Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1862-05-16 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

HORRIBLE MURDER AT BRISTOL.  A horrible murder has been committed at Bristol, the perpetrator being a married man of about 25 years of age, named James Roberts, and the victim his Own daughter, Clara Roberts. What adds to the enormity of the crime is that Roberts attempted the life of another child, a girl of about five years old, Alice Elizabeth, who lies in the infirmary in a very precarious state, and also of his wife. Roberts was formerly a soldier in the Welsh Fusiliers, but served only for little more than a year, as whilst engaged in one of the battles during the Crimean war he had the misfortune to loose one of his legs. He returned home on a pension of led a day, and about Christmas, 185(i, he got married to his present wife, by whom he has had three children, one of whom died in its infancy. For a time he supported his family comfortably by means of his pension and his earnings with a horse and cart; but about a year and a half ago he took to drinking, and in order to indulge in his intemperate habits he sold his horse and cart, and afterwards (taking advantage of his wife's absence in the infirmary) his furniture also. In consequence of his habits his wife has been herself compelled to go to work to support herself and children while he was squandering all he could get in drink. On Wednesday night week the wife put the children to bed as usual, and she and her husband went to the house of her sister, where they remained till near ten o'clock, when they went home, he being at the time quite sober. After they were in the room he asked what there was for supper, and she, finding only dry bread and a bit of herring, said it was very hard that she should have to live on that after 98 of her money had gone in the housekeeping that week. She also interrogated him as to what had become of a new basket lie had bought to take out as a hawker of oysters. The husband said it was no difference to her about the basket, and said the money had been no benefit to him as it had gone to pay debts. The wife again complained about eating dry bread, upon which he gave her a penny to go and buy something. She said she would keep that to buy some butter for the children's breakfast, and was again complaining, when he got up in a deliberate manner, and saying, I will soon get out of it," took up the poker and began to beat his sleeping children with it in the most violent and merciless manner. He then turned round, and saying " I have done for they, now for your turn," raised the poker to strike her; but she avoided the blow, rushed in upon and seized him, and a violent struggle ensued between them, in the course of which she wrested the poker from his grasp, and it fell upon the floor. She then screamed "Murder," and seeing her children bathed in blood, snatched them up and ran into the street, followed by her husband. tier shrieks and cries of " Murder" brought his sister and others to her aid, upon which he made off. The children were carried to the police-station, and thence to the infirmary, when it was found that their skulls were fractured, and that they had received other injuries of se severe a character that their recovery was in the-bighest degree doubtful. Upon finding this the police made actave efforts to discover the hiding-place of the father, and on the following morning Policeconstable Floyd succeeded in arresting him at the residence of his father and mother, Baptist Mills. He made no resistance, but said, "It is all owing to drink and bad temper." When on his way to the stationhouse, he said, "I struck the children on the head with the poker, and one of them is dead at the station and.the other is took to the infirmary."