The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-07-29
a london Horror.

LESS than three weeks nave paSSeu
since terrible domestic, tragedy occur
red in London. In Hosier Lane, Smith
field almost within stones throw of the
spot where so many martyrs were burned
at the stake three centuries ago, lived
family named Duggan. The family con-
sisted of Walter Duggan, the father,
Emma, his wife, three sons and three
daughters. The children ranged, as to
age, from thirteen years down to between
one and two years, the eldest being son,
the youngest daughter The whole of
this famiIy-father, mother and six chill.
dren-on the morning of. the 28th of
June, were found by the police lying
dead in two chambers of the house which
they occupied. The children had been
poisoned during the night by tho father,
the wretched mother consenting to their
death. For nearly four hours subsequent
ly Duggan and his wife sat together in
the chamber surrounded by their dead
children. Before them, on cot by him
self, The eldest boy twas lying ON his back"
and slightly 'son his side" On another
cot were two girls, one twelve and the
other six, decently covered up and both
dead. On the mothers bed were the
three younger children, two boys and q
girl, also dead. What passed between
Duggan and his wife in that awful inter-
val between the death of their children
and their own suicide will never now be
known. But towards morning, the evil
dence goes to prove, that Mrs. Duggan
undressed herself, and lying down on the
bed beside her three youngest children
took a spoon, containing about thirty
drops of prussic acid, from the hands of
her husband, and swallowing the terrible
dose put her hands beneath the bed clothes
and died. Only Duggan then remained
alive. After drawing the bed clothes
over his dying wife, until they covered
her breast, he took with him tho fatal
poison and went into the adj dining room,
'son the second floor back.' Here he un-
dressed himself, and drinking from a
small glass the remainder of the poison,
staggered into bed, but before he could
compose himself to die, was seized with
the mortal agony. When Sergeant
Evans, of the police, entered the room,
Duggan was lying on his back with one
arm beneath the coverlet and the other
dropping relaxed over the side of thebed
and close to the chair on which he had
placed the vial labelled "Poison,' and the
empty glass In the description given by
Evans of the members of the dead family
as they met his eyes-seven in the front
room of the second floor, and one in the
adjoining room back-he says, with
simplicity of diction that is inexpreSsibly
touching, "They all looked as if they
were asleep and had not struggled"
The prelude to this tragedy is piteous
story. The man Duggan was native of
Bristol, and silversmith by trade, and
he and his wife had lived happily together
during the whole period of their married
life. SThey were very fond of each other,"
says the mother of Duggan, sand any
thing which affected him would greatly
greive her." He was sober and indus
trious man; but had for some time prcvl-
Gus been laboring under great depression
of spirits His children were sickly.
Some of them, he thought, were consump-
tive. He himself had been suffering for
several years at intervals with an affec.
tion of the throat. Recently it had be-
come worse, and symptoms of consump-
ton had made their appearance-the post
mortem showing disease of the lungs OF
some months standing. These disorders
acting upon his mind rendered him unfit
to work. He continued at his trade, how
ever, until the 10Th Of June, when ho
either left Adams, his employer, of his
own accord or was harshly dismissed
Duggan's letter to his brother, written in
the full contemplation Of the tradgedy,
which occurred few hours later, charges
Adams with being "a hard, selfish, and
narrow minded man" who, en- Duggan's
leaving him, gave him also notice to quit
within week the house he occupied, and
which was owned by Adams. "Iappeal-
ed 70 him." writes Duggan, "for some
consideration for my wife and little ones,
and asked if it were possible he could go
to such extremes after my having been
between four and five years in his en-
ploy." His answer YVES "that | must be
out of his house at the expiration of q
week, or he would pat my things into the
lane" Ten days had elapsed since the con-
vcrsation thus referred to had taken
place. Duggan had sought employment
elsewhere, but failed to getit. Tho weeks
wages received from Adams on parting
from the latter were nearly exhausted,
and pressed with "the alternative of star
wing in tho streets, the work-house or
DEATH" the Duggans, both husband and
wife. determined on putting themselves
and their six children to death. "Mysclf:
and Emma, and the children" he writes,
"are far from strong; we are deeply at,
tached to each other; separation alone
would be as bad as death, and we love the
children dcarly-too dearly to condemn
them TO utter wrctchedneas and want" !"
Then follows in the midst Of his own
great agony, touch of flial tenderness.