The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1876-09-30 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

MOTHER SHOOTING HER CHILDREN AND ATTENIPI'ING SUICIDE. The neighbourhood of Great Crosby, near Liverpool, was thrown into a state of the most painful excitement on Tuesday, by a report that a frightful tragedy had occurred in a house in Fairholm Road, occupied by the widow of Mr. James Morris, who died last December, and who for a long time was one of the cashiers in the North-Western Bank, Liverpool. Mrs. Morris resided here with her five children and Miss Irby, a governess, also lived in the house, and had charge of some of the children. Early on Tuesday morning Miss Irby was aroused by reports from a pistol, and on getting up she saw Mrs. Morris coming frona ,the children's room. Mrs. Morris went into a dressing room and locked herself in, and then shot herself in the head, but the wound was not fatal, and, in answer to Miss Irby's repeated calls, she at length opened the door, and attmipted to rush upstairs She was seized, however, by the governess, who wrested the pistol from her, and she was secured. In the children's room an appalling sight presented itself. It would appear that the wretched mother got up very early in the morning, and, takiry, a revolver which was in the house, she fired first at her eldest daughter, aged thirteen, and shot her dead. She then fired at the second child, aged about eleven, and killed her also ; and with another shot she wounded, but did not kill, a third child. She then fired at the fourth child, but the little thing ran away in terror, and so escaped injury altogether. She then left the room, and, locking herself in a dressing room, as has been stated, discharged a fifth banal at her own head. Her injuries are very serious, the bullet having penetrated the skull, and she is stated to be in an almost hopeless condition. The general opinion is that the poor woman was temporarily out of her mind when she committed these frightful acts. The death of her husband aff,cied her very much, and she became despondent and greatly depressed, and her troubles were also increased by fears as to certain pecuniaey embarrassments, though her anxieties wete, it is stated, to a great extent unfounded. Latterly she appeared to be regaining her health and spirits, so much so that only on the evening before the tragedy she went to a harvest home conct.rt at Crosby, and was congratulated by several of her friends upon her bright and happy appearance. When, therefore, the sad news was known next morning, it fell upon the neighbours with a terribly startling effect.  There were 44 WAlisters and 37 M'Auleys on the registration list for the borou-,4i, Carrickfergus, many being of the same Christian name. On arriving at the first of these names during the revision of the register, the town clerk said that no mortal man could understand the Al'Alisters and the Nl'A uleys. These names were therefore allowed to remain undisturbed.  THROAT laarrarrox.---The throat and windpipe are especially liable to inflammation, causing sore. ness and dryness, tickling and irritation, inducing cough and affecting the voice. For these symptoms use glycerine in the form of jujubes. Glycerine, in these agr-.eable confections, bei ig in proximity to the glands at the MOMP it they are excited by the act of sucking, becomes actively healir 6d. and is. boxes (by post tor 14 stamps), labelled 'JAMES EPPS & Co., Homceopathic Chemists. 48 Threadneedle-street, and 170, Piccadilly, London.'