The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-29 00:00:00

TUE MURDER OF A FAMILY.

Investigations are still being made into the murder'of a
family in -the City of London. Some facts have now
been discovered of the antecedents of the murderer.
Walter James Duggin was a member of a well-to-
do family living at Bristol. When he was fourteen years
of ag elle was apprenticed to a silversmith, and when he was
twenty-four years of age he met a young German woman,
who was two years older than himself, and after a short
courtship he married her. They lived happily together for
four years in Bristol, but business there failing, they ca-me
up to London, and took lodgings in Smithfield. The
'than obtained employment at Mr. Adams's, a master
Silversmith, in Hosier-lane, and in order to be near his
business,. he took apartments two doors off. A short time
.go it was suspected that some property had been stolen
at his master's, and it is stated that one of his fellow
employes was dismissed. 'that fact preyed upon his mind
very much, and since then some of his neighbours noticed
his anxious looks, but as he appeared tohave the confidence
of his employer, it was never thought that he was engaged
in anything dishonest. On Saturday evening he returned
from his work and he then looked rather sad, and his wife
told a female neighbour that her husband had been dis-
missed from his employment, and that they had also
received entice to leave their lodgings at 17,, Hosier lanA,
at twelve o'clock on Monday.

The way in which the murder was committed seems
pretty elem.. Duggin got two ounces of prussic acid from
the chemist's on Saturday, probably assigning his business
as a use for it. He also bought on Sunday night a
quart of ale, at the Wheataheaf Tavern, in Hosier-
lane, and it is most likely that he caused
his children to drink the ale with the poison in it. Dr.
Wilson, of Farringdon-street, made a post-mortem
examination of three of the bodies—namely, the
mother, the eldest girl, Emma Duggin, 13 years,
and the youngest boy, George Henry Duggin,
aged about 3i years. In the intestines large
quantities of _ prussic acid were discovered, espe-
cially in the stomach of the mother, which con-
tained no food. This poison was easily traceable in the
bodies of the children, who had taken food evidently Late
on Sunday night. The letter which was written to the
inspector of police of the Smithfield station, stated that
full particulars would be obtained upon application to
Duggin's brother at Bristol. Mr. Superintendent Foster,
of the City police, at once telegraphed to Bristol, and
ascertained that the brother of the deceased man did livo
in Castle-street, Bristol, A replywas received in London
later in the afternoon that the mother of the unfortunate
woman, Mrs. Duggin, would be in town in the even-
ing. It is thought that the children were first poisoned,
Dr. Wilson giving it as his opinion that some of
them were poisoned whilst asleep. This conclusion is
arrived at in consequence of the peaceful expression of
their features. When discovered the mother and children
were Pll found undressed and in bed with the clothes over
them. Duggin was also undressed and in bed in the back
room. In the sitting-room was found on the table a
Bible opened, which it is supposed he had been reading •
before going to bed. It is said Duggin was a Unitarian,
and that he was a kind and loving husband and father.
Wbethei the wife aided in the commission- of the deed is
not ascertained. One account states that the facts tend
to shew that she did. The doctor says, for instance, that
the bodies of the woman and the man were both warm
when discovered ; but the truth of this can only be settled
by the evidence given at the inquest.