Middlesbrough & Stockton Gazette and General Advertiser. — 1875-04-01 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

CARDIFF. ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF TIIE MURDERER.  One of the saddest events that has occurred for some time at Cardiff took place on Saturday morning in Bute Road. The prembres in which the sad scene took place are those partly occupied by Mr Kinmonth, poultry dealer, No. 200, Bute Road. Mr Kinmouth occupies the lower floor or tiredness part of premiets, the first floor being tenanted by Mr Colston' and the upper floor by a man named John Richards, the mate of a tugboat, his wife, and six children, one an infant daughter a fortnight old. Richards had been out of employment for some time, and in great destitution, and a short time since a collection was made for him at the Docks, to enable him to provide something to meet the confinement of his wife. At that time almost everything had been pledaed, and the infant when born was placed in linen supplied by the neighbours and friends. He had been very lotv in consequence, but was a quiet steady M 812: Be and his Wife, who is about 35 years of age, retired to bed on Friday night, without having had anything to eat. All appeared to be quiet; he, his wife, and infant occupying one room. Adjoining this was the bedroom occupiEd by Miss Coleton. About seven o'clock next morning Miss Colston was aroused by hearing some one knocking at the partition which separated taroome. She remained a few minutes, and hearing what appeared to be stifled cries, she went hastily to Sichards' bedroom door, and there saer him stritegling with his 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 see. big Police-constable Payne' who was on daty in Bute-road, called him in. On;the constable entering the7eoern Ire saw the man and wife lying side by side op the bed, his right arm lying across her breast. Ha had his trousers and waistcoat on. She was lying in her right dress, and the blood which had been fl ,wing from the wounds had covered the bed and almost concealed the infant, which, with the mother, 'Tall lying in a pool of blood. On examining them more closely, he toned that she had a large wound on tire left eide of the throat, extending about three inches aerces, and apperently having cut a large vein or artery, for the blood was their streaming from it. The man had a severe gash across the front of the throat, but the e indpipe was not out through, alt'aong'u the woand was deeper on each side of it. Tho blood was flawing from this wound also, but not in such a stream as that from the wound in the ewife's throat. Mr Edgar Jcnes, sargeon, arrived at the house in about six or seven minutes. In the meautime he went tei the woman, who, although very weak, was just able to say that her husband had done it, and that he had then cut his own throat. There had been no struggle, no quarrel, ani she could not account for his doing it. The woman died in a few minutes afterwards from excessive hcemorrhage. Dr Jones next turned hie attention to the man, and found that the woundteould be sewn up, which he did. Before this the man said to him, "I have done it. I out her throat. But it is all through destitution; we were starving." Beneath the bed the police constable 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 struggling, and ie appears that the man got up, partly dressed himself, and then took the knife out of his trousers pocket, cut his 'site's throat, and then his own. He frequently called out in the peesence of the police constable, "I don't know what I did it for. It was all through poverty." In a short time the man had sufficiently recovered to be placed iris cab and conveyed to the Infirmary, where :his wound was again attended to by the house surgeon. Hie wound is a very serious one, but there is every probabihty that he will recover. __  At the inquest on Monday at Cardiff, on the body of Mary Jane Richards, a verdict of wilful murder was returne against her husband, who was found with his wife, both having th..ir throats cut, on Saturday morning Richards, who was a pilot, has been out of work for dome weeks in consequence of the depression of trade caused by the Smith Wales dispute, and the anxiety and destitution whieh be and his family had suffered appear to have sensed his mind to break down. He is slowly recovering from the injuries which he inflicted on himself.  OPENING OF THE LOFTHOUSK AND REDCAIt