The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1878-11-30 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

HORRIBLE TRAGEDY  IN WALLASEY.  YissuabsY a horrible tragedy was enacted in the parish of Wallaaey, and has resulted, so far, in the death of a little girl eight years old; but it is expo°. ted, however, that two more deaths will follow. The deceased victim is the daughter of the perpetrator of the horrible tragedy, who is a tall, ftne•looking man named John Campbell Munroe, who, for some time past, has been staying at the Victoria Hotel, New Brighton. Yesterday morning, about half-past eleven o'clock, he was seen in Mount-road conversing about the disastrous collision between the " Gem " and the Bowfell " with a gentleman named Orme, who lives in Beaufort-terrace. He had a little boy, apparently about three years of ago, in his arms and the little girl was by his side, and at a distance off was a genteel looking young lady, who turned out to be his wife. She also had a child in her arms, and it would seem as if she were watching the movements of her husband, whose eyes were swollen and who appeared to have had an excess of drink over night. He left Mr. Orme and went into the Warren along with the two children, and struck into a path off Sea View-mad, which leads to Wallasey Church where, a little before he committed the horrible crime of shooting his two children and attempted to take away his own life, the earth had only just closed over all that was mortal of Mr. Mo Gregor and BrMarshall's son, who lost their lives in the " Gem ' catastrophe on Tnesday morning. It appears that Munroe's wife did not follow him. She had an idea that he was going to commit some foul deed, and she at once informed Mr. Marshall's gardener, telling him that her husband meant to shoot himself, and the children and herself. The police were informed, but they were not successful in preventing the murder. Munroe took his children along the footpath, which is a broad and unfrequented one, and here unobserved he shot his little girl through the head and his little boy in a similar manner and then shot himself a little above the right temple. The bodies were discovered about twelve o'clock by P.C. Davies (194), who had been informed of the shocking affair by David lifolynenx, a butcher, of Wellington-road, North, Egremone. Munroe was lying on his hack, apparently dead, and the children were on the ground near him. A. little distance off was a six-chambered revolver, three barrels of which had been discharged. The pitiable trio were at once conveyed in cabs to the Seacombe Cottage Hospital, but, although they all breathed, they were not sensible. They were attended to by Drs. Byerley and Marshall. and, in the opinion of those gentlemen, the father is not likely to recover. Each of the children being shot through the brain it was thought by the doctors that they could not live very long, and in the cepa of the eldest child their fears were soon realised, she expiring shortly after admission to the hospital. The little boy, however, when we visited the institution last night was not dead. Munroe who was well dressed still remained unconscious and tha only sign of life was a nervous twitching of tie muscles of his body. The poor little girl lay in one of the lower rooms of the institution, with her gloves on, and wearing her olothes just as she was brought in. She wore a beautifully calm expression and her cheeks were suffused with a remarkable delicate pink, contrasting terribly witn the patch of clotted blood which had congealed over the wound on the temple. The little boy, when we saw hen, was fast asleep. There was an ugly gash on his right temple, and another where the bullet had come out at the back of his head, lie was breathing faintly and we were told that he might possibly recover. What it was heat spurred the father on to such a terrible deed yet remains a mystery. He did not appear to be short of money, for on the previous day he paid a bill of £l4 and did not seem very much depressed. The only person who will be able to give any clue to the affair is the wife, who seems to have been impressed with. the conviction that her husband's trouble would end in a lamentable way.