Widnes Examiner. — 1888-02-04 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

SHOCKING TRAGEDY IN SALFORD.-AN ENTIRE FAMILY MURDERED.  One of the most awful tragedies which has over occurred in this district was discovered in Salford on Friday. It appears that a man named DerbY, a chemist and herbalist, having a shop on Regent-road, Salford, resided in Garfield-street, off Regent-road, with his wife and six children, the eldest of whom was aged about fifteen years, and the youngest, a baby, aged a 'little more than a year. For some time past Derby has been suffering from an abscess in the head, and his behaviour has been somewhat strange in consequence, though no actual traces of any aberration of mind have shown themselves. The house next his was .unoccupied, but the next but one is occupied by a tradesman, and tkisr man states that on Sunday night he heard sounds of scuffling in Derby's House. However this may be, nothing whatever was seen' or heard of any of the family on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, and no signs of life were seen about the house. This fact aroused the suspicions of the residents of the shop, and they decided on Friday morning to endeavour to satisfy their minds that all was right. They accordingly proceeded to. Derby's house and sought adMission by knocking. No answer being forthcoming the door was broken open, and a terrible and horrifying spectacle presented itself. On the sofa in the parlour was found the body of Derby, and on proceeding upstairs they found in . one bedroom four of the children quite dead, and in another bed waiMri. Derby, and the other two children, also dead. All had the appearance of having died asleep, and it is thought that Derby, either in conducting some experiment, or wilfully, caused his wife and childten to inhale poisonous gas' which suffocated them. From an interview with the father of the deceased man, also a chemist, it is assumed that the latter construction is placed upon the affair. It is said that though business has not latterly been very successful with the dead man he had just come into a small fortune, the papers relating to which were found upon his body. None of the- bodies show any, signs a violence, all looking as though death had overtaken them in sleep. The affair has caused intense excitelment. A late telegram says indications point to the cmclusion that Derby and his wife first poisoned their children and then committed suicide together. Amongst fle letters found in the house were several addressed by s Derby to relatives, expvtssing hi intention of committing suicide owing to difficulties connected with the settlement of a dispute about property. In a letter addressed to his sister at Eccles he wrote : "I cannot leave my darling wife and children behind; in fact Annie often said she did not want to leave them after I went; and when I told her, a few days ago, that I could not . stand this any longer she said she was quite ready to go. I wish our bodies to be sent to Owen's College for diseection, etc., or, if they are buried, let tlie funeral be conducted in the quietest way possible, and at the least possible expense." Derby was thirty-three years of age, his wife was thirty-eight, and the children were—Gladys three years, Florence Helena five, Clara Elizabeth seven, Frederick Cecil nine,, Harold Percy eleven, and Earnest Llewellyn thirteen. Derby was a sober man and had been in a comfortable position.