The Express.
London, England, 1858-04-06 00:00:00

THE LATE TRAGEDY AT LERWICK.

The John o'Groat Journal gives a very full ac-
count of the terrible murders and suicide at Lerwick, which
we briefly announced on Friday last. The following are
some of the further details :

On the morning of Thursday the 25th ult., the inhabitants
of Lerwick were abetted by the anaounoenient that during
the previous night the house of one of the most respectsble of
their townsmen had been the scene of a tragedy more horri •
We in ia details than any that had ever, within the memory
of man, occurred in the northern counties. As the news
spread from house to house, numbers of persona proceeded in
the direction of the hones in which the foul deed was alleged
to have been contained, and to the eyes of those who were
first bold enough to enter a horrifying scene wee indeed pre-
meted. Five of the inmates had met a violent death, while
the sixth had only narrowly escaped from the melancholy
fate et the others; and, from an examination of the position
of the different bodies, it was too apparent that the tragedy
had been the deed of no stranger to the house but of the
misguided father of the lnoooent and murdered family.
The house in which this (aerial crime hes been committed
stands in the principal street of Lerwick, and in one of the
most frequented parts of the thoroughfare. It is the house of
Mr. Peter Williamson, the principal actor in the tragedy,
who hes been resident in Lerwick for a number of yearn past,
diving which he had carried on business as • general mer-
chant with all the moms which a life of activity and pen-
deuce deserved, hie attention having latterly been divided
between his own trade, the management of a farm in the
rural parte of the island, end the agency for the Peterhead
whaling vessels which annually visit Zetland for the purpose
of completing the number of their mews. The household
consisted of Mr. Williamson himself, who was a man of
about forty years of age ; Mr/. Williamson who was about
two years his junior; William Williamion, the eldest
on, aged sixteen; John Williamson, aged fourteen;
Agnes Williamson, the only daughter, aged twelve;
Peter Williamson, a child about four and a-half
years of age ; end the maid servant ; another of
the younger members of the family, named Gilbert, who wee
second in age to his sister Agnes, having, fortunately for
himself, been for some time peat on a visit to relatives in
Northnitivine. of which place his father wee a native.
Throughout Wednesday tho deceased, whom shop stood on
the opposite side of the street, and within view of his
dwelling-house, attended to his business es usual without any
apparent change in his conduct or demeanour • and in the
evening his premises were closed at the regalia: hour, when
he la known to have Immediately joined the family cirele, the
medical attendant of the family Irsving subsequently con-
', versed eith him In the hones, while visiting the little girl,
and prescribing for her sickness. About 11 o'clock he in-
structed the servant, as he occasionally did, to make fast the
door, for the night and to refire to bed, and this the girl
obeyed; but it is supposed that it was some time afterwards
before he himself retired. It is supposed that he bad risen
about 'ix, when his victims would sleep most soundly, and
when that would be sufficient daylight to enable him to
execute effectually his fearful work. The Instruments of
death, there is too much reason to premme, he had already
at hand; but, for the purpose of preventing any chance of
discovery, he seems, after vacating his bed, to have proceeded
down stirs to morn/tin if the servant girl was asleep, for
when she awoke embeequently, either the doors of her room
and bed, or a small pane by which light wee communicated
to the latter, were found open. Assured that all was safe in
that direction, be had then armed himself with a heavy iron
hammer or cleaver, used for kitchen poses, with a knife,
and with a razor, sad deliberately proose to the work of
murder. His first Adam was his wile—en exemplary and
superior penes, who was reepeated by all acquainted with
her, and whom th >repp fieesseed is known to haws
affectionately sad desertdly lived. To effect bee death
be had recsonet to the most thermate muss. Making
use of the cleaver bet, be bad miumatly streak bar
fearful Wow to the had. The Webs, while it would etas
the poor woman, meet also, it to saisposol, hews swami."
her from her sleep, sad aroused bar to a mot of her pasidem,
fix when found she wee completely owl of bed, lying on the
floor wel ering in her blood. Opealog bar qua to am. la
the dim light of the reandas, the Mlles" with oboes iha
had lain down In eases eeiy a bw hew Indira studio' by
her bedside armed hi the mommer he wee. said with his Wait
sprout trots his halts. hr /acs Impalee wadi ha to Wedge
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