The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1869-03-12 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

DOUBLE WITBDEB AND SUICIDE.  A double murder has been committed at P.,plar, at 271, High-street, a confectioner's shop, for some years occupied by a Mrs. Browne, aged 50, who had ba.o separated from her husband for the last twenty year., but who contrived to maintain herself and her daughter, aged 23, whe lived with her from the profits or the business. Both ef them were seen in the shop by neighbours on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday morning some astonishment was felt at the shop not being opened at the ordinary hour, and as it remained closed throughout the day, several persons knocked but could not succeed in obtaining any answer. On Thursday, about noon, it was still closed and no admission could be obtained. A brother and sister of Mrs. Browne's called upon Mr. Binden, two doors from Mrs. Browne'd shop, and asked permission to pass through the ba:k premises. Obtaining a ladder, they scaled the intervening garden walls, and, having broken a pane of glass in the window of the back room on the first floor, effected an entrance. Upon going downstairs into the back parlour and opening the shutters, a most horrible spectacle presented itself. On the table the supper cloth was spread, and this and the various articles upon It, such as plates, glasses!, knives and forks, were covered with blood. On the floor of the room, near the piano, lay the lifeless body of Mrs. Browne, with her throat cut in the most frightful manner. The head was thrown back, and the right arm extended, the body being covered with blood. Beneath her was found the sheath of a clasp-knife. On returning to the room above, through the window of which admission had been gained, and making an examination, the body of Miss Browne, the daughter, was discovered in bed, her head being almost severed from the body. She was clothed in her night-dress only, except that a flannel-petticoat was partly wrapped round her head, and she was lying on her right side with her right arm extended. The bedclothes and bedding were saturated with blood. The police authorities were immediately communicated with, and Dr. Brownfield, the divisional surgeon, was called in. He examined the bodies, and expressed an opinion that in both cases death had occurred mote than 21 hours previously. From the position of the daughter's body in bed and other circumstances he considered it probable that her injuries were inflicted while she was asleep, and that death must have been instantaneous. It appears that Mrs. Browne and her daughter were at the time of the murder the only occupants of the shop and premises, but that an engineer named Bradshaw, aged 40, had been preciously lodging with them for a considerable time, and had only left a fortnight since. This man was seen by some of the neighbours passing along the street only a few doors from Mrs. Browne's shop on the evening of Tuesday, and Biz asserted that some of the relatives knew that he called there that evening. In the course of the day It transpired that the police had received information to the effect that an engineer answering the description of Bradshaw had committed suicide by cutting his throat on Wednesday morning at a house in Campbell. road, Bow. Mr. Binden, who knew Bradshaw well, accompanied the police to this place, and immediately identihed the body. He had been occupying the upper part of the house for the last fortnight, and was living with a woman whom he called Mrs. Bradshaw. His clothes bore stains and traces of blood, which it is stated could not have resulted from the injuries he inflicted on himself.