The Sun.
London, England, 1870-03-09 00:00:00

A TRAGEDY IN THE METROPOLIS.

A shocking discovery has been made at Old Ford.
Eor some time past a man named Edward Banks and
his wife Emma Banks; have occupied the house No. 12,
Gretton-terrace, Old Ford-road. The man was a builder,
but in consequence of failing in business had been
c aupelled to become a jounieynian bricklayer. He let
au upper room in his house to a respectable woman,
who states that she had not noticed anything very
peculiar about his manner, but Mrs. Banks fre-
quently complained of the way in which her husband
treated her. Mr. Flint, the landlord of the house, lived
next door, and he took a dislike to his tenants in conse-
quence of the way in which Banks treated his wife, and
he on Monday week gave them notice to quit. When
Banks received the notice he appeared to leeecine very
much affected, and called upon Mr. Flint three times,
and asked him whether he really wished that he
should leave his house. Mr. Flint replied that he did,
and Banks returned to his home. He then requested his
female lodger to remove her goods and give up her apart-
ments, and on Monday evening she did so. Banks and
his wife were seen occasionally until Wednesday
afternoon. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
several persons noticed that all the blinds of the
house were drawn down, and at seven o'clock on Satur-
day evening a young man named Edward Banks, a
plumber, the son of the deceased, who resided in another
part of the city, called at the house and knocked at
the front door several times without receiving any
answer. Ire then returned to his home, and deter-
mined to call again on Sunday evening. On Sunday
night lie accordingly did so, and after having knocked at
the door for half an hour he became alarmed, and called a
policeman who was passing by, and told him he was
afraid something serious had happened. Au entrance into
the house was accordingly made, and on proceeding up-
stairs the young man found a bedroom door locked. This
door was pushed in, and a horrible scene presented itself.
The body of Emma Banks was found stretched across a
bedstead, and that of her husband under the bed. A
pan, in which charcoal had been burned was on the
hearthstone, and all the air vents in the room were
pasted over with paper. In the pocket of Mrs. Banks's
dress was found a bottle containin,, laudanum and a letter,
which was addressed- "To my mother." The letter was
opened by the police, and inside, written by a female hand,
were the words, "I can bear it no longer." The medical
examination tended to shew that the unfortunate woman
had been dead four days, and it seemed probable, from
the appearance of the remains, that she had expired
before her husband, and from this circumstance grave
suspicions of the latter having been her murderer have
been aroused. Some persons believe that the woman
herself committed suicide with the laudanum, and
that Banks afterwards thought of getting charcoal and
ending his own. existence ; but of course conjectures of
this kind must be extremely doubtful till further parti-
culars are known. Ina cupboard in the room was discovered
a ticket-of-leave declaring that the holder of it, Edward
Banks, had been granted a licence after having been
sentenced to five years' penal servitude for an assault
with intent to murder upon Emma Banks, his wife. Up
to the time of the discovery it was never supposed in the
neighbourhood that Banks was a ticket-of-leave man, but
he has now been recognised as such by the police. It
would appear that some years ago Banks made by his
business as a builder a considerable sum of money, and
that he took premises in.Whiteoross-street and opened a
linendraper's shop. In a few mouths he lost by that and
other speculations all the money that ne had made as a
builder. He had to sell off evnrything,• and having no
capital to commence business with again was compelled to
become a bricklayer. His altered circumstances appeared
to prey upon his mind, and he was often known to have
been in an irritable stated for days. It was -.line in this
state he had formerly attempted to kill las wife by
striking her with a piece of iron. Since _auks was
allowed out of prison his old melancholy had returned, aml
h.i was constantly behaving in a cruel manner to Mrs.
Banks. It has been supposed that his landlord's notice to
quit may have led the deceased •to imagine that his secret
relating to his convict life was becominc, known, and that
11) therefore resolved to put au end Co his own and his
wife's existence.

REMOVAt OF A LEGAL GRIEVAiTCE.—The new
Act abolishing imprisonment for debt has incidentally
removed what to debtors was regarded as a " legal
grievance," by getting rid of all proclamation of outlawry.
Since the days of Alfred, debtors after judgment have
been proclaimed at county courts for five months, and in
many cases the publicity or exposure has led to arrange-
ments. By abolishing imprisonment for debt, the parties,
if they surrender, cannot be taken to prison. On the last
court day there was not a single case called, and it is
expected that the cessation at the Sheriffs' Court will be
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