The Express. — 1857-07-20 (London, England)

THEE.  MURDER OF TWO CHILDREN.-BUICIDE OF  A dreadful crime has been committed at Gloucester. , A tradesman, named George Meadows Morley, hairdresser ; tad tortieep beeper, has drowned himself and his two slaughters rl4. the other nine years old. An invest was , held on UM belles by Mr. Lovegrove, coroner, on Saturday eight, whirr Mears evidence was taken Charles Xreiffiar—About one o'clock this morning I wee riled up le ursir the Gloucester and Berkeley Ship Canal, la , sun.' bo/dr Miss of Morley and his daughters, Elizabeth restAngesta. win were supposed to be drowned. Between 11 sad I 2 cede* Is the forenoon I found the bodies of the Yoe sad hie muse* daughter. They were lying in the era, about • Sas *eel Gloucester about six feet from the seedlmilksad hl eight or nine feet of water. The bodies , INN Marl tespase_ tie father had hie left arm passed resod bis diatglKs waist, and grasped her wrist VIM hie hi band, while his right arm was ✓eesi. as IMO he had held the eldest daughter la lbe iris meow as the youngest, but she Ml sit gloss him. Shirty afterwards I found the body of Ilia eine daughter ; she was lying in the channel of the and Odra the wrier 15 or 18 het deep), and from 16 to ID Mot has bee beer aid diem Tlew were all divined, Mt the Yrs end WeMlr roe -rater hats. The a dear M R I saw no traces on = bed ea Wra mere Webs emiteevez: Mama Salida geilesres Is Me of the canal company, who Ina rib Me list wirer he found the bodies of the demend. Yaw a uses hat and • gW's*raw be yrs herd Ileareg la the canal; deo a obarsisbieldrit asl • ograttg et inedea dowers. There le pans flallissir 1111rillief tie awl err to which the beim Illatiserril watt farad, hat purser sometimes walk lira. 'sure Is way three or fear het of water clews to re bob abaft Os doomed were hood, and if either at the bail labs 4 see Mentally they could bare wily got out sgaht. By a Juryman—At this place the bottom Is flat for now distance from the beak, end the water would not be above the shoulders of the youngest child. It appeared as if the father had jumped In with both his daughters, and se the water was not over their heeds he must have held them down as well as kept himself down. I think the eldest daughter gut from hint and unfortunately fell off into the deep water. There were no scratches on the faces of the children' as though they had fallen through the thorns growing on the bank; the eldest girl's hair was slightly disarranged. Harriet Morley I am the widow of the deceased George Morley, end mother of the two girls. My husband was about forty-eight years old, and my oldest daughter, Elizabeth, was tourteen, and Auguste nine. My husband was very much attached to his children and they were feed of him. Yesterday morning be proposed. after breakfast, to take than for a walk "up the rood,' without saying what road. He had not offsed to take them out lately. I expected him be kin about an hour' and as he did not return I sent some one to look for him. At twelve o'clock I went myself in march of him, and walked along by the side of the Severn, but could get no tidings of them. did not hear of the Anding of the hats until this morning, and have not seen my husband or children since they left home yesterday. He has for some time been suffering from extreme depression of spirits, arising from disease of the chest. He has not attended to his business for the last week, end has been under medical treatment. Two years ago he wee in a depressed state, and I watched him narrowly, fearing he would indict some injury upon himself. He has never, to my knowledge, attempted to commit suicide, or threatened that he would do so, or would do me or the children any injury. He frequently complained that his head wee bad, and he talked strangely, and did strange things. Before going out on Friday, he wound up the clock, end a minute or two afterwards he went again to wind it up. Ile would sometimes fetch one thing when he wanted another. Hie circumstances at the present tires were not very good. We were not wholly dependent apes the business fee support, but the little we bad beside' woe nearly exhausted,sad-1 think this preyed upon his liked. The children did not object to go out with him, andas Its was very low, I thought they would be company for him. Several wits:mem said the deceased cone to tree of being ill in the morning of the melee y oconmenee, and Mr. Cookson, surgeon, his medical attendant, wed bethought hire insane, and unable to control himself when actuated by say sudden impulse. He had cautioned his wife to look closely after him. Mr. Llewellyn—l was intimately acquainted with the Loosened. He has frequently teen m • dowmiling state. Last Tuesday fortnight be told me he had taken his children three times to the water aide, intending to jump in with them and theme them, but that God had prevented his doing so, sad he had walked back from the water instead of jumping into it. He also complained of the neglect of bin bu.sanee through his own and his wife'. Mn.., and said he would kill himself and his wife and children rather than they should coma to want. He laboured under the impression that every ems lime desires. et *nen him. Thiswas the whole of the evidence ; and alter • lucid =mining up by the _coroner, the jury returned a verdict in effect tam the deemed drowned binaelf and his two children while labouring under temporary insanity.