Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1862-06-18 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

TERRIBLE MURDERS IN LONDON.  On Wednesday morning a murder was discovered to have been committed at 189, Blackfriars-road, which rivals in honor the recent tragedy in Ludgate-street. It appears that Joseph Mockford, the perpetrator of the crime, occupied apartments at the above address Mr. Pearce, his landlord, who occupies the remainder of the house, always entertained the highest respect for his lodger, and now speaks of him as a steady and respectable man. He filled a confidential situation in the service of Mr. Meredith, of the saw-mills, Bankside, with wages and perquisites averaging £2 ss. per week. Ho had three children, two girls, and a boy, an infant; and he lived a happy life enough until the end of August last, when his wife died, after a very brief illness. He at once became miserable and gloomy, and frequently, in vague terms, expressed an intention of making away with himself. To these threats, however, his friends attached no serious importance, supposing that time would reconcile him to the loss of his wife, and that he Would gradually resume his former habits. Upon the death of his wife, his sister resigned a situation in the city, and, at hie desire, went to keep his house and take care of his two elder children. The youngest, an infant, about six weeks old, he committed to the charge of its grandmother by the father's side. This arrangement appears to have proved satisfactory to all concerned. On Sunday last it was agreed that Mockford, with his two eldest children, should take tea with the mother of his late w ife, that he should sleep at her house that night, and that the children should be left there for a day or two, while his sister was to go to her mother's, and stay there in the interval. The sister accordingly went on her visit, and it was supposed that Mockford and his children had gone on theire. Mockford, according to this arrangement, should have returned home to sleep on Monday, but did not do so, and, as when Tuesday came he still remained absent, Mr. Pearce thought it only prudent to send to his sister to ascertain when he would be likely to return. The reply was that the sister had not seen him since she left home on Sunday, but that she would immediately go to his father-inlaw's, to inquire there. She went herself, and found, to her great surprise, that he had not been there at all. Upon this the whole family became greatly aalarmed, and, making their way to the Blackfriars.road, the father and mother, sister and sister-in-law, roused up Mr. Pearce, who had gone to bed, and obtained admission to the house. A policeman was called in, and the whole party, proceeding upstairs, broke open the door of the second floor, which was Mockford's sitting-room. A horrible sight presented itself. Upon a chair close to the window sat the lifeless body of Mockford, partially dressed, and upon the hearthrug lay the bodies, stiff and ghastly, of his two little girls.  The policeman at once sent to the nearest station, and a very few minutes brought an inspector and other officers, as well as Mr. Henderson, the divisional police surgeon. The latter at once saw that the children bad died from the effects of poison. It was evident that the death of the father was the result of several stabs in the abdomen, the weapon used being a carving-knife which, covered with blood, was lying on a chair close by. There was also a phial lying under the table, which it is supposed contained the poison, although the exact nature of it has not yet been discovered. The two children were named respectively Catherine ard Emily—the former being seven and the latter four y _ars old. By the side of their bodies two pillows were found lying— one with and the other without a case the latter being completely saturated with blood. case, together with the general appearance of the room, leads to the supposition that Mockford was kneeling on the pillows, looking at his children, when he inflicted the stabs which brought about his own death, and that afterwards he dragged himself to the chair by the window' and sat there till he bled to death.. It is thought that he in the first instance attempted to poison himself, but that, throwing up the poison, he then had recourse to the carving-knife. Mockford was 35 years old, and, :up to the death of his wife, on the 27th of April last, was a strong and healthy man.