The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1871-03-04 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SHOCKING TRAGEDY IN LONDON. A shocking tragedy has taken pko r in S ho. It appears that six years ago a Frcnchinan, named Victor Hasmard I seen Loynoo, took apartments. upon the second floor of No. 27, Great Polteney-strect, Solio He was a marrii d man, about thirty years of age, and re elded with Marie Victoire ',tontine EIIZ Loy non, who was some foven years his junior. They lived happily together. His income was £3OO a year, which he received from a Parisian firm for watching their interests in Londe n. His wife was entitled to the possession of some house property which had been left to her in ['aria. While living in Great Pulteneystreet they had a family of four children, Two of the: offspring died three months ago, and M. Loynon felt deeply the loss that he had euctained. Since that time he has been in a very desponding state of mind. On Friday afternoon, lit lout week, he left his halginas for the purpose of purchasing • French newspaper. Al not three o'clock in the aft. moon be IN turned to the 1,0114 d with the paper in his hand. It was then observed that he appeared very u.O .11 eepresaed. Ile said that he had jwat woe rtainid that the home of his employers in Paris had been destroys d by the Gelman bombardment, and that his wife's house property ha 1 also been destroyed. Ho I thin went up into his room and sat down, and when. ever he was spoken to he replied in a most melancholy manner. At hall-past eight o'clock in the evening his wife proceeded to put her little son, aged three years, to bed. Just after she had placed the boy upon the bed, her husband entered the rosin with a double. barrelled jilsteL She, perceiving that he was excited, attempted to rush from the room. While she was doing so he fired at her, and shot her through the left jaw. The bullet penetrated her brain, seri ahe fill dead on the floor. The murderer rushed from the room, and in his hurry he let the piotol fall by the side at the dead body of his wife. lie then took another pistol from his side coat pockets He pulled the trigger, and the bullet went through his heart. He died En. mediately. Mite Clarke, a young lady of IS, living in the house, bearing the report of the pistol shot, ran upstairs, and she se as horrified by diecovering the corpses of the Frenchman and his wife lying in two small par is of blood. She called in the police, who caused the little buy and the baby, aged four months, to be taken to the workhouse.  On Saturday the grandmother of the unfortunate children arrived in London, and she applied to the workhouse authorities, and removed the children from wider their care. The excitement in the neighbourhood was intense, and large crowds congregated on Sunday in the vicinity of the house where the lamentable tragedy took place. The Frenchman WWI a man of middle height and dark complexion. his wife was fair and gad looking. liir husband was always very P.-alone of her, and he often said that if ever misfortune overtook them rhe should never be love Iby another. On the afternoon i f the murdir she wail in high spirits, and was playing merrily with the chik'r.n.  An inquegt was held on the boiler, en Tuesday, when the e•idence taken left no doubt as to the nature of the chocking tragedy. A letter, in the hatd writing of the deceased. 111. Loynon, war found, which, in elf .!ct, states that he murdered his wife and himself to be revenged on his mother•in-law, because she would not give up some property to him. The verdict war, that Mn. Lovnon bad been wilfully murdered by Ler husband ; and that, as regarded hia death, he had been guilty of fdo-dc se.