The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-20 00:00:00

ArrALLIxo SUICIDE AND ATTEMPTED
MURDER.

The Freeman's Juurtatil publishes the following
report of an appalling su;eide and attempted murder
which took place on Sunday in a house of ill-fame in
Dublin :

'Yesterday evening a dreadful occurrence took place in is
house of ill-fame in French-street. A gentleman attempted
the life of a girl living in No. 27 in the above street, and
immediately alter committed suicide by shooting himself.
It appears that shortly before 4 o'clock, some boys, play-
ing near the house, which is best by a person calling her-
self "Fancy Stuart," were startled by the sharp report of
a pistol shot, immediately succeded by the screams of a
female, and, in a few minutes after, by a second shot.
They gave the alarm to the constable on the beat, who im
mediatoly proceeded to the house, and, having been ad-
mitted, was told that both shots had been fired by a
gentleman who was then in the two pair back .bedroom.
The constable went upstairs, and, en entering the
room, was horrified at seeing the body of a man
stretched at fall length on the a3ol', and bleeding
slightly from a bullet wound in the left breast. Although
five minutes had scarcely elapsed from the time the
second shot was heard until the arrival of the policeman
life was quite extinct. The deceased was but partially
dressed. He had on dark trousers, grey stockings, a co-
loured shirt, and dark satin waistcoat. The portion of the
shirt around the wound and the left collar of the waistcoat,
which was unbuttoned, were on fire, so it would appar the
mucale of the pistol must have been close to the breast when
the fatal shot was fired. The girl, Emma Fawcett, a native
of England, whom the unfortunate deceased had attempted
to destroy before terminating his own existence, was found
lying on a sofa in the drawing-room bleeding from several
wound, inflicted by small shot, scattered over the right side
of her person from the temple to toe knee. The light morn-
lag dress which she wore was all stained with blood. When
assistance was procured she was placeil on a ear and conveyed
to Mercer's Hospital, where she was received by the resident
surgeon, by whom sae was treated in the kindest end meet
skilful manner. Having made a careful examination of the
wounds, which are numerous, he declared that none of them
were likely to prove dangerous. As soon as she had re-
covered consciousness she made a statement which,if correct,
shows her escape from death to have been almost miracu•
lons. She states that sho left deceased sitting in the bed-
room (the same in which his body was found) to go down to
the drawing-room, and had been absent but a short time
when she heard him calling her on the stairs. She went
out and saw him on the landing beside the lobby window
looking towards the diawing-room door. She was going up
to him, and bad ascended some three or four steps, when
he stepped forward with a pistol in his right hand and
instantly fired at her; the charge, which appears to hare
been of small shot, striking her in a slanting direction
downwards. She immediately turned and rushed back into
the drawing-room, exclaiming, " Oh, I am shot ! " and then
became unconscious.

In the course of fifteen or twenty minutes after the tra-
gical occurrence the street in front of the house in which it
took place was literally blocked up with crowds of persons
anxiously inquiring into the circumstances, or listening at-
tentively to the various and conflicting rumours that were
being circulated on the subject. A number of policemen
had to be stationed about the house to prevent persons from
eateries and to keep the pathway clear.
A detective officer was sent for, an I constables were
stationed on all the doors leading from the home to prevent
the egress of the residents, who were told that they should
remain within until after the inquest.
The proprietress of the establishment, Fanny Stuart,
gave to the inspector the following account of the deceased :
He came to her house late on the sight of the 30th of
August, the day after the arrival of the Queen. He was
shabbily dressed, and seemed to have been some time under
the rain which fell during the night. He asked for some-
thing to eat, and went down to the kitchen, where be saw
a gentleman sitting at the fire; to whom he said—" I sup-
pose you are on the spree to-night. If you want money I
can give you some, as I have a hundred sovereigns."
Stuart did not think this statement was correct, as she
only saw eight or nine sovereigns in his purse when
he drew it out. He attached himself to Emma Faw-
cett, and remained until five o'clock in the morning,
when he went out, but returned in about five or ten
minutes, and said be would not go, as he thought he was
late for the train. lle lived with the same girl ever since,
seldom going out at first, and latterly not at all, and when-
ever he did it was in a covered car. On the 31st of August
he went to the King's-bridge Terminus for some portman-
teaus he had left there, and in two or three days after he
brought in more luggage, including a large trues, which
he never opened in the house, and which is still corded,
and so great is its weight that two men can scarcely
carry it. He appeared to have a considerably sum of
money--ell in gold—which he snt in the most lavish
manner, purchasing for the females in the house, and par-
ticularly for Emma Fawcett, various and costly articles of
dress. Notwithstanding his great extravagance, he has left
after him a bag filled with sovereigns, which was found in
• closet off his bedroom by the police. He was fre-
quently questioned as to where he came from, and who he
was, but his replies were often evasive, always unsa-
tisfactory and contradictory. The night of his arrival he
said he was a veterinary surgeon, attached to the Queen's
establishment, and subsequently he stated that he had been
some time in Australia. The name he gave was Webster,
which, if not his real name, was one he appears to have
travelled under, for on the railway labels pasted on his lug-
gage Daniel H. Webster, passenger to Dublin."
Stuart
urt stated in reply to the inspector that she
saw the deceased drunk, nor did she ever know him to have
any quarrel with Emma Fawcett ; that, on the contrary, he
seemed very much attached to her. He bought her several
dresses, and, amongst other articles, an *median, upon which
he was teaching her to play. About an hour before he per-
petrated the'dreadful act which so suddenly hurried him into
eternity, he was giving her instruction in the air of " There's
nae luck about the house." Emma Fawcett's statement
at the hospital differs front Stuart's in one respect. The
latter says she never saw the deceased drunk, while the
former alleges that he was scarcely ever sober and that
daring the last two days he was constantly intoxicated, and
we, becoming quite insane in his conduct and manner. In
the account
.given by Stuart, she stated that, when the
' first shot was fired, all the females were in the drawing-
room excepting Fawcett, who instantly rushed in, exclaim-
ing, " Oh. lam shot—l am shot," and then fainted. She
(Stuart) thought he had gone mad, and, fearing he would
murder them all, she locked and barricaded the door, and
called for help. This had been scarcely done when the
second shot was heard, and she thought it had been fired at
some of the servants. . .

The police found on the dressing-table several pistols, and
beside them a bag of bullets, together with a quantity of
powder. The pistols are quite new, and of a very superior
description ; the maker's name is " Richardson, Lord-street,
Liverpool." A considerable quantity of wearing apparel, of
the best style and quality, was lying about.
The deceased is of the middle size, slightly made, and of
a sallow complexion ; his face is much worn, and would in-
dicate a life of hardship or dissipation ; he might be about
thirty-five years of age, but looked somewhat older, from
having lost some of his teeth, and wearing a wig ; for it is
worthy of remark that his hair, which is dark brows, is
slightly grown, having been recently shaved, which ha ac.
counted for to Fawcett by stating that it had been done in
hospital, where he was treated for an attack of glanders
which he took from contact with a diseased horse.
A miniature of himself, inclosed; in a handsome morocco
leather case, which he presented to the girl Fawcett, is a
faithful likeness.

BOILER EXPLOSION AT

ten o'clock

on Monday morning one of three steam-engine boilers set
together on the premises of Messrs. George Hammond and
Son, flax spinners, Bank, Leeds, burst and seriously injured
a number of the workpeople. The boiler which gave way
was the centre one, and as the part which gave way was on
the under side over the furnace, it is supposed to have been
caused by the want of a sufficient supply of water. The
explosion forced out the fire grate, and a dense mass of
heated vapour rushed out of the boiler and into an adjoining
spinning shed, in which a number of workpeople were at
, work. The greater part escaped without any serious in-
jury, but ten of the workpeoplc were so much scalded that
it was found necessary to remove them to the General
Infirmary, where they at present remain. Two of this
number, an Irish boy and a female, are considered in a dan-
gerous state, their skin hanging &hunt them in tatters all
over. As yet there has been no time to make a careful
inquiry into the exact cause of the accident.