The Sun. — 1846-10-06 (London, England)

TRAGICAL OCCURRENCE NEAR. FOLKESTONE. FOLKESTONE, OCT. 3.—During the last few days, the villages adjacent to this town have been most painfully excited by the commission of a double murder, in the parish of Elham, about ten miles distant, and the suicide of the murderer. The unfortunate victims were the wife and child of the wretched perpetrator of the deed, named Sharruck Richard Bragg, a bricklayer by trade. On Wednesday morning he rose at an early hour, and while his wife was in bed with an infant by her side, he struck her violent blows on the temple with a hammer, and then committed the like violence on a little girl, five years of age, which lay in a side bed, after which he destroyed his own life by cutting his throat. The particulars attending the dreadful catastrophe may be gathered from the subjoined evidence which was adduced at the coroner's inquest on the bodies. It was held at the King's Arms Inn, at Elham, before Mr. T. T. Delasseux, one of the county coroners. William Jaggers, a schoolmaster residing in the village, was first called. He said that he had lodged at the house of the deceased for about ten months. The family consisted of Sharruck Richard Bragg, his wife Mary, and her two children, the eldest named Ellen, aped about five years, and an infant aged four months. The conduct of the deceased man towards his wife and children was most kind. On Tuesday night, about halfpast ten o'clock, witness went to bed; the deceased, his wife, and children had retired before that time. About half-past five o'clock on the following morning he heard a heavy fall on the floor in the room of the deceased; shortly before which he heard the wife of the deceased groaning. The groans continued and at times grew louder. About six o'clock witness got up and dressed himself, and on looking out of the window saw a little girl knocking at the front door. He immediately went down stairs and opened the door, but the child was gone. He then discovered some blood lying on the floor in the front room, which is under the apartment occupied by the deceased, and on looking up he perceived more dripping through the ceiling. He instantly called up a female named Quested, and desired her to go and open the bedroom door of the deceased. Ann Quested, the wife of a blacksmith, was next examined—She deposed that at about half-past six o'clock on Wednesday morning she was called by the last witness to go into the deceased's room. She did so, and was horrified on seeing the deceased man lying on the floor covered with blood. She also saw the bedclothes saturated with blood. Being much alarmed, she hastened down stairs for assistance. Richard Foreman stated that he had known the deceased about twenty years. For the last five or six years he had seen him frequently. During the last few complainedweeks h e o appearedwi witness emh s su c troubledabout it. nehiswas msi n, with d and h him forad about three-quarters of an hour at his house on Tuesday evening. He was then low-spirited, but witness did not observe anything unpleasant between him and his wife. He left his house at nine o'clock. By a juror—Deceased always appeared very much attached to his wife and children. James Bragg, brother to the deceased, said that, on Tuesday evening, about seven o'clock, he met his brother, and had some conversation with him. For the last month deceased had laboured under a depression of spirits. Witness was at work with him about three weeks ago, he was then strange in his conversation, and different from what he had been in the habit of being. By the