Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1875-04-03 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

CARDIFF. ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF THE MURDERER.  One of the saddest events that has occurred for some time at Cardiff took place on Saturday morning in Bute Road. The premises in which the sad scene took place are those partly occupied by Mr Kiumouth, poultry dealer, No. 200, Bute Road. Mr Kinmouth occupies the lower floor or business part of premises, the first floor being tenanted by Mr Colston, and the upper floor by a man named John Richards, the mate of a tug•boat, his wife, and six childreo, one an infant daughter a fortnight old. Richards had been one of employment for some time, and in great destitution, and a short time since a collection was made for him at the Ducks, to enable him to provide something to meet the confinement of his wife. At that time almost everything had been pledged, and the infant-when born was placed in linen supplied by the neighbours and friends. He had been very low in conseqw, uce, but was a quiet steady man. He and his wife, v. ho is about 35 years of age, retired to bed on Friday .night, without having had aeything to eat. All appeared to be quiet; he, his wife, and infant occupying one room. Adjoining this was the bedroom occupied by Miss Colston. About seven o'clock next morning Miss Colston was aroused by hearing some one knocking at the partition which separated the rooms. She remained a few minutes, and hearing what appeared to be stifled cries, she went hastily to Ric'eards' bedroom door, and there sa.v him struggling with hia wife on the bed, and he was apparently cutting at her throat with a knife. She screamed out and ran down stairs, calling to her father, who ran up, and seeing Police-constable Payne, who was on duty in Bute-road, called him in. On:the canstable entering the:room he saw the man and wife lying side by side on the bed, his right arm lying across her breast. He had his trousers aud waistcoat on. She was lying in her night dress, and the blood which had been flowing from the wounds had covered tne bed and almost concealed the infant, which, with the mother, was lying in a pool of blood. On exam ning them more closely, he found that she had a large wound on the left side of the throat, extending about three inches across, and apparently having cut a large vein or artery, for the blood was then etreaming from it. The man had a severe gash aerosa the front of the throat, but the windpipe was ;not eat through, although the wound was deeper on each side of it. The blood was flowing from this wound also, but not in such a stream as that from the wound in the Lwife's throat. Mr Edgar June, eargeon, arrived at the house in about six or seven minutes. In the meantime he went to the woman, who, although very weak, was just able to say that her husband hal done it, and that he had then cut his own throat. There had been no struggle, no quarrel, and she could not account for his .deing it. The woman died in a few minutes afterwards from excessive heemorrhege. Dr Jones next turned his attention to the man, and found that the wound could b 3 sewn up, which he did. Before this the man said to him, "I have done it. I cut her throat. But it is all through destitution; we were starving." Beneath the bed the police constabile found a large clasp knife, with a blade about six inches long, the blade and handle being covered with blood. The infant was at once removed from the room, but everything upon her, and also on the deceased woman, were saturated with blood. Mr Colston, who was up at the time, heard no quarrelling, no screaming, nor any struviing, and it appears that the man got up, partly oreneed himself, and then took the knife out of his trousers /pocket, tut his wife's throat, and then his own. Ite frequently called out in the Keseuce of the valise constable, "I don't know what I did it for. It was all through poverty." In a short time the mien had sutlittieutly recovered to be placed di a oat) and conveyed to the Infirmary, where ,his wound was again attended to by the house surgeon. His wonad is a eery serious one, but there is every probabiiity that he will ree ,ver.