The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-12 00:00:00

THE DOUBLE MURDER AND SUICIDE

IN BLACKFI?IAR,S-ROAD,

The following are some further particulars rela-
tive to the melancholy affair in the Blackfriars-
road, reported in our yesterday's impression :
For the last four years, or nearly so, a married
man, named Joseph Mockford, has occupied apart-
ments at 189, Blackfriars-road, the other portions
of which are in the occupation of a gentleman named
Pearce, who entertained the highest respect for his
ledger, and ivho now speaks of him in the highest
terms of praise as a steady and respectable man, a
loving husband, and a doating father. He filled a
confidential situation in the service of Mr. Meredith
of the saw mills, Bankside, with wages and perqui-
sites averaging £2 ss. per week. He had three cell-
dren, two girls and a boy, an infant ; and he lived a
happy life enough until the end of April last, when
his wife died after a very brief illness, and he
once became an altered man, moody, miserable, and
gloomy, and frequently, in vague terms, expressing
an intention of making away with himself. To
these threats, however, his friends attached no very
serious importance, supposing that time would re-
concile him to the loss of his wife, and that he
would gradually reeume his former habits.
Upon the death of his wife, his sister resigned a
situation in the City, and at his desire went to keep
house for Mockford, and take care of his two elder
children. The youngest, an infant, about six weeks
old, he committed to the charge of its grandmother
by the father's side. This arrangement appears to
h we worked to his entire satisfaction, and on Sun-
day last it was agreed that Mockford, with his two
eldest children, should take tea with the mother of
his late wife, that he should sleep at her house that
night, and that the children should be left there
fcr a day or two, while his sister was to go to her
mother's, and stay there for a similar period. The
sister accordingly went on her visit, and it was
supposed that Mockford and his children had gone
on theirs. According to this arrangement, he
should have returned home to sleep on Monday,
but did not do so, and as, when Tuesday came,
he still remained absent, Mr. Pearce thought
it only prudent to send to his sister to
ascertain when he would be likely to return. The
reply was that the sister had not seen him since she
left home on Sunday, but that she would imme-
diately go to his father-in-law's, to inquire there.
She went herself, and found, to her great surprise,
that Mockford had not been there at all. Upon this,
the whole family became greatly alarmed, and mak-
ing their way to the Blackfriars-road, the father
and mother, sister and sister-in-law, roused up Mr.
Pearce, who had gone to bed, and obtained admis-
sion to the house, with the result already reported.
Upon a more minute inspection of the apartment
it became apparent that Mockford had acted with
full deliberation in taking the lives of his children
and himself. The children, it is known, were rather
partial to castor oil as a medicine, and on the chair
before referred to as having a carving knife upon it
(there was also a fork) was a teacup, containing a
little castor oil, with some sediment at the bottom,
the remains, it is presumed, of poison, which had
been administered in the oil. There was also a phial
lying under the table,.which it is presumed bad
contained that poison before it was mixed with the
oil, although the exact nature of it has not yet been
discovered.

The two poor children were named respectively
Catherine and Emily—the former being seven and
the latter four years old. When their bodies were
discovered one was lying on her face and the other
on her left erm. The action of the poison seems to
have been rapid, and so great was the change from
their natural appearance, that Mr. Henderson at
first imagined them to have been dead for three or
tour days. By the aide of their bodies two pillows
were found lying—one with and the other with-
out a case, the latter being completely satu-
rated with blood; and this, together with the gene-
ral appearance of the room, leads to the supposi-
tion that Moekford was kneeling on the pillows,
looking at his children, when he inflicted the stabs
which brought about his death, arid that he after-
wards dragged himself to the chair by the window,
and sat there till he bled to death. The stabs must
have been inflicted with the utmost coolness and
deliberation. He had on only his trowsers, shirt,
and flannel shirt. The first were loose about him,
and the shirts—which have no perforation over the
stabs—must have been lifted and hold up with one
hand, while he struck the knife into his abdomen
five or six times with the other; so that every ap-
pearance warrants the conclusion that he had long
contemplated the terrible deed. It should be added
that under the table was found a chamber-utensil
containing apparently some vomit matter, and it is
thought probable that he in the first instance at-
tempted to poison himself, but that, throwing up
the poison, he then had recourse to the carving-
knife. The vomit matter was at once sealed up by
the direction of Mr. Henderson, who is engaged
with another medical man in making a post mortem
examination of the bodies. The inquest will, it is
expected, be held this day.
Alockford was 35 years old, and up to the death
of his wife, on the 27th of April last, a strong and
healthy man.

MARKETS-THIS D.A.Y.

MARK LANE.

bit ERIAL WEEKLY AVERAGES. Wheat, 54s 7d ;
barley, 34s 3d ; oats, 23s Id ; rye, 43s 6d ; beans, 40s 9d ;
and peas, 37s 6d.

THE Six WEEKS' AVERAGES. Wheat, 57s Od ;
barley, 36s 2d; oats, 23s ld ; rye, 39s sd; beans, 40s 3d;
peas, 408 2d,
ENGLISH GRAIN SOLD LAST WEEK.—Wheat, 54,491;
barley, 1,434; oats, 7,174 ; rye, 10 ; beans, 3,706 ; peas,
102 quarters.

METROPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET.
The supply of beasts here to-day being on the increase,
the demand for all kinds ruled inactive, and, in some
instances, prices were rather lower than on Monday. A
few Scots realised 4s. Bd., but the more general top figure
was 4s. per 81hs. About 200 Spanish beasts, via South-
ampton, were brought forward. Prime sheep moved off
steadily, at full currencies; but inferior qualities were dull
at barely late rates. The best Downs sold at from 4s. 10d.
to ss. per Blbs. The lamb trade was in a sluggish state, on
f:Tmer terms. No quotable change took place in the value
of calves. The supply was only moderate. Pigs were
quite as dear as on Monday, but mulch cows were a dull
inquiry. _ _

Per 81b. to sink the offal.
s. d. s. d. , s. d. s. d.
Crse. &inf. beasts 3 0 3 21Primecrs-wool d 0.4 6 4 8
Second quality do. 3 4 3 8 ; Pine. S'thdown d 0.4 10 5 0
Prime large oxen 3 10 4 4 Large orse. calves 4 0 4 6
Prime Scots, e‘-c. 4 6 4 8 Prime small do 4 8 5 0
Crse. &, inf. sheep 3 8 3 10 I Large hogs 4 0 4 4
Second qualitydo. 40 4 4 I Smal porers 4 65 0
Lambs, 5s 4d to 7s 6d.
Suckling calves, lOs to 225; and quarter-old store pigs,
20s to 30s.

TOTAL SUPPLY.
Beasts
Sheep and lambs 9,420
Calves
Pigs, 3OO

FOREIGN SUPPLY.

Beasts 350
Sheep and lambs 1,020
Calves
Pigs

MEAT MARKETS.

NEWCIATE AND LEA.DENDALL.--The supplies of meat
are moderate, and the trade rules steady, as follows:—Beef,
from 3s Od to 4s 2d , mutton, 3s 10d to 4s 8d ; lamb, 6s Od
k) 6s 8d ; veal, 4s Od to 4s 8d ; pork, 3s 10d to 5s Od per
Blbs by the carcase.

SOUTHALL, June 11.—Only moderate supplies of fa t
stock were on offer here to-day, and the trade ruled steady,
as follows :—Beef, from 3s 4d to 4s 6d; mutton, 3s 8d
to 4s 10d ; lamb, 6s Od to 7s 2d ; veal, 4s 43 to 4s 10d ; and
pork, 4s Od to 5s Od per Blbs. to sink the offal.
Romrenn, June 11.—All kinds of stock were in good
request at very full prices. Beef, from 3s 2d to 4s 8.1 ; mut-
ton, 3s 8d to 5s Od ' • lamb, Gs Od to suckle 4 veal, 4s 2d to
4s 10d ; pork; 48 Od to 5s Od per 81b ; g calves, lOs to
19s; quarter-old store pigs, 19s to 28s each; and milch
cows, £l4 Cd to £lB 5s each.