The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-23 00:00:00

THE TRAGEDY IN THE CITY.

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On Wednesday the man John Duke and his wife,
who are now lying at Bartholomew's Hospital, were pro-
nounced by Mr. Camberbatche, the house surgpon, to be
in fair progress of recovery, and they have both received
their strength and consciousness to enable them to speak.
They have both made a statement which, however, it
has been deemed unnecessary to commit to writing, and
from that it would appear that the man, who was on the
morning of the occurrence in a state of frenzy, from want
of the absolute necessaries of life, and feeling that for
some time to come he would be unable to obtain employ-
ment at his trade, he struck his wife a violent blow on
the head with a rolling pin, afterwards found in
the room, lacerating the scalp severely ; he then
took a knife and stabbed her in the throat, on the left side
first, and then on the right side, which rendered her
senseless. He then seized a razor that was at hand, and
drew it across his own throat twice, severing the wind-
pipe. They have been visited by several ot the male
friends and fellow-workmen of Duke, who are of opinion
that the want of employment has been the primary eause
of the tragic occurrence. It appears that the total in-
come of the family, consisting of seven persons, for a
long time past has only amounted to same 14s. or 15s. per
week ; and, after deducting house rent, left but little for
their subsistence. Should nothing occur to retard their
recovery, the man John Duke will in the course of a few
days be brought up at the Mansion-house on a charge
with attempted double murder.

THE DETERMINED SUICIDE IN DRURY-

LANE.
Last night Mr. Bedferd held an inquest at Xing's
College Hospital on the body of Edward Herbert, aged
33 years, who committed suicide on Monday last by
throwing himself from a window at 41, Parker-street,
Drury-lane. It appeared from the evidence that deceased
was in partnership with his mother, who carry on the
business of architectural modellers at 242, Euston-road.
On Saturday last he went to visit his 'sister, a married
woman residing at 41, Parker-street, and remained
there up to the time of his death, which resulted
from his leaping from the third-floor window
between one and two o'clock on the Monday morn.
ing. It was proved that the suicide was of a most
determined character, as deceased, after jumping once
from the window, went upstairs and repeated the act.
The medical testimony disclosed the fearful injuries he
received, and a statement made by Thomas Herbert, his
brother, left no doubt on the minds of the jury that he
ivas insane. A verdict of " Suicide whilst in a state of
temporary insanity" was then returned.

M. and Madame Ferdinand de Lesseps have ar-
rived in London.
The Emperor Napoleon continues to make satis-
factory progress, the swelling of the foot having consider-
ably diminished.
A fresh conflagration has burst out in the forest of
Fontaine ►leau. There is reason to fear that it is the

work of an incendiary.
Within the past fortnight 5,259 lbs. of meat have
been seized in the City as unfit for human food. It has

all been destroye d.
The Emperor of Austria has directed the arms of
Austria and Hungary to be quartered with the family

arms of Count Beust.
A meeting of the Glasgow ironmasters has agreed
unanimously to accept the proposals of the men to return
to work. Notices of the lock-out are to be withdrawn.

After a long and warm discussion, and several
divisions, an attempt to pass a resolution in the Dublin
Town Council in favour of the Permissive Bill has been
defeated by a "count-out."
Yesterday the bankruptcy of Mr. W. H. Cot-
terill, solicitor of Throgmorton-street,who lately absconded,
came before Mr. Registrar Roche. The liabilities amount
to £150,000, and there are in effect no assets.

The Dean and Canons of Christ Church, Oxford,
have presented the Rev. Peter Robert Watts, M.A.,
curate of Milton, near Abingdon, to the vicarage of
Thornton-le-Street, in the room of the Rev. H. R.
Cunnynghame, M.A.

The Pall Mall Gazette hears that the ex-Queen of
Spain has at last signed her abdication in favour of her
son, and that the document has been shewn to the
Emperor and the Spanish Ambassador by the Duke de
Sesta, who came here purposely to implore her Majesty
to make this sacrifice.

The committee of the "Temporary Home for Lost
and Starving Dogs," advertise that in consequence of the
violent and persistent opposition of the inhabitants of
Hollingworth-street, Holloway, they are under the neces-
sity of seeking another site for this institution. A piece
of freehold land has been offered them in some more
eligible and central locality.
THE REVENUE.—From April Ist to June 18th
the national receipts were £14,585,444, or rather over
£2,000,000 less than the revenue in the corresponding
period of last year. The issues from the Exchequer
amounted to 213,592,592, and this was £1,000,000 under
the expenditure during the like number of weeks in 1869.
The balance in the Bank of England on Saturday last
was £8,744,976.
With regard to the measures taken by the com-
mittee of Lloyd's with a view to the discovery of the
authors of the false report concerning the alleged loss of
the Dacia, they are of a very exhaustive nature, detec-
tives having been sent to America, and also to Canada. It
is said, however, that within the last day or two circum-
stances have arisen which justify a suspicion that the re
port originated in London.
The twelfth report of the Commissioners in Lunacy
has just been issued. It gives the total number of insane
as 7,310. This shews a considerable increase on the num-
ber for the previous year, especially in the return of pauper
lunatics, which have increased in ten years from 172 to
195 in every 100,000. The return, however, is based on
the census of 1861. There is a marked tendency to death
among the females in summer and among the males in
winter.

Some further reports are published as to endo wed
charities. In Lincolnshire the total gross income of the
endowed charities is £48,294 17s. 2d., which is expended
in the following manner, viz. :—Education, £20,584 10s. ;
apprenticing, £1,137 10s. Bd. ; endowments, 22,585 3s.
3d. ; Church purposes, £2,966 4s. lid. ; maintenance of
Dissenting places of worship and their ministers, £244
12s. ; education of Dissenters, £8 ; public uses, £1,026
18s. sd. ; support of almshouses and their inmates,
£9,924 ns. 9d. ; distribution in kind, £4,016 19s. 9d. ;
distribution of money, £5,510 9s. 3d. ; and general uses of
the poor, £524 13s. 7d. In Cardiganshire the receipts
amount to £553, almost all of which is spent on educa-
tional purposes.

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LORD DERBY'S RESIDENCE.—The London cor-
respondent of the Yorkshire Post says :—Lord Derby is,
I hear, negotiating for the purchase of Holwood, a beau-
tiful estate in Kent, not far from Bromley, and which is
in several ways interesting. In the first place, and this
no doubt mainly induces Lord Derby to wish to become
its possessor, Holwood is at present the residence of the
Dowager Marchioness of Salisbury, who rents it from
the representatives of its late owner, the late Lord Cran-
worth, and who is much attached to it as a home.
Then, too, it was the favourite residence of William Pitt,
who was born at the great Chatham's seat of Hayes, a
few miles off. When a boy Pitt used to go bird's nesting
in the woods of Holwood, and then determined to become
its owner whenever he could. His ambition was gratified
in 1785, during the first years of his long Premiership.
In the grounds of Holwood there is still pointed
out what is called " Pitt's oak," conspicuous for
its gnarled and projecting root, which was his
favourite seat. Another is known as " Wilber-
force's oak," the same commemorated in the
philanthropist's diary as "the old tree at Holwood just
above the deep descent into the vale of Keston," sitting
on the root of which, with Pitt, he was advised by the
latter and he first resolved to take up the question of the
slave-trade. Amid the pecuniary embarassments which
clouded the great statesman's later years, he was com-
pelled to part with Holwood, and a subsequent proprietor
pulled down the house which had been his, and erected
the present mansion, of the usual suburban type, now
containing only ore memorial of Pitt, his writing-table.
It would be pleasant if Lord Derby were to become the
possessor of aplace which is thus associated with the
memory of William Pitt, and which, from its contiguity
to London, would be a convenient sojourn for a steady
frequenter of Parliament.