Widnes Examiner. — 1890-05-10 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY AT WAVERTREE.  MURDER OF THREE CHILDREN AtID, CONFESSION  OF THE CRIME_  A woman, named Charlton, the wife eft a customs officer, living in Garmoyle-st., Liverpool, on Thursday night murdered her three tchiklren,.a.ged four years, two years, and nine months, by, cutting., their throats with a razor. The woman alsb ,cut her, own thcoat. She is still alive, but in a precarinus condition.. On Sunday last Charlton-remarked to a neighbour that his wife was in A rather, despondent condition, but he thought she would be better in a day or two. hequiries show that when Charltomarrired;hetne theme wassome delay before the door was; opened by his wife-, who, immediately she saw hirbv, began to ha.clyutt her throat with a razor. Charlton, after, astrugg,4e,icolc the razor from her and went for assistance,. IX is: supposed that she killed the childrtn with, the same wealren,, and that she was engaged at her Oreadiel work whenrclisturbed by her husband's knocking at the door. Thewoman is only 28 years of age. The latest details are as. hillewstr—lt appears that Charles Arthur Charlton, wbotis employed as a clerk in the Customs, came home to thebouse, I 6 Garmoyleroad, to the soutlref the cemetery,.. Mamas, it is something the worse for drink, and he knocked at the docr in the usual way. Having waited fbr some minutes, he knocked again, and at last the door was. opened to him by his wife, who to hie-horrer held: a razor in her , hand, and was, bleeding prettzsely-from the throat. In a frantic state he ran to a neighbour,. who came back I with him to the house, and' on making a search they I found the three children dead 'with: their throats cut also. I The eldest was a boy agedifouryears„ and the others were girls, one of wherry was two years old and the other only ten menthe; Whatever ;attention was possible- was ,given to .the mother, who appears Ito have at once admitted; that she had used the razor , upon' the children , as% well as upon herself. Medical .assiStanee was, foundi, anti the police, who were soon on the spot;, took: charge:of the premises. The husband, it may bamentioned„ came home at 7.30. I Crowds then began to asserableten a field which extends between Ossmovle-rd. and 'the, railway line. Only one side of the-road has been built,. and that quite recently, so that the thoroughfare is-an excluded situation. Notwithstanding this, tl*people.,, who stood in groups, and circulated all kinds.of rumours,, continued to hang about until after midnight. At men yesterday :the mother, though in a weak state, VMS pregres.sing as,,well as. could be expected. It is stated that for a .considerablo thne past she has betrayed symptoms .of mentliderangernent, and this is to some extent accounted ter by thetHtct that she came to reside only recently in Liverpool, and that she belongs to the South of England. She had never before been living inthis parts ofthe country. As late as Sunday last; she entertained some idea that a heap of stones had been placed in the field opposite;, that they might be thrown. at her; and it was necessary for the husband to call in a neighbour to reassure her. The husband was in rece!Fit of :a salary of t 1.40 a year. and they appeared to be. II fairly comfortable circarestances. One of the police-sergeants wrote in his pocket-heak, "-Have you murdered your two children 2" Up ted-his time the police had only discovered the bodies aftthe two eldest. The woman crossed out the word "-two," and wrote in the figure "3." The sergeant thew made ,farther search, and found the body of the vaungest, 'child. also•with its throat cut. Afterwards site wrote ;the tollowitig--" The little girl, Dorothy, first the boy, Bob, secend ;;Barbera last, and then myself."  EN,TF.RTAINMENT IT CROFT BOARDb