The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-14 00:00:00

TRAGICAL SCENE.

MURDER OF THREE CHILDREN BY THEIR
FATHER, and SUICIDE of the MURDERER.

Yesterday morning, at a quarter to nine o'clock, one
of the most appalling and tragical events that have taken
place in the City, within our memory, occurred. The
principal actor in the melancholy affair was a man named
George Lucas, and the scene of the frightful act was at
the house, No. 3, Zion-gardens, Aldermanbury.
From thu facts which we were enabled to collect, it
appears that Lucas, who was thirty-eight years of age,
occupied the whole of the house in question, and let out
all parts of it but the kitchen and attics ; and his family
consisted of his wife and three children—namely, George,
a fine boy, aged ten years ; Ann, aged seven ; and Al-
fred, aged four ; and Ann Hammond, the niece of Mr.
Lucas, aged eighteen.
Lucas, who is described as a steady, sober, and well
conducted man, had been employed for many years as
warehouseman, in different situations in the City, but
owing to the slackness of trade has been out of employ
for the last six months. This circumstoance has preyed
so heavily upon his mind that he has once or twice lately
expressed his fears that he would lay violent bands upon
himself; and upon those occasions his wife, who is a very
decent and sensible woman, used every effort and argu-
ment in her power to dissuade him from harbouring such
a thought, and was in hopes that she had succeeded in
doing so, as he latterly appeared more cheerful. The
fourth door or attic of the house consists of three bed-
rooms, the first of which was occupied by Lucas and his
wife as a bed. room ; the second by the eldest boy,
George, when slept in a small cot ; and the third by the
two youngest and Ann Hammond.
At seven o'clock this morning Lucas got up and went
down stairs as usual, leaving his wife in bed, and in a
few minutes after was followed byAnn Hansmond,who also
left the two younger children asleep, and at eight o'clock
Mrs. Lucas came down stairs, and found her husband
and niece. At this time Lucas was employed in clean-
ing his boots, and those of his children, and up to a
quarter to nine o'clock nothing particular was observable
in his manner more than usual. When he had done
cleaning the boots and shoes he shaved himself in the
kitchen, and when he had done, Mrs. Lucas, having
still some fears of his laying violent hands upon himself.
asked if she put up his razors for him. He replied that
he would put them up himself, and having wiped the one
lie was using, he went to the drawer for the purpose, as
Mrs. Lucas supposed, of putting them up but, as it
afterwards appeared, he did not do so, and from this
circumstance there can be no doubt that at this time he
contemplated the frightful act which he in a few mo-
ments afterwards became the principal actor of.
It was his custom on every Sunday morning to bring
his children down stairs to °be dressed, preparatory to
taking them to church, and at the time before men-
tioned he asked his wife in the calmest manner if ho
should go up for, the children ? and she requested he
would. He then proceeded to the attic, and as it ap-
peared, his first victim was the little girl Ann, who he
wrapped up in a shawl, and carried from the further
bed room to that in which himself and his wife had slept,
and placing her on the front of the bed cut her throat
from ear to ear.

He next carried the little boy, Alfred, to the same
place, and placing him on the bed, also cut his throat in
the same manner.

Th 9 eldest son was his last victim, and there is no
doubt from the fact of his having one stocking and
garter on, that the poor little fellow was in the act of
dressing, when his wretched father summoned him to
destruction. It would seem here, from the carpet in the
passage leading from the room in which he had slept, to
that of the third room where he was murdered, being
rolled up in many places, that the poor little fellow had
struggled very hard, and his cries were so loud as to be
heard in the next house.

However, on getting him inside the door, his wretched
father cut his throat, and then his own, as both fell
quite close together, the boy on his left side, and the
murderer on his right; both heads are not more than
six inches apart. Mrs. Lucas, thinking that her husband
was up stairs much longer than was necessary, sent her
niece iron & the kitchen to see what was detaining him,
and the girl, on going along the passage, saw the
younger boy on the side of 'her aunt's bed, with his
throat cut as has been before described. She instantly
shrieked out for assistance, and Mr. Pearson, a gentle-
man occupying apartments on the next floor, ran up-
stairs with Mrs. Lucas, when the appalling sight above
described presented itself.
An alarm was instantly given, and police-constable
Richard Andrews, 155, who was on the beat; and
William Henry• Wallace, 6, proceeded up stairs, but
the fury of the unhappy man had by this time accom-
plished its object in so determined a manner that death
in each case must have been instantaneous. The scene
that presented itself in the third room baffles descrip-
tion. The razor with which the murderer effected his
purpose was held firmly in his right hand, and its blade
is a striking object, as it is in a round position, with its
point resting on the right cheek of the poor boy.
On the policeman entering, the blood was still flowing
from the wounds, and an immensity lay below the bodies,
but the constaliz did not feel warranted in disturbing
either. The feelings of Mrs. Lucas on beholding tile
scene may be better imagined than described, and con-
siderable fears were for some time entertained that she
was wholly bereft of reason, but by the soothing in-
fluence of several ladies in the neighbourhood she soon
became calmed.
Mrs. Stephens, a lady residing, next door to Lucas,
was in her attic at the time, and hearing the dreadful
screams of the children, she knocked violently at the
wall, and fearing that something serious was the
matter, hastened down stairs, and went in to acquaint
Mrs. Lucas of her suspicions but at this moment the
truth was known.

The ineineltC;ly event having gained immediate
circulution, a great crowd of persons soon collected,
and-many were anxious to get a view of the bodies, but
the police on duty prevented their curiosity being
gratified.
Major Law, the Superintendent of City Police, ar-