Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1888-08-25 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

ANOTHER EAST LONDON TRAGEDY. A shocking case of murder and attempted suicide has occurred at the Isle of Dogs, Poplar. A general dealer named Levi Richard Bartlett, 60 years of age, of 248, Manchester-road, Cubitt brutally murdered his wife Elizabeth, aged 56 years, by striking her on the head with a 141 b. hammer while she was asleep, inflicting terrible injuries to her head, the skull being almost beaten into a pulp, and rendering the features of the unfortunate victim scarcely recognisable. Bartlett afterwards cut his own throat with a razor. He had, it is stated, been drinking heavily for some time past. He was very drunk on the preceding day. Bartlett, who is better known as Freeman, kept a dairy, and is well known in the locality. Bartlett and his wife fre .uently quarrelled, but the neighbours state that no quarrel. ling was heard on the night of the tragedy. Mrs. Emma Mears, who is a sister of the victim, and lives at No. 290 in the same thoroughfare, has made a statement in which she says she saw her sister and Bartlett just before twelve o'clock at night. Mrs. Bartlett then complained of pains in her throat, but was otherwise in good spirits. At 5.30 next morning she was told by a boy that Mr. " Freeman" had cut his wife's throat. She went to the house and found her sister unconscious, bleeding from the head, and she died about an hour afterwards. The husband was sitting on the bed with his throat cut. The deceased was a strong powerful woman, and weighed about 13 atone. She had been struck on the left side of the head evidently whilst asleep, for there was no trace of a struggle.—Thomas J. Jones, milk carrier, who lives at the same house, and is employed by Bartlett, states that 'Freeman" went into his room at a quarter to five, and asked some of the lodgers if they could give him anything to drink, but they had none to give him. Bartlett then held out his hand to shake hands with Jones, and said : '1 have settled the misses, and I am going to settle myself" The man did not think anything of it, as they frequently quarrelled; but on going into the room half an hour later he found Bartlett with a razor in his hand and bleeding from the throat. Dr. Smyth was then sent for, and arrived shortly afterwards, and ordered the man's removal to the Poplar Hospital; the wife, who was dead, being removed to the mortuary. The man was then in a very critical condition, and unable to converse.  THE Brownhills Local Board, whose district borders Cannock Chase, has appointed its chairman to attend a county meeting at Stafford to promote the selection of the Chase as the new Wimbledon. It was stated on good authority that the Midland Railway Company, which has a branch line in the neighbourhood. would at once extend it to the camp in the event of the site being selected. The Walsall Town Council has_also_joined in the movement.  Moo. *ABNER, daughter of Mrs. Haig, of Marlowplace, Marlow, an influential resident, went with her two sisters to bathe at Temple Mill early the other morning, but, getting out of her depth, sank, aud,was drowned. The body was quickly recovered, but life was extinct.