The Potteries Examiner : — 1872-07-06 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

DOUBLE MURDER IN LONDON.  EXTRAORDINARY SCENE AT GUY'S HOSPITAL. On Sunday, about half-past one o'clock in the morning, another of those painfol murders§ which have of late been no rife in the south-eastern districts of TJondon, which have been occasioned by intemperance, occurred in Webb-street, Bermondsey New-road, not far from the locality of the wife murder committed by the unfortunate barber, Rogers, only a few days ago. A man named Taylor, a general dealer, had resided for some time in Webb-street with a woman named Menden and four children, one of these , being the daughter of Hepden. From the accounts of the neighbours they do not appear to have lived a happy life, and about three months I ago Taylor was fined five shillings for aasaulting her. Since then, however, they appear to have been more peaceable. At a late hour a little boy was returning home by the corner of the street, and he called the attention of the policeman on duty to a man who was coming up the street with his hand to his throat and making signs to ;the constable. On examining the man, who proved to be Taylor, it was found that his throat was cut, and that the blood was issuing from it. The officer followed his direction to the house,and there a most heartrending scene presented itself. The woman was ciscovered lying dead, having been mutilated in a dreadful manner, and a female child, about See years old, in the same condition. Another child, a boy, had crept into a fire.place or coal. hole close by, and he also had been frightfully beaten ; an iron rod with a nob was discovered with which most probably the injuries had been inflicted. The man, from statements made by the other children, so far as they could be relied on, had returned home early, and the woman Ilepden had, shortly before the occurrence took place, commenced reading the Bible to him. He told her to desist, and as far SS Can be ascertained a quarrel arose, and Taylor commenced a murderous assault upon the children, and then attacked the woman. When he had dealt them several murderous blows he deliberately cut his own throat and rushed out of the house. He was removed to Guy's Hospital with the injured boy, and the bodies of his victims were carried to the pariah dead-house.  ' From the subsequent conduct of the unfortunate man in the hospital there can be no doubt that he is insane. On his arrival he was put into the Cornelius, which is an accident ward, and his wounds were attended to, and he was left in the charge of I the nurse and constable. He appears to have remained calm until about half-past seven o'clock in the Morning, when he suddenly jumped out of bed in his shirt, seized the weights of the clock and leaped from the folding windows of the ward which open to the ground on to the parapet beneath. He then rushed through the laundry yard and entered the door which led to other wards and locked the door. He then ascended to a man's ward, but did not enter there, and went on until be came to Petersham Ward, which is devoted to women in an advanced state of disease. Here be seized the tongs, and advancing to the nurse, told her that he did not wish to harm the patients, but intended to kill the nurses. The woman was so affrighted that she sprang out of the second-floor window to the ground, but was, fortunately, not much hurt. Several of the patients fainted, and others who had not been oat of bed for months managed to crawl ont. Taylor for some time after this paraded the different corridors, until by the united efforts of the bath men, he was, at considerable personal risk, secured and taken to the strong room, where the straight waistcoat was put on, and he now remains there in a precarious state. The scene created great excitement in the hospital. The unfortunate boy, the third of his victims, is severely knocked about.  MR. P. A.