The Sun. — 1869-06-29 (London, England)

TILE MURDEILOF A FAMILY.  Ihvestigazione are still beinq made into the murder of a family in thi- City of London; - "Rome facts have now been discovered of the ante,edents of the murderer. Walter James Duggin was a member of a well-todo familyliving at Bristol. When he was fourteen years of age he was apprenticed to a silversmith, and when he was twenty-four years of age he met a young German woman, who was two years older than himself, and after a short courtship he married her. They lived happily together for four years in Bristol, but business there failing, they came up to London, and took lodgings in Smithfield. The man obtained employment at Mr. Adams's, a master silversmith, in Hosier-lane, and in order to be near his :Jusiness,..he took apartments two doors off. A short time ..go it was suspected that some property had been stolen at his master's, and it is stated that one of his fellow employe's was dismissed: That fact preyed upon his mind very much, and since then some of his neighbours noticed his anxious looks, but as he appeared to have the confidence of his employer, it was never thought that he was engaged in anything dishonest. On Saturday evening he ii turned from his work and he then looked rather sad, and his wife told a female neighbour that her husband had been dismissed from -his employment, and that they had also received notice to leave their lodgings at 15, Hosier-land, at twelve o'clock on Monday. The way in which the murder was committed seems pretty clear. Duggin got two ounces of prussic acid from the chemist's on Saturday, probably assigning his business as a use for it. He also bought on Sunday night a quart of ale, at the Wheatsheaf Tavern, in Hosierlane, and it is most likely that he caused his children to drink the ale with the poison in it. Dr. Wilson, of Farringdonstreet, made a post-mortem examination of three of the bodies—namely, the mother, the eldest girl, Emma Duggin, 13 years, and the youngest boy, George Henry Duggin, aged about 3i years. In the intestines large quantities of prussic acid were discovered, espedaily in the stomach of the mother, which contained no food. This poison was easily traceable in the bodies of the children, who had taken food evidently late on Sunday night. The letter which was written to the inspector of police of the Smithfield station, stated that full particulars would be obtained upon application to Duggin's brother at Bristol. Mr. Superintendent Foster, of the City police, at once telegraphed to Bristol, and ascertained that the brother of the deceased man did live in Castle-street, Bristol, A reply was received in London later in the afternoon that the mother of the unfortunate woman, Mrs. Duggin, would be in town in the evening. It is thought that the children were first poisoned, Dr. Wilson giving it as his opinion that some of them were poisoned whilst asleep. This conclusion is arrived at in consequence of the peaceful expression of their features. When discovered the mother and children were all found undressed and in bed with the clothes over them. Duggin was also undressed and in bed in the back room. In the sitting-room was found on the table a Bible opened, which it is supposed he had been reading before going to bed. It is said Duggin was a Unitarian, and that he was a kind and loving husband and father. Whether the wife aided in the commission of the deed is not ascertained: One account states that the facts tend to shew that she did. The doctor says, for instance, that the bodies of the woman and the - man were both warm when discovered ; but the truth of this can only be settled by the evidence given at the inquest.