got pretty well advanced. Sargisson always called me 'Mother' and my husband 'Father'. One evening he said "Father if you will lend me money I will go a mowing and I will pay you back, the first money I earn." Mr. Schofield replied that he would and they both went and out purchased a scythe. He continued working about a month and then he obtained a situation at Mr. Bentley Shaw's as a farm labourer and occasional cartdriver. There was never a quieter lad in a house, he wouldn't have hurt a cat, and he never gave anybody a wrong word. He was with me 12 months and he was heartbroken when he went away. He has sent us several letters. While he was here, he went home and took my little girl with him, and she says nobody need have a nicer home. Soon after he left, my son was taken poorly, and we sent for him to come over, but he wrote to us to say he couldn't come, as he had got work. We wrote again and we received a letter from his father to say he had got into trouble. While he was here he occasionally went to Sunday School with my lads, and there is nobody here will give him a wrong word. He never committed the murder, and though they have hanged that lad, he was innocent.
A reporter from a Dewsbury newspaper interviewed his manager at Bentley Shaw. Mr. Haigh stated that Sargisson entered their employ in July, 1862, as a farm labourer and occasional cart driver. His work for the first few weeks was to assist stacking hay, they found him to be such an industrious and superior workman that they soon promoted him to the post of regular driver. He was always willing and obliging; he could set himself to any kind of work and nothing came wrong to his hand. During the time he was there, his wages were advanced twice and for some time before he left, though still in his teens, he was in receipt of the highest wages usually given to a driver. They never received a single complaint of his conduct. Mr. Haigh added that they would have retained his services, but James wished to emigrate and had saved money towards this.
The Huddersfield wagon required 2 drivers, and his fellow driver for 9 months, Sanderson said he was a good worker and often visited his house, he was fond of the children. 'Jim was foolish for not letting us know when he got into trouble, we would have tried to help'. 'They've hung the wrong one, he never did the murder.'
The newspaper report ended: ' Our only plea in troubling our readers with these details is our desire to render justice to Sargisson, and, if possible by this simple tribute to his memory, to mitigate in some measure the grief of his aged and broken hearted parents, and a large circle of sorrowing friends.'