The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-23 00:00:00

Shocking Tragedy in Liverpool,

A frightful tragedy took place in Mansfield-street, Liver-
pool, at a late hour on Tuesday night, involving the death
of two persons and the dangerously wounding of another.
At about eleven o'clock. information reached the police-
office, Dale-street, that a woman living at 3, Johnson-place,
Mansfield-street, had attempted to murder her two children,
and had afterwards committed suicide. The woman,
whose name is Catherine Henderson, was the wife of a dock
labourer, and lived apparently in great destitution. About
seven months ago, having shown symptoms of insanity,
she was takea into the lunatic ward of the West Derby
workhouse, where she remained about a fortnight. Since
that time, however, she appeared perfectly sane until Sun-
day last, when she seemed a little unsettled, and used some
singular language which induced the husband to ask a
Roman Catholic priest to call and see her. The priest did so,
and thinking the woman showed symptoms of madness, ad-
vised the husband to send for the parish doctor. The husband
called at the doctor's, and left a message'requesting him to
come ; bat it appears that that gentleman never came. The
woman, until Tuesday night, appeared in her usual state of
mind ; and at an early hour the husband and wife, a child
nine months old, named Joseph, and a girl five years old,
named Margaret, went to bed together, all lying upon
some straw and rags placed upon the floor. After they had
been there some time the baby, which was in the husband's
arms,became restless,and he gave it to the wife in order that
it might get to the breast. Directly he had done so the
child gave a sudden cry, and the father seizing it from his
wife, discovered that blood was running from the child's
throat. He jumped up and shouted out to alarm the other
inmates of the house, of which there were several, but,
while he was doing so, his wife took the opportunity to
seize the other child and cut her throat also. The husband
endeavoured to rescue the little girl, and, while he was
doing so, the mother completed the triple tragedy by in-
flicting a wound on her own throat. The whole occurrence
did not take more than a minute or two. The wounds were
inflicted by a common table knife, very much worn, and,
therefore, very sharp. The mother must have secreted the
knife about her before she went to bed.

As speedily as possible, after the- perpetration of the
shocking deed the children were taken to the St, Anne's
Dispensary, where they were examined by Dr Rae. The
boy was dead, but the wounds of the girl were dressed, and
she was then removed to the Royal Infirmary, from
whence it is repotted that there is every hope of her re•.
covery. After attending to the child Dr Rae proceeded to
examine the mother, whom he found to be quite dead. The
deceased was about 35 years of ago, and both her husband
and herself were Irish. Henderson is said to bear a good
character„—Liverpool Fost.

EXTRAORDINARY CAUSE OF DEATH.—Yesterday
afternoon Mr John Humphreys, the Middlesex
coroner, held an inquest at the City of Canterbury Tavern,
Well-street, Mile-end New Town, as to the death of James
Papworth, aged 47, a ginger beer manufacturer. The de-
ceased was a man of intemperate habits, and on Monday
night about 12 o'clock he returned home tipsy and retired
to rest. He called for some water and his daughter-in-law
took him up some lemonade in a soda water bottle. She
left him, and when she returned shs discovered him insen-
sible, with the bottle prcjecting out of his mouth. A medi-
cal man was called, who found the deceased dead, and the
cause of death was suffocation. Dr Champneys, of Church-
street, Mile-end, New-town, said that the nozzle of tho
bottle had become fixed in the gullet, and had choked the
deceased while drinking. The jury returned the following
verdict :—" That the deceased died from suffocation by
reason of a soda water bottle becoming fixed in the throat
accidentally and by misfortune."
FATAL ACCIDENT AT A BOAT RACE.—On Tues-
day afternoon,6t short time previous to the starting
of the boats in the race between Coie, of Chelsea, and Hoare,
of Hammersmith, two persons, named Blythe and Herring-
ton, were sailing a small skiff, with a main and foresail set;
when off Battersea the boat was seen suddenly to capsize,
and a loud cry for assistance was heard. A waterman,
named Phelps, rowed with all sped to the spot, and sue-
ceeeed with difficulty in rescuing Mrßlythe, but his unfor-
tunate friend, Mr Harrington, a corn chandler, of J.,ambeth-
marsh, had bunk,