The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1850-03-26 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

SUICIDE AND ATTEMPTED MURDER.—On Saturday week, the inhabitants of Clayton, near Bradford were thrown into a state of great alarm and excitement by the news that a man named John Jessup, a blacksmith, had committed suicide, after having first attempted to murder his wife. It appears that Jessop, who was not more than 24 years old, and a native of Huddersfield, came some time since to reside in Clayton, where he paid his addresses to a young woman named Robinson, whom he ultimately married. After the wedding the husband went to reside with his mother-in-law, and there remained for about four months, during which time he could never prevail upon his wife to go to a house which he had provided. At length some altercation took place between them, and the result was that Jessop left the house and separated from his wife. From that time up to the day on which the fatal occurrence took place, he made several attempts to effect a reconciliation ; but in those attempts he always failed, in consequence, as it is said, of the interference of his wife's mother. It appears that he then formed the horrible determination of putting an end to his own life, and also that of his wife. About a week before, he purchased at a shop in Bradford a brace of pocket pistols, which he took home to his lodgings. On Saturday week he loaded both with powder and ball, and went to the house of his mother-in-law, where his wife was living. On his way thither he called at a publichouse, where he drank three fourpenny.worths of gin. On entering his mother-in-law's house, he expressed to his wife his determination, and at the same time he drew from his pocket one of the loaded pistols, which he deliberately presented, and fired at his wife, whose left breast the ball entered. Instantly afterwards lie drew the other pistol, placed it against the side of his head, blew out his own brains, and fell dead on the floor. The woman survived the shot, but no hopes are entertained of her recovery. The coroner's jury returned a verdict that the deceased had shot himself, but they could not tell his frame of mind.  ed the policeman to inquire who he was. The stranger, after a great deal of hesitation, said that, hearing that the poor in Gravesend were most shamefully treated, he had determined to come down and make personal inquiries'into the matt,r ; and, in order the better to carry out his intentions, he had disguised himself like a working man. The stor3, was at first disbelieved, but it was ultimately found necessary to liberate the " cornmis,ioner," who is said to be a gentleman worth £3o,ooo.—Daily News. David Watson, an intelligent mechanic, who made a very suitable speech at the late protectionist meeting at Swindon, is now in a lunatic asylum, at Bristol. It appears that some of his fellow-workmen on the Great Western works, at New Swindon, having always considered him as a chartist and a free-trader, were so astonished at the declaration of his sentiments at the meeting, that they denounced him as a traitor, and commenced a system of annoyance, which so worried and excited him, that he left his work, forsook his family, and proceeded to Bristol, where, in a stare of frenzy, lie assaulted. the police, who had much difficulty in securing him, and was eventually, by the advice of the medical men who inspected him by order of the magistrates, conveyed to the lunatic asylum, where he now remains suffering under a violent inflammation of the brain.