The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-07 00:00:00

AWFUL TRAGEDY.

• An awful tragedy has been committed in Foxdale, Isle
of Man. A miner and farmer, named Killey, who was
about 34 years of age, and in camfortable circumstances,
had been married about seven years, and had five
children. He was usually an industrious, sober, and
cheerful man. About five weeks ago he had a fall,
and has not since been in his usual spirits. On
Monday evening last he told his wife they were to
prepare for America, as it was no use staying in the Isle
of Man, there being nothing to he got. He added
that a person had given his wife a bad character, that all
the neighbours had risen against him, that he was to have
no more work at the mine, the captain having received a
letter ordering his dismissal, and they were to be turned
away from their farm, the landlord having refused to give
them a lease of it. His wife found there was no truth in
any of these statements. On Tuesday he seemed in low
spirits. On Wednesday a nephew of his died, and he came
home about three o'clock. His wife and her sister were
cutting potatoes, but he said they need not cut any more,
because the potatoes would not be allowed to grow, as the
blossoms were going to be pulled off. He also said that
the cows were to be burned in the cowhouse, the sheep to
be killed on the mountains, and his house to be burned
over his head. On Thursday nothing remarkable was
observed in his conduct. On Friday his nephew was to he
interred, and he stayed at home to attend the funeral.
Meanwhile, John Skilley, a fellow-workman, had spoken to
him about his low spirits. Killey merely replied that he
could not eat his food as usual. On Friday morning his wife
asked him several qaestions, but found it difficult to get an
answer,thoughwhen he did speak he gave intelligent answers.
He said lie was not well, but he did not feel very bad.
About eleven o'clock he took his children to see the corpse
of their dead cousin. On his return he went towards the
mountain, and his wife sent her brother after him. On
overtaking him the brother found him standing in a small
stream taking stones out and placing them on the bank.
He went with him into the house again ; he then said he
wished he was dead. In a few minutes he left the house
and went to the draw-well opposite the door. The
well is about thirty feet in depth, and contained about
eight feet of water, the lower part being considerably
wider than the shaft. The water is raised by means of a
bucket lowered by a winch. His wife watched his move-
ments and saw him play with the bucket after he had got
it into the well. He then told her he was going to take a
bucket of water out. He went towards the place where
his tools were kept, whereupon she became very mach
alarmed, and sent her daughter Emily, aged 5 years, to
call her brother again. At this time three of the children
were playing in the street, and the youngest was in the
cradle in the house. Mrs. Killey had just taken the baby
out of the cradle when she heard one of the other children in
the street crying " Oh, dada ! Oh, dada !" and she instantly
rushed out of the house with the baby in her arms and
found her husband had already thrown two of the children
into the well, and was in the act of throwing in the third.
She seized hold of him, but was too late to defeat his
purpose. Turning round to her he said, "We're all to go
together," pulled the baby from her and threw it also into
the well, and then seized hold of her. She struggled, got
away from him, and for some time recollected nothing
further. Unfortunately, the child Emily, at this juncture
returned alone, and was also thrown into the well. He then
appears to have jumped' in himself. The brother had
stayed behind to speak to another man, and when he saw
his sister run down the road shrieking, lie at once went to
the well. He got into the bucket, and asked one or two
persons who had followed him to lower him down, and
they did so. On getting to the water he saw two of
the children floating on the top. He seized the first
he could and brought it up, but as he approached the
top he became so exhausted be was unable to hold her,
and she again fell into the water. His second attempt
to rescue her, however, was successful ; she was alive,
and is still living. He succeeded in bringing up three
of the other children one after another, but only one of
them, named Esther Elizabeth, aged years, was alive.
The eldest, named Selina, aged 7 years, with her father,
had sunk to the bottom. In an hour afterwards they
were both got out by means of hooks, and were, of course,
quite dead.

On Saturday the High Bailiff of Douglas held an in
quest at the scene of the unhappy occurrence, when
evidence was given of the foregoing facts by Mrs. Killey,
Archibald Shimmin (her brother), Philip Corkin-, John Skil.
ley, and Dr. King. The jury returned a verdict to the effect
that the three had died by drowning, that they had been
drowned by their father, James Killey, while in a state of
temporary insanity, and that the said James Killey had
drowned himself while in that state. The jury desired to
express their sympathy with the widow, and their admira-
tion of the brave conduct of Archibald Shimmin, who, at
the risk of his own life, had undoubtedly preserved two of
the children from drowning. The bodies of the deceased
were interred in Patrick churchyard on Sunday last in the
presence of a numerous crowd of spectators. —Liverpool
Courier.

The new peers have not yet been gazetted, and if the
Government is to keep up a series of running fights on
the Irish Church, they will require all their available
strength in the House of Commons until the contest is over.
Sir Brooke Bridges, determined to exercise his privileges. as
a commoner as long as possible, has been addressing nu ne.
rous muster of Conservatives of East Kent, at Canterbury,
urging them to rally round the Church and the Constitution,
or, in other words, to support Mr. Leigh Pemberton, the
Conservative candidate. The hon. baronet was very em.
phatic on the Irish Church question, and expressed his
belief that a majority of the nation would condemn the
course which had been taken by Mr. Gladstone. Mr.
Tufton, the Liberal candidate, is prosecuting an energetic
canvass, and the contest promises to be equally as severe
as that which took place between Sir Edward Dering and
Sir Norton Xnatchbull six vears. azo.