The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1869-07-02 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

DREADFUL TRAGEDY IN LONDON. A FAMILY POISONED.  A shocking case of poisoning a whole family has occurred in London. A. man named Duggin, who had been some time in the employ of Messrs. Chawner and Co., Hosier Lane, and had been living with hie family in one of Mr. Chawner's houses, 15, Hosier Lane, had received or given notice to leave, which seems to have affected his mind. On Sunday night he wrote a letter to a police station telling the police that their services would be required at his address at ten o'clock on Monday morning, and that if they were not let in they were to effect an entrance, which they did, and found the whole of the family dead—father, mother, two little girls, and four boys. A light was seen burning at four o'clock on Monday morning. Another account says :—" From what can be gleaned it appears that early on Monday morning a letter was received at Smithfield police station, dated Smiday, June 27th, and signed W. J. noggin,' and telling the police that they were required to attend at No. 15, Hosier Lane, and they would see an unexpected sight, and that further particulars might be obtained of the writer's brother, who, he stated, lives in Bristol. Sergeant Goodeve and another police officer at once proceeded to make inquiries, and found that a man named Duggin lived at No. 15, Hosier Lane, with his family. They also ascertained that up to last week he worked for Messrs. Chawner and Co. manufacturing silversmiths in Hosier Lane, but that he last week gave notice to leave, complaining that the rooms of the workshops were too low, and that the closeness affected his head. The police finding the door locked, with the assistance of one of Messrs. Chawners' work. people obtained an entrance from the back of their ein Thies efsr 0. nlnt the room back wermoo md islcaoyv th edmtahne Dwni wife deadandix, children, all dead. The whole of the family were in bed. The man lay by himself in the back room, whilst in the front room were the mother, with two of the children, one on either side of her, and another child at the foot of the bed. Two children were in another bed in the room, and a sixth in a cot in a corner of the room. Dr. F. W. Wilson was at once called in, and made an examination of the bodies. He stated that the children and mother had been dead some time, but the father had not been dead so long. The children appeared as if in sleep and in all cases the death must have been almost instantaneous. In the bed where the mother lay was found a spoon, and in the other room were two bottles which had contained prussic acid. Di-. Wilson had no doubt that the deaths were occasioned by the administering of prussic acid. The man had been some time in Messrs. Chawner's employ, but of late it was noticed that he had complained of his head, but there was nothing particularly noticeable in his manner to lead to the belief that he contemplated the commission of crime. Of course the police are in possession of the house, and the coroner has been communicated with. The ages of the children vary from infancy to ten or twelve years. Their names were Emma, Walter, Alice, George, Herbert, and Ada (a baby). The murderer had, it is stated, always appeared exceedingly fond of his wife and children, and as late as Sunday night he took the whole of the children for a walk over Blackfriare Bridge, saying a change of air would do them good."  James Naylor, a joiner in Halifax, while in a state of intoxication on Saturday, fell down some cellar stens and fractured his