The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1883-06-08 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

MURDER OF THREE CHILDREN.  .1 \  A Macclesfield corresp mient reports that on Satoday a shocking tragedy was enacted at Bollingtoncross, in that town. Early in the day the wife of Philip Davenport, blacksmith, left her home with three children, two boys and a girl, aged respectively eight, six, and four years. For some time the neighhours have regarded her as queer. She said she was going into the village to buy meat, but went across the fields in an opposite direction, and was not again seen until her screams and gesticulations attracted the attention of some men who were passing along the bank of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln Company's canal. Upon the men going up to her, she p Anted to the bodies of three children floating on the water, which was only three or four feet deep, Strangely .enough, none of the men ventured into the water, or it is just pcnsible the lives of the children might have been saved. One took charge of the mother, while the others ran to an adjoining farmhouse for assistance. Eventually the children were got out, but life was extinct. Mrs. Davenport was taken to Macclesfield Police-station, and thence to the workhouse asylum. The inquest on the bodies of the three children, drowned by their mother on Saturday at Bollington, near Macclesfield, was held on Monday. Philip Davenport, blacksmith, said his wife had been eccentric for some time, more especially within the last fortnight, but he had no i lea she conteinplated destroying either herself or the children. When be lef t home on Saturday m aning for his work at half. past five o'clock she was in her usual health, and bade him good morning quite cheerfully. After the occurrence he found a letter in a drawer addressed to him, in which she said, " It will be hard for you when you know what I have done, and all for nothing. You have been a good, hard-working husband to me, and a good father to your chil iren. The reason I have taken your dear children is because I thought they would be better off, than me to leave them in this world of trouble. God bless you, and don't fret." Two colliers, named Fletcher and Hatton, sail \lra. Davenport shouted to them some distance if. When they went to her she pointed to the children in the canal. Asked why they did not jump in and try to rescue them, one man said he could not swim, and the other said he had to hold the woman, who tried to throw herself in. The Coroner observed that where the children were was not more than four feet deep, but one witness replied he did not know that. The other said he would have gone in had he seen any life in them, but they were dead. They ran for assistance, and eventually got the bodies out. On the way to the lock-up Mrs. Davenport said the children were throwing stones, and fell into the canal. The jury returned a verdict of "Wilful murder." On Tuesday afternoon, the bodies of the three children, aged eight, six, and four, who were drowlvd in the canal, were interred in the Bollingtou Cemetery. The mournful procession was witnessed by a large concourse of spectators, much sympathy being expressed for the father, Phillip Davenport, blacksmith, residing at Bollington-Cross. The mother, Mary Ann Davenport, was brought before the Cheshire magistrates at Maccleetield on Tuesday, charged with wilfully murdering the three children. The Court was crowded. The prisoner, who was brought from the workhouse, where she had been detained since the tragedy, appeared to be uttliudy indifferent to what was going on. Supt. Meredith informed the Bench that he spoke to the prisone! before coming into C mrt, and, in answer to his roestion, she said, "My children, my children, have' done it. My children, I loved so much." The prisoner was remanded, and was again removed to the workhouse up.m the magistrates' order.