The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-10-23 00:00:00

APPALLING TRAGEDY AT FULHAM.

Rumours of an appalling crime were in circulation
in the neighbourhood of Fulham on Saturday morn-
ing, and subsequent investigation led to the revelation
of perhaps the most painful of the many domestic
tragedies that have thrilled the metropolis of recent
years. Had it not been, indeed, for the marvellous
escape of one of the intended victims, the public in
all probability would never have learnt the harrowing
details. It appears that late on Thursday evening in
last week a man named Charles Wilcox found a boy
wandering about in a pitiable condition, with his
clothes wet through, on the side of the Thames near
a place known as Broomhouse Dock, Fulham, where
barge traffic to a considerable extent was formerly
carried on. The little fellow, who was then
quite hysterical, and trembled violently, was taken to
the police-station at Walham-green, where be gave his
name as Robt. Leader. After repeated questions, he
made the following brief and extraordinary statement:
"My name is Robert Leader, and my father is a
butcher. We lived at 2, Epple-terrace, Fulham; but
father don't live there now. On Thursday afternoon
mother took me, Harry, Charles, Frank, and Albert
on a steamboat. We went to Chelsea, where
mother gave us some tea. We then walked a long
way to some stone steps. Then we stopped. Mother said,
'We'll all have to die,' and then we walked down the
stone steps. Harry said, 'We are all going in
together—mother and the rest of us. Harry tried
to pull me in, but I held on, and we both fell into the
water. I got out. Charlie, he cried. I didn't, see
anything more of Harry. Mother and my brothers
are all drowned." The police communicated with
Mr. Dewing, whose residence at 2, Epple-terrace, is
close by, and he stated that Mr. Leader had formerly
been a tenant of his at 2, Norfolk-terrace, which is
immediately at the back of Mr. Dewing's house, but
was now residing at 133, Denmark road, Camberwell,
where he was a butcher. The Camberwell police were
communicated with, and Mr. Leader was at once ap-
prised of the shocking disclosures.
Mr. and Mrs. Leader, it transpires, have been
married 10 years, and have five children. When her
husband formed her acquaintance she was a barmaid
at Lownde's Hotel in Eaton-square, and he was then
manager to a large firm of butchers in the West-end.
Since then he has filled several situations and also
had a small business at Waiham-green. About 12
months since they went to reside at 133, Denmark-
road, Camberwell, where they conducted a butcher's
business. Mrs. Leader is spoken of by her neighbours
there as being a most ladylike, quiet, and courteous
woman. She was most attentive to her household
duties and devoted to her children, who reciprocated
their mother's love. She was 32 years of age, but
looked somewhat older. Of late she had, it is said,
become very much depressed—more so since the birth
of her baby about five months ago. For this several
reasons are assigned. One is that she was jealous of the
occasional absence of her husband, and the other that
he had been seen in the company of other ladies. It
appears that on Sunday week, when Mrs. Leader paid
a visit to a friend's house, a statement was laughingly
made to that effect, and although the observation was
intended as a passing joke, she took serious notice of
it. During the past week she had been more than
ordinarily quiet and reserved, and Mr. Leader states
that Dr. Cole, who attended Mrs. Leader in her last
confinement, had observed a change in her demeanour
since that event. Nothing, however, had been not iced
which could have induced her husband and friends to
think she contemplated the dreadful act of taking her
own life and that of four of her children.

The details immediately leading up to the terrible
tragedy are these: On Thursday, between twelve and
one o'clock, Mr. Leader went across to get a glass of
beer at a neighbouring public-house, and during his
absence Mrs. Leader attired herself in her best dress,
and also dressed the baby and the next youngest
child Frank. When the elder boys returned from
school she told them she was going to take them
away with her. Dinner was then laid out in the
parlour behind the shop, but Mrs. Leader and her
children did not partake of it. It is stated that prior
to this she had stated to the shopman she was going
away, and wished him good-bye, but he induced her
to remain until the master returned. At all events,
she awaited until the return of her husband, and
a very painful scene followed. She told him she
was going away, and he entreated her to stay, bat
to no purpose. The wretched woman was in a very
distressed state of mind, and the children were pite-
ously sobbing. For some minutes this painfully sad
scene was continued, and thinking he might induce
his wife to stay, Mr. Leader took some of the children
into one of the upstair bedrooms. There the sorrow-
scene was continued, and as the children cried
aloud for their mother, Mr. Leader took them down.
Notwithstanding her husband's entreaties, Mrs.
Leader still refused to stay. and Mr. Leader, thinking
she might want to go home to her mother at Bristol,
offered her four sovereigns to pay the fares. This
offer was declined, and soon after Mrs. Leader left
the house. Accounts differ as to the exact time this
actually took place, one account fixing the time between
12 and one o'clock, and the other between one and two
o'clock. Acccrding to the surviving son's account his
mother walked to Vauxhali, but some of the railway
officials at Camberwell believe the woman and her chit-
- drenloftthat station by the 12.41 p.m. trainfor Chelsea.
The children whom Mrs. Leader took with here were
all well dressed, and their names and ages were as
follows: Henry Leader, aged nine; Robert Leader,
aged seven; Charlie Leader, aged five; Frank Leader,
aged three years, and the infant in arms aged five
months old. Despite the diligent inquiries which
have been made by the police, no definite information
has yet been obtained as to the movements of the
woman and children from the time they left the
house until their arrival at Fulham, exceptin of
course the very extraordinary narrative furniblied by
the lad Robert Leader. His story, given above has
been slightly varied on one or two occasions, but taken
together is to the following effect: On leaving Den-
mark-road they walked to Vauxhall-bridge, where
their mother took them into a coffee shop and gave
them some tea. After that they rode in a
steamer to Chelsea Pier, where they disembarked
and walked about until it was dusk. They were
then taken down to the water at Broomhouse dock,
where his mother said, "We all have to die, and
we can only die once." With that she walked
into the water, holding her infant in her arms, and
having Charlie and Frank on each side holding to her
dress. Robert says Henry clutched his hand tightly
and dragged him into the water, remarking at the
same time, "We are all going in together; mama
and the rest of us." Robert says he struggled in the
water with his brother Henry, rind during this scene
Henry remarked to his brother, "If you are going
out, I'm going in to be drowned with mother." With
that he let go his hold, and was swept away with the
tide. The poor little boy, who has not yet recovered
from the effects of his fright, gives two or three diffe-
rent accounts of the dreadful sight. but so far as can be
ascertained, his mother and the baby were the first to
disappear, then Charlie and Frank, and lastly his
brother Henry. The tragedy was enacted, it is be-
lieved, about half-past seven.

LOCAL EXCITEMENT.
The tragedy,continued to excite the public mind,
and a startling rumour was current in the district on
Monday morning to the effect tint after witneseing
the drowning struggles of her three children whose
bodies had been i:ecovered, Mrs. Leader refrained
from intensifying the terrible nature, of her crime by
murdering her infant and conanitung suicide, and,
regaining the bank, made her escape, and is still at
large. While considering this rumour as absurd, the
police took necessary precautions in the matter, and
special instructions were given for a wide circulation
of the woman's description, will, as already stated,
was five feet in height, fair, about 3'2 years of age
(looking much older and careworn), and was dressed
in mourning at the time when she was last seen in
Fulham.
Sir Charles Warren made an unusually early visit
on Monday to the Walham-green Police-station, arriv-
ing there before six o'clock in the morning, when he
made special inquiries with reference to the tragic
event. Inspector J. Brown and Inspector Kellar
were then diligently engaged in superintending the
operations of dragging for the bodies of the mother
aud her infant,

INQUEST AND VERDICT.
Later in the day Mr. Diplock held an inquest at
the Rifle Inn, on the bodies of the three children.
Mr. Robert Leader, a butcher, of 133, Denmark-
road, Camberwell, identified the bodies as those of
his children. He last saw his wife alive on Thurs-
day afternoon, when she left with the three deceased,
Robert, and her baby. On the previous Monday,
after coming from a relative's at the West-end,
witness had some words with his wife about something
which passed on the Sunday, when someone said, "I
saw Mr. Leader and your brother-in-law out with
ladies." The remark was made in a joke, but wit-
ness's wife afterwards questioned him, and he said,
"To tell you the honest truth, I have never seen the
woman." On Tuesday and Wednesday tLe deceased
did not seem as usual, and on the latter day, in re-
ferring to the shop, she remarked,"l wish I had never
seen the place." Mrs. Leader afterwards seemed
worn and agitate, and asked him again and again
about "the girl." He said, There is not an atom of
truth in it." She was so strange, and he had never
heard her speak in such a manner before, that he
thought she had had something to drink. She said
she had not, but witness afterwards found that a
pint of gin had been brought into the house. She
asked witness to forgive her for what she had said,
and he replied "Certainly." That night re. Leader
slept with two of the deceased—Frank and the baby.
On Thursday, after he came from market, he noticed
his wife looking very haggard and worn, and glancing
at some bills which she had added up he noticed a
mistake—Xl 9s. 2d. being put down instead of .E 1
19s. 4d. Mrs. Leader flew into apassion upon witness
remarking "If you go on like that, we shall soon lose
what little we have got." She subsequently exclaimed
"I'll have no more of this. I cannot stop—l won't
stop !" Witness implored her to think of the conse-
quences. He then went out, and upon returning his
wife held out her hand, exclaiming "I am going." He
remonstrated with her, and told her she should
not take the children, whom witness told to
go upstairs. They 'went to a room, and
he tried to lock them in, but the key
'would not " answer" in the lock. Mrs. Leader then
came upstairs and said again he should go. Ho ex-
claimed, "Well, if you will go, you must." She
threw four sovereigns down cn a table. He said,

" You will want those." She answered, "No;lhavi
got plenty. I have got as much as I shall want to
take mo where I am going." She went out, but re-
turned in a few minutes, saying, "I have come to
wish you good-bye." He replied," I shall not wish
you good-bye. You come back and bring my children
back." She then left. Mrs. Leader had troubled
her mind a great deal about the business. Witness
had lived at Fulham, at Mr. Dewings.
By the jury: Mrs. Leader left the children at the
corner of a street when she came back the second
time to bid him good-bye. Witness used every effort
cot Thursday night to find out where she had gone to,
awl while doing s J he received a police telegram from
Fulham, stating that his boy Robert was there. Wit-
ness went to Fulham, and then was informed of the
occurrence.
Police-constable Calley, 597 T, deposed to finding
the body of Henry Leader in the Thames on Friday,
and testimony as to the recovery of the other two
bodies were also given.
Inspector Butclaer gave evidence as to a man named
Charles Wilcox bringing Robert Leader, the only sur-
viving one of the family, to the Walham-green Station
on Thursday night. In questioning him, witness said,
"Have you any brothers and sisters?" and the little
boy replied, "Yes, they are dead." "How long?"
witness asked him, and the boy answered, "Not
long." The boy then told witness that his brother
Harry asked him to go into the water, but he was
afraid, and got out as quick as he could, for his
brother pulled him in. The boy also remarked to
witness, Harry said to me, 'Mamma has gone in;
you go in, and I will follow.'"
Frank Wade, Mr. Leader's shopman gave evidence
to the effect that Mr. Leader behaved kindly to his
wife and children.
Inspector Butcher "lied) said the boy Robert
told him that Mrs. Le rent to a publichouse and
had some gin just befe „ 9"
got to the water.
The Coroner, in ad - the jury referred to the
remarkable nature o for if the statement of
the boy Robert were 4 ved, one at least of
the deceased chil, itted suicide. He

? give credence to
`',l only seven years
5.
verdict :—" That
':at there was not
,:"), got into the
Alfred Jezzard, ba 'White Horse,
Parson's-green, whom' 7 did not think
it necessary to call, !, J llowing state-
ment: "The deceased • .' - .baby in her
arms, and three children V, between six
and seven o'clock on nu At first she
called for a pint of 'four he said, 'Let
me have a glass.' I tol .14 not have a
' glass ' of 'four ale,' and ved her crazy
condition, and told her and take her
children with her. Anoth. ildren, making
four, then came in. I ret 3r money, and
told her to go. She said, 'I ',bother I have
the money or not.' The chil started crying.
I could not say if they had r they were in a
6 funny ' condition. Neither th or the children
had anything to drink here, fc.. heir condition,
and would not serve the motl anything. The
woman was then awfully one' 3tled her baby
close in her arms, and said 'G. s l' to the four
children. She placed twopence e counter, but
lat once returned it, and told her best thing she
could do would be to go home and the boys with
her. She then started, saying to tl _ youngsters, 'Go
home! Go home ! '''

the Coroner) -13—a—irl'
ihe boy Robert's verl
of age.
The jury then retn'
the deceased were fou
sufficient evidence to
wn.t.Ar."