The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-08 00:00:00

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE,

On Wednesday evening one of the most appalling
and desperate attempts at murder and suicide which
have been perpetrated in Nottingham for many
years past was committed in Narrow. marsh (a low
part of the town). A man named John Wheeldon,
a sawyer, purchased two small pistols on Monday,
at the shop of Mr. Woodhouse, pawnbroker, Clum-
ber-street. About 5 o'clock on Wednesday evening
Wheeldon was in Narrow-marsh, and seeing his
wife passing, called her. She went to him and ac-
companied him into the house of a man named Mit.
chell, where their child was. A conversation took
place, characterised by bitterness on both sides, and
at its close the woman heard the click of a pistol
trigger. She rushed towards h,r husband to wrest
the pistol from his hand or throw up his arm, but
before she reached him he fired, and the butlet took
affect between the eyes, entering the head. There
were three men present, but they either had nut
presence of mind, or Wbeeldon was too quick for
them, and had discharged the pistol before they
could prevent him. The woman fell speechless, hut
soon arose and staggered into the street,where, after
having walked a few paces, she would have fallen
had not a butcher named Caleb caught her in bis
arms.Wheeldon followed his wife into the street,and
walked along until he came opposite to the Wheat-
sheaf beer-house, in which he lodged. Here he took
another pistol out of his pocket, and pointing at h's
right ear, fired. The ball took effect, and he fell
on the footway. A cab was sent for, and Sergeant
H ,pkinson, with four constables, came up. The
woman was placed in the cab, with a constable in
charge, and conveyed to the General Hospi-
tal. The bullets in both cedes remained in. The
man sustained a fractured jaw-bone. At about nine
o'clock he became speechless, and deaf in one ear;
it is supposed the bullet must have injured the base
of the brain. The woman was bleeding profusely,
and in her case it is supposed the bullet must have
taken a down ward direction and lodged in the neck.
The statement made by the unfortunate woman
after she was removed to the hospital was to the
following effect :—" John Wheeldon is my hus
band. We have been living apart about a for

night, whe❑ he sold my home up. Between 4 and
5 this (Wednesday) afternoon I was going down
Narrow-marsh alone, when I heard my husband
call me and say ' Come here.' I turned rouni anu
went with him into Mitchell's house in Narrow-

marsh. My husband followed into Mitchell's house.
Mr. Mitchell and two other men were there. My
husband said to me, ' God help you, you look a poor
creature.' I said Yes, and you don't look much
better. You're paying 12s. a week for your board
now, but when you was with me you were not con-
tented.' Hs said, I don't feel contented now. Du
you want any money P' I said, No; you may rake
it, to the Scotchwoman that fetched the warrant for
me.' He said, The warrant will do you no harm
_ I'll pay any money for you.' He told me to
kiss my child which was then in the room. I kissed
my child. He said, Will you take the child P' I
said, 'No, I c,n't. I can't maintain it. You've
=taken the bread out of my mouth, or I could have
done it ; but if the Lord spares me I will get a
living now.' He said, Yes, my wench, you
wou;d.' He said, ' Have one glass with
me, and then I'll leave you.' I said, 'No,
never while I live. You have scandalized me to
the utmost, and I can think of you no more. I wil►
take a little house, and try to manage the best way
I can.' He said, You know I won't let you live in
that way.' I said, I will get a protection paper.'
I then heard him draw a trigger, Mitchell looked
round, and I said, Oh! he's got a pistol.' I ran
towards my husband, who shot me ou the face. I
fell en the floor, and tried to speak, but could not.
I then got up, and ran into the street. I was shortly
afterwards taken to the hospital." The man's case
is hopeless; the woman also lies in a most dan-
gerous state.

COW

AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.—An inquiry was
held on Wednesday, at the Fulham-bridge Tavern,
by Mr. James Bird, coroner for West Middlesex, respect-
ing the death of a child, the daughter of a medical lecturer,
named Rowbotham. Mr. Rowbotham was examined, and
stated that, though a member of the medical profession,
ho was not in practice; he had for some time travelled
and lectured. The deceased child was his, and aged
two years and five months. She was a delicate child
from her birth, and he had adwinistered medicine from
time to time, and about three months ago the child had a
fall, and became gradually worse. He still treated her,
and did not then send for any medical man. On the
28th ul'imo he sent for Mr. Fyfe, of Brompton, who at•
tended her; but she died two days afterwards. Mr
Francis Goderich, registered surgeon, of Onslow-square
who had, by direction of the coroner, made a post-mortem
examination, depo,ed that the child had died from serous
effusion of the brain, which was a purely natural cause of
death. It appeared that Mr. Rowbotham had given a cer-
ificate as to the (Aurae of death. Mr. Fyfe having declined
to do so. on which account the inquiry was unsidered
necessary. The relatives of the child, it was explained, be-
lieved that it had been ill-treated, and threatened to bring
the matter betore a court of law. The coroner told Mr.
Rowbotham that if the child had been buried upon the faith
of the certificate given by him, he being a non-registered
practitioner, it would have been necessary for the body to
be o,slauwedi 7140 Inquiry Merl` tetmiaated.