The Potteries Examiner : — 1875-04-03 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

THE PENGE TRAGEDY.  Frederick Hunt was, on Monday, brought up on remand, at the Lambeth Pollee Court, before Ur. Chance, charged with the wilful murder of his wife, Eliza, and Annie, his daughter, aged seven years, by cutting their throats with a razor, at No. 3, Melbourne Terrace, Dulwich Road, Peuge, On the 2lst inst. He was further charged with [endeavouring to murder his two sons, Arthur and Percy, aged respectively nine and five years, by administering laudanum to them. Lastly, he was charged with attempting to commit suicide, first, by taking laudanum, and secondly, by placing himself on the rails of the London, Chatham, and Dover railway at Penge.—Mr. William Moore, prosecutor officer of the Associate Institution for Improving and Enforcing the Laws for the protection of women, was present; Mr. Whitwell appe ,re.i for the prisoner.—The following is a cony of the let., ,vritten by the prisoner, and has been frequently referred to in evidence : March In. Dear Guest,—For many days I have had a haunting sense of coming ruin upon me ea,l mine, and allot my own cansMg, through my mad ',inking that I could make up for Morley's by my own connection. It has proved a wretched failure. I have just raised a loan upon two of my policies, and have paid Rotherham £5O. If I had not done this I should have left plenty to pay all expenses. As it is, you mast take what there is and sell off the furniture for the rest. I little thought it would ever come to this. I cannot ask you to forgive me, for it is too awful, but I am sure if I live many more days I shall go mad, and then what will my poor wife and children dsP so I must sacrifice my future welfare for them. ant have always sacrificed my past life for them, and they, poor innocents, shall be safe from the pauper's fate, that is so near to them, though they little think it. It is a terrible result from one fatal mistake, but I see no way of escape. I have been to Mr. Morley twice, and begged him to take me back, bathe will not. I saw my poor father yesterday, but could not dare tell him all that runs imy mind. His address is 10, Little Lille street, near the Commercial road. Tell Mr. Morley that he might have saved me if he _ _would. Lam utterlr nuslows,_and whoa you_ nee. shal be— [The foregoing portion of the letter is in ink, and the following in pencil.] There was nothing for my wife and family bat ruin; still I would have met it, if I had not known that the laudanum would have had no effect; but it won't. I can hear the children talking now. lam mad, and shall be mad for ever and over, yet ask them at Gutter lane if I ever did anything tam ashamed of. Oh, oh, oh, there is an evil spirit in the world. Tell my father to sell up and nay espouses, and tell William Morley as he would not have mercy on me, to take my children into the Albert Orphan Asylum. I would never have done this, ill had not thought to put them all in heaven before I went to hell, but they woke up. My poor darling wife and Annie an, safe, but why not all? I have always lived a life of self-sacrifice, and now am defeated and lost at last. Ask Mr. Flooks to take Fred. for the love of God and his mother—William Morley will do the rest. I went to him at ten o'clock the other night, bat he waist no use; but he would not come home. I am a wretched victim of the fates. Ply /Ess Mass 42. She is the girl one over had in the house. On the cause sheet of paper was also written the fol. lowing :  March M,1675. Mr. Guest,—Mr. Guest keep tht money. lam mad. Mv sister committed suicide. My brother was• mad ; and wanted to send all the children to heaven before I go to hell, but caunet finish, they will wake. Mrs. Hunt's mother's address, 10 or 12, Newulaain street, St. Mark's, Whitechapil, near Abe street.  Several tednesses having been examined, the prisoner, who declined to say anything, was cenunittedfor trial,