The Sun. — 1848-08-11 (London, England)

MURDER OF TWO CHILDREN.—ROMEORD7 THURS.. DAY.—A dreadful case of double murder has occurred at Thurrock, a village a few miles to the south of this town, and has occasioned a painful degree of excitement throughout this part of Essex. The perpetrator of the crime is the wife of a person named Grant, who belongs to the better class of agricultural labourers. Yesterday morning early, the husband being from home, the wife, without any assignable cause, proceeded to carry out the purpose which she appears to have deliberately planned, of murdering the whole of the children. She left her bed, and armed herself with a chopper, or hedge-bill, used by labourers for cutting wood. With this she returned to the chamber, and beginning with the youngest, a girl between two and three years old, laid its neck across the edge of the bedstead and chopped it till the head was almost severed from the body. She then attacked the next, a boy between four and five years of age, in the same way, ID flicti^g dreadful gashes on the back of the neck; but while she was thus engaged, the eldest boy, about eight years of age, escaped from the house, and informed the neighbours, a number of whom rushed to the house, but too late to save either of the two children. The mother was standing over them reeking with blood, and still chopping at them with the bill. She was seized and disarmed, and at orce declared she had murdered the two children, and intended to have murdered the third, if he had not escaped. The only reason she gives for the horrid deed is, that the children were so unruly she could do nothing with them. After she was taken she betrayed some wildness of manner; but the neighmind. She has been committed on the coroner's warboors state Oast they never coushlerod her of unsound rant to the Essex county gaol. D.DrtNivoEßßTsit.LlcynESWTEeßdNnesßdaAyl,LWtAhre with a view to insure AauNti'DhliorTEititiEeLslßOoNfDEOtNNhOelt:E'ailway. the safety of the public, issued the following instructions to the guards employed on the southern division of the line :—.‘ Owing to the appointment of , perfectly competent to the schargeeral new of engines, n ellgeingeirrnnbuet unacquainted with this line of railway, the upper-guard of the passenger trains on the southern division will, until further orders, ride on the foot-plate of the engine, to assist the enginedriver and fireman in keeping a look out for the signals, to inform the driver as he approaches the new laid portions of the line, and where the regulations of the cam_ pally require the opening of the whistle, as also to make him acquainted with the different gradients as the engine enters upon them. The guard s are enjoined to be watchful and attentive in the performance of this duty, and to apprise the driver the instant the signals come into sight, as also to acquaint him when within a mile of the stations, and remind him whether the train is timed to sa theto pp or ter hat porter rr e va bat en onrga nndoatp.tpaokiTne thecedh charge of under-guard is to ride in rideof thein ptahrec e ls, leadingile van of each train, to assist at the stations • giving in down and taking up luggage ; as also to keep a constant look out forward towards the engine, and the instant the guard upon the engine signals with his hand to have the break applied he is to do so immediately, still keeping his eye upon the guard when to slacken or release it altogether. The guard upon the engine is on the instant he perceives the red signal to signal the porter in the leading van with his hand to apply the break, and by the motion of his hand let this, man know when to slacken or release the break alt-ogether."