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Before being tried at York assizes and hung at Tyburn on Saturday 28 April 1770 at 2:30 PM, David Hartley had reputedly helped plot the murder of the Halifax Excise Officer, a Mr Deighton, who was on the Gang's trail. This was never really proved, though his brother Isaac Hartley - known as 'The Duke of York' - and three locals were implicated. Not a full 8 months later another man, reputedly an informer, was murdered in an horrific manner in Heptonstall.
Halifax at this time was a thriving woollen cloth town of around 6,000 persons. The constabulary, such as it was (standing at 4), was in part involved in coining. This meant there was collusion sufficient to keep the Turvin Gang advised of any moves against them. In fact escape from custody was then commonplace.
The Cragg farms involved in coining included Keelham and Hill Top as well as Bell House, and Stannery End, and most likely many of the others too. Cragg was closely tied to Sowerby township, and many isolated farms between were likely sources of counterfeit distribution at times.
The main culprits of the Deighton murder were brought to book, but discharged. However, they were later arrested for theft and hung in chains on Beacon Hill, Halifax.
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