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

TILE MURDEILOF A FAMILY.

Ihvestigazione are still beinq made into the murder of a
family in thi- City of London; - "Rome facts have now
been discovered of the ante,edents of the murderer.
Walter James Duggin was a member of a well-to-
do familyliving at Bristol. When he was fourteen years
of age he 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 came
up to London, and took lodgings in Smithfield. The
man obtained employment at Mr. Adams's, a master
silversmith, in Hosier-lane, and in order to be near his
:Jusiness,..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
employe's 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 to have the confidence
of his employer, it was never thought that he was engaged
in anything dishonest. On Saturday evening he ii turned
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 notice to leave their lodgings at 15, Hosier-land,
at twelve o'clock on Monday.
The way in which the murder was committed seems
pretty clear. 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 Wheatsheaf 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 Farringdonstreet, 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-
daily 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 live
in Castle-street, Bristol, A reply was 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 all 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.
Whether 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.

LAW AND POLICE.

•

THE CASE OF THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE. —At the
Judges' Chambers, on Monday, an application was
made to Master Pollock, in the Teigned issue, " Hope
v. Beyfus," to amend the record by introducing the
name of the Duke of Newcastle as one of the trustees of
the property claimed by Mrs. Hope, at Carlton•house-
terrace. - The application was made by Mrs. Hope's
solicitors. Master Pollock said that as the case had
been before the judge he declined to hear it Sub-
sequently the parties waited on Mi. Baron
Pigott at Chambers, and the attorney for Messrs.
Beyfus, the execution creditors, objected to the applica-
tion. On the other side it was stated that the Duke was
one of the trustees. Mr. Baron I'igott endorsed the sum-
mons "No order," without prejudice to an application to
Mr. Baron Martin, who had settled the terms of the
issues directed to be tried.
LORD HENRY SEYMOUR'S WILL.—In the Rolls Court,
on Monday, the cause of " Wallace v. the Attorney-
General " came on for hearing. The suit was instituted to
administer the trusts of eighteen testamentary documents
in the French language, executed by the late Lord Henry
Seymour, who was born, lived, and died in France. He gave
all his personal estate, net otherwise disposed of, to "les
hospices de Paris et de Londres," a gift which has occa-
sioned great litigation in this country. There were nearly
180 applicants for it, of which eighty-four were selected,
and the fund awaiting distribution among the claimants
amounts to £-16,C00, which will be much increased as the
life interests created by the will fall in. The Master of
the Rolls directed £l,lOO to he'remittcd to 'France, and,
after providing for the costs of the suit, cirected the
residue of the fund to be divided among the eaimants in
equal proportions. There was a reversionary interest in a
sum producing 10,100 f. a year, left to the " Lovdotr
Hospital for Lunatics," which, his lordship held, St.
Luke's and Bethlehem Hospital were entitled to share
between them.

ILL-USAGE OF A CHILD.--At the Newcastle Police-
court, a woman named Ann Kearney was charged
with cruelly ill-using her child. A woman living
near her stated that she heard cries proceeding
from the house of the prisoner, and going there
she found her beating the child with a poker. The
child afterwards came to witness and chewed that her arm
was broken. The prisoner was sent to take her trial at
the sessions. The child was removed to the workhouse.

A conference on working men's clubs was held
at the Society of Arts on Monday.
The case of the Duke of Newcastle, which was to
have come before the Court of Bankruptcy on Monday, was
postponed for the production of witnesses. A douLt is enter-
tained as to whether his grace, as a peer of the realm, is
amenable to the law of bankruptcy.

A painful accident occurred on Friday afternoon
at the Aberllyfeni slate quarries, Iferiormthsire. A mass of
rock and earth fell in, burying two of the quarrymen. The
bodies were recovered after au hour's latour. A coroner's
inquest has been held, and a verdict of aceiden!al death
returned. _

The death is announced of Sir Irenry Boynton,
Bart., which took p'ace on Friday, at his scat at Burton
Agnes. The deceased was born in 1811, succeeded his
father as the tenth baronet in 1854, and had been twice
married. He is succeeded in the title and estates by his
only son, Sir Henry Somerville Boyntcn.

A RUMOUR CONFIRMED.—It is now confidently
stated, as rumoured some time since, that her Majesty has
signified her pleasure that Lord folio, a Scotch noble-
man, should be raised to the Peerage of the United King-
dom. Lord Rollo will sit in the House of Lords as Lord
Dunning.

On the nights of Saturday and Sunday 208 pus ms
were booked at the various bridewells in Liverpool on
charges of drunkenness. Of these 57 were found to b.) iu
possession of various sums of money varying from 2d. to
£3 10s., whilst no fewer than 151 were absolutely pennilt.ss.
The question is, had this large number of pereous f,pcnt
their last penny in di ink, or, if not, how had they obtained
the drink ?

DEATH OF Da. TODD.—The Rev. Dr. Todd,
Senior Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin, died on Mon-
day morning after a short illness. He was about 65
years of age, and obtained his Senior Fellowship in 1831.
He was distinguished as an Trish scholar and an antiquary.
He held the office of Regius Professor of Hebrew in the
University of Dublin, and was .a precentor of St. Patrick's
Cathedral. •

A GOOD OLD CUSTOM REVIVED.—We are very
glad to hear that her Majesty the Queen has revived the
good old custom of Ler predecessor,William IV., and has
invited forty of the Blue Coat Boys, belonging to the
Royal Mathematical or Naval Foundation, to visit her at
Windsor Castle. Aftei presentation of their charts and
drawings, a substantial luncheon will be proVided for
them, at which her Majesty most probably will be
present.— The Britannia.

MARRIED IN A T UGBOAT. —A young couple
were married in the Bay of San Francisco, on the 3lst of
May, under rather trying circumstances. The girl
father objected to her marriage, but she was of legal age-
Dreading an interruption if the ceremony was conducted
in a church, the couple hit upon the idea of hiring a tug-
boat, and getting the minister on board and pitting out
on the bay, and there have the ceremony performed. This
was accomplished, and while secure from the annoyance
of parents or the importunities of friends, the ceremony
was begun, when suddenly a p,rtion of the tugboat's
machinery gave way with a terrible crash. The wedding
party was startled, and confusion prevailed far a moment.
The tug was so injured that she could not move. A signal
of distress was hoisted, and the wedding party finally
returned to the city.

J. 11. Hall, a member of the Farmers' Club
ar.d New York State Poultry Society. .has varcha,led
farm on Long Island for the purpose of tes -dog general
qte,,tions of interest in agriculture. Ono ~f those is the
value of artificial manures, the profinalo groxvit, of
ported seeds from Washington and the fease,ility of rais-
ing poultry on a large scale. Dr. Pratter,e, of the Eccaleo-
bion celebrity, has kindly consented to aid him in the
hatching of eggs by the hundred with his imported and
improved machine.

MISCELLANEoUS NEWS.

- •

The opponents of State Churches do not like the
way matters seemed to be tending a day or two back
—towards concurrent endowment. The Rev. J.
Baldwin, the eminent Congregational minister;
writes answering the attacks which it has recently
been so mucii the fashion to make on voluntaryism.
He recounts the virtues of an Established Church—
order, dignity, propriety, sweetness, and light—
and admits that there is something to admire
in them. But he is charmed more by vigour, vivacity,
and vitality. He loves life better than order, and he
thinks that dislikers of voluntaryism sacrifice the
former to the latter. But though Christian politicians
and spiritual peers do not care to adopt voluntaryism,
he protests that they should not speak of it with scorn,
seeing that it was the plan upon which the Church
was first promulgated. Mr. Baldwin, moreover, con-
tends that the age of endowment is passing away.

"The end aimed at by the establishment of religion is
already attained ; society is fairly leavened 14 Christian
ideas— that is, the substratum of Christian thought and
purpo3e which is the common heritage of all the
Churches—and it no longer needs clerical influence in
Convocation, in Parliament, or anywhere else, either to
represent or to defend it. We are coming to disendowment
simply because we have become a Christian people in a
far deeper sense than can be expressed by the establish-
ment of religion. What is needed now is not a great
national organisation (which once,l believe, was in a sense
needed) to keep Christian ideas before the intellect and
conscience of the State, but rather Christian men and
women, who will addict themselves wholly to Christian
work."