The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-04-15 00:00:00

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE;

A shocking affair occurred about six o'clock on
Friday morning in last week, at Lorne-villa, Campion.
terrace, Leamington, tne residence of Mr. Thomas
Whittingham. Mr. Whitcingbam, who was between
50 and 60 years of age, and was formerly a grocer in
Stafford, during Thursday night eat up drinking, and
his wife was thus prevented from going to bed. They
quarrelled in consequence of her husband's conduct,
and Mrs. Whittingham threatened to leave him, as she
had done on two former occasions, owing to his irregular
habits. About half-past five o'clock on Friday morn-
ing Mrs. Whittingham rushed, in a state of terror and
alarm, into the servant's bedroom. They bolted the
door, but Mr. Whittingham burst it open, and pre-
sented a loaded gun at his wife. She escaped from the
room and ran downstairs pursued by her husband, who
still carried the gun in his hand. At the bottom of
the yard she attempted to scale a wall, into a timber-
yard belonging to Mr. Thorneycroft. As she was
about to throw herself over the w>dl her husband fired.
She fell into the adjoining yard, frightfully wounded.
Her cries of agony brought assistance, and she was car-
ried into a neighbour's house, apparently dying. Mr.
Whittingham, directly after he fired the gun, returned
into his own house and went upstairs into the bed-
room. To the servant girl, who begged of him not to
shoot her, he merely said, "I thought it would come to
this." He then shot himself with a revolver. The
bullet entered behind the left ear- and emerged at the
temple, causing almost instant deatb. Mrs. Whitting-
ham, when she recovered consciousness, said she feared
she was dying, but she hoped that God would forgive
her husband. During the day, in spite of the terrible
•nature of her injuries, she rallied a little, but her con-
dition was considered all but hopeles-.

An inquest has been held, but no new facts respect-
ing the occurrence itself were elicited. The deceased
had lost his first wife and only child in Australia,
where he made a fortune in the gold-fields. Mrs. Whit-
tingham (his second wife) was married to him 9 years
ago. Evidence was given to the effect that deceased was
addicted to drink. Twice his wife had left him, and on
the last occasion in July last, when they were living
at Stafford, a deed of separation was executed. On that
occasion he had struck her and threatened her lire, and
Miss Hewett, his sister-in-law, described him as being
then wild and like a madman. He had also frequently
complained of pains in his head, which had been in-
jured by a severe fall when he was returning from
Australia' He had also himself expressed fears that
he should go mad. After living apart for some three
months, his wife, on deceased promising amendment,
returned to him again, and they came to live in Leam-
ington. The medical evidence threw no light on the
deceased's mental condition, the brain being disor-
ganised by the bullet. The jury returned a verdict
that the deceased shot himself while suffering from
temporary insanity.

Mrs. Whiainghani was slightly better on Sunday.
She was removed to the Warneford Hospital, when it
was found that her injuries were not so serious as was at
first supposed. Hopes are entertained of her recovery.