Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1883-08-25 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

THE MURDERS AT WALTHAMSTOW.  At the Stratford petty sessions on Saturday, William Gouldstone was charged on remand with murdering his five children at Walthamstow. Since he was last brought up a coroner's jury has returned a verdict of wilful murder against him. The evidence of Mrs. Hamilton, the nurse who had attended Mrs. Gouldstone, given on a previous occasion, was read over, It was to the effect that Gouldstone returned home earlier than usual on the day of the murders. He entered his wife's bedroom, and Mrs. Hamilton went downstairs, when she heard cries of murder proceeding from Mrs. Gouldstone, and on running back to the bedroom Mrs. Hamilton f. mid that the prisoner had struck his newly born twin children on the head with a hammer, inflicting injuries from which they died. The prisoner said to his wife: "I have killed my children ;lam a happy man now; your other children are in the cistern." He then left the room, and was afterwards found laying out on the floor the dead bodies of his three other children whom he had drowned in the cistern. He was given into custody. Before being taken away by the police he said to his wife, "I have killed all the children; I shall be hung, and you will be single. You wished the children dead, and now they are dead." Mrs. Hamilton was recalled on Saturday. he said that she lived in the same house as the prisoner, and up to the day of the murders he had been very kind to his family, and he was not given to drink. Since the birth of the twins on the Ist of August he had appeared very absent minded. Policeconstable Cheeseman said that when he was called in on the day of the murder, the prisoner, who had his coat off and his shirt sleeves tucked up, said, "Good evening, policeman; I have done it. Xow I am happy ;I am ready for the rope." On the way to the station the prisoner said, "When I took my money last week I thought of buying a revolver to do it with; but I altered my mind, as I thought it would make too much noise." He also said, "I had a hard job with the two biggest ; but the other little b—, I soon setthil him. I thought it was getting too hot, for I had five kids in three years and a-half ; so I thought it time to put a stop to it." At the station he said, " I did it like a man." Medical evidence was next given as to the state of the children's bodies when the doctor was called in. Inspector Folkard, who took the charge at the police station, was next called, and after seine further evidence the prison ,r was commited for trial at the Central Criminal Court.  From a report issued on Saturday it appears that during the present fiession up to the 11th inst. 5,332 luncheons and 5,696 dinners had been served in the refreshment-rooms of the House of C.,mmona.  The Princess Alexandra, 1,286 tons, which left Greenook for Quebec a fortnight ago, returned to the Clyde on Saturday badly damaged by the recent gales which she encountered. The crow, alleging that tha ship was undermannel, refused duty. This was an additional reason for potting back. A °man named Taylor is under remand at the Epsom petty sessiors, eliargOl with causing the death of her child. 5 weeks old, by wilful exposure. It api eared that Taylor had been stopped by a police-constai e with the dead child in her arms. She admitted she had been sleeping on the common for three nights, and as the divisional surgeon certified that the child had died from waLt and exposure she was apprehended. It was stated in evidence that Taylor had threatenel to kill the child, and had been prevented by another woman from nearly suffocating it.