The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-03-27 00:00:00

A SHOCKING TRAGEDY AT PENGE.
(From Monday's Daily News.)

A most shocking occurrence was brought to light
early yesterday morning in Dulwich-road, Penge.
The scene of the terrible affair was the house num-
bered 3, Melbourne-terrace, next door to the Queen
Adelaide Tavern, in which resided a Mr. Frederick
Hunt with his family. At about a quarter to six in
morning the maid servant was going down stairs when
her attention was attracted to a letter attached to the
handle of the door of the room where her master and
mistress slept. She was also somewhat surprised at a
written notice "not to go into the bedroom," and on
the envelope of the letter, which was addressed to Mrs.
Guest, Laurel-grove, there was a request to have it de-
livered at once. Mrs. Guest, it seems, was an intimate
friend of the family, and the servant at once communi-
cated the circumstance to the resident governess, who
went without delay to Laurel-grove with the letter.
Mrs. Guest, acoompanied by her husband, came to the
house, and on entering the bedroom they found the
husband was absent; his daughter, named Annie. aged
seven, was lying in bed looking quite calm, and dead;
and the wife was outside the bed in a kneeling position,
with her face buried in her hands, and her arms resting
on the side of the bedstead. Her throat had been cut
in a frightful manner, and there was a great deal of
blood about the place. In another room two other
children—Percy, aged five, and Arthur, aged nine—
were found in bed, suffering from the effects of poison.
Dr. Longrigg, who resided only three houses distant,
was soon in attendance. He pronounced the girl
Annie, who was quite cold, to be dead, and that the
wife, who was still warm, bad ceased to breathe. The
poison administered to the two little boys referred to
had not taken fatal effect, and under the care of Dr.
Longrigg they were progressing favourably towards
recovery last night. 'Whether the perpetrator of the
dreadful acts was disturbed in hisdeaelly purpose is not
known, but two other children—a boy aged 12 and a
girl aged 10—escaped.
Intimation of the occurrence having been communi-
cated to the police authorities, Sergeant Bateman
visited the house, where he found a razor covered with
blood, with which the crime is supposed to have been
committed. The first steps taken by the police was
to ascertain the whereabouts of the husband, and his
discovery was made under singular circumstances. At
about five minutes to eight yesterday morning the
signalman engaged in the box at the Penge Junction
saw a strange man walking about the line, but was
unable to leave his post on account of the Boat Ex-
press train, in connection with the London, Chatham,
and Dover Railway, being just due. He however
watched the trespasser, who, either by accident
or intentionally, fell between the six-foot way,
and the express passed him. The signalman then
descended from his box, and asked the stranger what
business he had there, as there was a level crossing
lower down.. His reply was that he "missed the
steps,"sand he apparently paid attention to the advice
that he had "better go." No sooner, however, had
the signalman returned to his box than the stranger
was seen to make his way from the bank and lie down
on the "down" line, with his head resting on his
arms. At this juncture another signalman was re-
turning from his duty at the Beckenham Junction,
and was asked to look after the man, whose conduct
was so extraordinary, and he with some difficulty took
him to the Penge Station to charge him with
trespassing and atten.pting suicide. While on
the platform at that station the man said he
would go quietly, whereupon the ;signalman released
him, but no sooner hail he done so than the
unfortunate man threw himself on the line just
before a down train was due, and he was at once
taken into custody. His conduct and manner at the
police-station was very strange, and his answers to the
questions put to him so incoherent that the officials were
unable to enter the charge. It was ultimately found that
he was under the influence of laudanum, and Dr. Long-
rigg, who had been so recently called to the man's ill-
fated home, was sent for and applied the stomach-
pump with but little effect. His identity was not
discovered until, on searching his pockets, a card was
found bearing his name—" Frederick Hunt, draper's
accountant, 3, Melbourne-terrace, Dulwich-road." The
unfortunate man had, it is said, held a good position in
a leading City warehouse, which he left a few weeks
since, and started business on his own account, but did
not succeed in it so well as he had expected. The letter
he addressed to Mrs. Guest was a long one, and in it
he stated that by the time that reached her he should
be no more, and pointed to the difficulties which led
him to perpetrate the crime. It further transpires, we
understand, that the horrible act had been contem-
plated for several days. He had not quite recovered
from the effects of the poison late last night, when his
aged father visited him while he was still under the
care of Dr. Longrigg.