The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-16 00:00:00

.21fUleDER AND SUICIDE.

Yesterday morning, about a quarter to eleven,
the neighbourhood of Clerkenwell Police-court
was thrown into a state of great excitement by the
announcement that a most dreadful murder had
been committed at 52, Swinton-street, St. Pancras,
nearly opposite to the above police-court.
From inquiries that were made on the spot by
our reporter it appears that a working jeweller, of
the name of John Croft, has resided with his wife
and family for some time past in the front and back
parlour of the above house. About two months
since his wife, Elizabeth Croft, was confined of her
second child, and since then she had been in a very
desponding and low state of mind in consequence,
as was stated, of her imagining that she would not
be able to take proper care of her children. Mr.
Selwood, the surgeon, of Percy-street, had been
attending her, but since Saturday, owing to
domestic afflictions, he had ceased visiting her, and
it was understood that she was about visiting some
friends in the country.
. _

About nine o'clock yesterday
.morning the hus-
band went to his employment in the City, and
afterwards the wife was seen about the house as
usual. Shortly before eleven o'clock Mrs. Croft
sent her servant, a girl about 14 years of age,
out for an errand, and after an absence of about
twenty minutes she returned and found that she
could not obtain admission. Feeling somewhat
alarmed she communicated with a Mrs. Clarke, and
she also knocked at the door, but could net obtain
a reply. After the lapse of some time, and not
hearing the children cry or any one moving about,
Mrs. Clarke called in Zr. Liddiard, a painter, re-
siding at 11, Swinton-street. A ladder being placed
nest the back parlour window, Mrs. Clarke
ascendedo,tdhaneadpnadsrettehiienesgewotomhmamta
unt hnleicciahnt
egi
trnoe nat
hvweeeprryoerpicceoecvtuehlrieea
ridr
spwuoisstpihtiicboinloon, s that all was not correct.
Inspector Allen, ofi the G division, at once pro-
ceeded to the house, and police-constable Thomas
Bailey, 451 A, effected an entrance by the back
parlour window. A most frightful sight presented
itself. On a French bedstead lay the lifeless bodies
of Mrs. Croft and her two children, the blood at
the time being quite warm, and oozing from the
wounds.

The children are both females, one being of the
age of three years, and named after the mother, and
the othei, named Ann, as before stated, about to o
months old. Both their throats were cut from ear to
ear, and the incisions were very deep. The elder
child appears to have two wounds on the throat,
and from its appearance would seem to have been
awake, and to -have put its hands up to its throat.
The mother, it would appear, cut the throat of the
eldest child first, and then the youngest. After this
she must have sat oh the side of the bed, and cut
her own throat with her right hand, and when she
fell on the bed, with her left hand covered her face
with the end of the sheet. The children were in
their night clothes, the mother fully dressed, and
her clothes saturated with blood.
The razor with which she committed the dreadful
act was found between her feet, and is now in pos-
session of the police.
About two o'clock the husband of the unfortunate
woman returned home to dinner as usual, and on
entering the house asked the reason of the mob
being outside, and the police inside. He was asked
up stairs, and when told what had occurred, fell
down in a violent fit of hysterics.
The unfortunate woman, it is stated was very
respectably connected, and was about 25 years of
age. It was stated that she had latelysai
possession
fd ors she
eaf
r.l was
hea
de
to s
tired of her life, and had been in a very desponding
state.
tookknd th inquest will
3r
i.lnspectorlvkiaAoyll,etnhe coatornoenee
rt, ao o
room, and information was immediately
be held tonight or to-morrow
(Ftri doafey ) .
During the day large numbers
persons sur-
roundednot
police, been
th efosrt
street
would have been im the house, and had •
of thel
passable.

THE INQUEST.
This morning Mr. Wakley, the coroner, opened
an inquiry into the causes attending the death of
Elizabeth Croft and her two female children.
The jury having been empannelled, pro ceeded to
view the bodies.
On their return to the inquest room,
The Coroner said he thought, before they com-
menced their inquiries, it would be advisable to
have a post mortem examination of the head of
Mrs. Croft, in order to ascertain her state of mind
at the time she committed the deed.
The jury consented, and the inquiry was ad-
journed until Saturday morning next.

.V.I.IiiLULLZIU -uvreu.