The Express.
London, England, 1857-07-20 00:00:00

(Stamped id. Additional.) [TWOPENCE.

THB Pd THEE.

MURDER OF TWO CHILDREN.-BUICIDE OF

A dreadful crime has been committed at Gloucester. ,
A tradesman, named George Meadows Morley, hairdresser ;
tad tortieep beeper, has drowned himself and his two
slaughters rl4. the other nine years old. An invest was ,
held on UM belles by Mr. Lovegrove, coroner, on Saturday
eight, whirr Mears evidence was taken
Charles Xreiffiar—About one o'clock this morning I wee
riled up le ursir the Gloucester and Berkeley Ship Canal, la ,
sun.' bo/dr Miss of Morley and his daughters, Elizabeth
restAngesta. win were supposed to be drowned. Between
11 sad I 2 cede* Is the forenoon I found the bodies of the
Yoe sad hie muse* daughter. They were lying in the
era, about • Sas *eel Gloucester about six feet from the
seedlmilksad hl eight or nine feet of water. The bodies ,
INN Marl tespase_ tie father had hie left arm passed
resod bis diatglKs waist, and grasped her wrist
VIM hie hi band, while his right arm was
✓eesi. as IMO he had held the eldest daughter
la lbe iris meow as the youngest, but she
Ml sit gloss him. Shirty afterwards I found the body
of Ilia eine daughter ; she was lying in the channel of the
and Odra the wrier 15 or 18 het deep), and from 16 to
ID Mot has bee beer aid diem Tlew were all divined,
Mt the Yrs end WeMlr roe -rater hats. The
a dear M R I saw no traces on
= bed ea
Wra mere Webs emiteevez:
Mama Salida geilesres Is Me of the canal com-
pany, who Ina rib Me list wirer he found the
bodies of the demend. Yaw a uses hat and •
gW's*raw be yrs herd Ileareg la the canal; deo a
obarsisbieldrit asl • ograttg et inedea dowers. There
le pans flallissir 1111rillief tie awl err to which
the beim Illatiserril watt farad, hat purser sometimes
walk lira. 'sure Is way three or fear het of water clews
to re bob abaft Os doomed were hood, and if either at
the bail labs 4 see Mentally they could bare wily got
out sgaht.
By a Juryman—At this place the bottom Is flat for now
distance from the beak, end the water would not be above
the shoulders of the youngest child. It appeared as if the
father had jumped In with both his daughters, and se the
water was not over their heeds he must have held them down
as well as kept himself down. I think the eldest daughter
gut from hint and unfortunately fell off into the deep water.
There were no scratches on the faces of the children' as
though they had fallen through the thorns growing on the
bank; the eldest girl's hair was slightly disarranged.
Harriet Morley I am the widow of the deceased
George Morley, end mother of the two girls. My
husband was about forty-eight years old, and my
oldest daughter, Elizabeth, was tourteen, and Auguste nine.
My husband was very much attached to his children and
they were feed of him. Yesterday morning be proposed.
after breakfast, to take than for a walk "up the rood,'
without saying what road. He had not offsed to take them
out lately. I expected him be kin about an hour' and as he
did not return I sent some one to look for him. At twelve
o'clock I went myself in march of him, and walked along by
the side of the Severn, but could get no tidings of them.
did not hear of the Anding of the hats until this morning,
and have not seen my husband or children since they left
home yesterday. He has for some time been suffer-
ing from extreme depression of spirits, arising from disease
of the chest. He has not attended to his business
for the last week, end has been under medical treat-
ment. Two years ago he wee in a depressed state, and I
watched him narrowly, fearing he would indict some injury
upon himself. He has never, to my knowledge, attempted to
commit suicide, or threatened that he would do so, or would
do me or the children any injury. He frequently complained
that his head wee bad, and he talked strangely, and did
strange things. Before going out on Friday, he wound up
the clock, end a minute or two afterwards he went again to
wind it up. Ile would sometimes fetch one thing when he
wanted another. Hie circumstances at the present tires
were not very good. We were not wholly dependent apes
the business fee support, but the little we bad beside' woe
nearly exhausted,sad-1 think this preyed upon his liked. The
children did not object to go out with him, andas Its was very
low, I thought they would be company for him.
Several wits:mem said the deceased cone to tree of
being ill in the morning of the melee y oconmenee, and
Mr. Cookson, surgeon, his medical attendant, wed bethought
hire insane, and unable to control himself when actuated by
say sudden impulse. He had cautioned his wife to look
closely after him.
Mr. Llewellyn—l was intimately acquainted with the
Loosened. He has frequently teen m • dowmiling state.
Last Tuesday fortnight be told me he had taken his children
three times to the water aide, intending to jump in with them
and theme them, but that God had prevented his doing so,
sad he had walked back from the water instead of jumping
into it. He also complained of the neglect of bin bu.sanee
through his own and his wife'. Mn.., and said he would
kill himself and his wife and children rather than they should
coma to want. He laboured under the impression that every
ems lime desires. et *nen him.
Thiswas the whole of the evidence ; and alter • lucid =m-
ining up by the
_coroner, the jury returned a verdict in effect
tam the deemed drowned binaelf and his two children
while labouring under temporary insanity.