The Pontypridd District Herald and Rhondda Valley, Llantrisant, Caerphilly, and Mountain Ash News. — 1891-06-06 (Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

TRAGEDY IN LONDON. DOUBLE MURDER MURDER AND SUICIDE.  A terrible tragedy was enacted in Kentish Town at an early hour on Tuesday morning. Jeffreysstreet is a quiet thoroughfare branclunf off from the Kentish Town-road, and leading into Great College-street, and is thus immediately in the vicinity of the Camden Town Railway Station. News was circulated in this vicinity at about eleven o'clock in the morning that No. 11, Jeffreysstreet had been the soene of a terrible crime. lhe report proved only too true. The crime had involved the loss of three lives—a wife, her husband, and their little daughter. The wife and the child had, it is evident, fallen victims to the murderous attack of the husband. He had, in fact, nearly severed their heads from their bodies with some terrible weapon used with ruthless foroe. Wliep he had completed his fell purpose the murderer had en-.19c1 his own life by the same method. Soon a crowd gathered in the vicinity of the scene of the crime, and the house itself was almost immediately taken charge of by the police. What could have provoked the husband to his terrible act was merely a matter for speculation. The explanation that seemed to be most accepted was that he had been prompted to it in a fit of irresponsible madness.  The original discovery had been made by some painters who had been engaged to execute work in the house. They soon perceived evidences of the mane work. They were horrified when they stepped into the parlour to find the dead body of the wife. The poor woman's throat was fearfully gashed, and it was only too evident how her life had been ended. Their amazement was more intense when, on proceeding to the kitchen, they found the body of the child. The little one, they saw, had been the victim of the same treatment as its mother. Either room contained other evidences of the nature of the crime which had been committed, and the men at once proceeded to search for the murderer. For some time their efforts were futile, but a trail of blood proceeding from the lavatory induced them to hurriedly open the door. There they discovered the man Else—for this was the name borne by the family. He was quite dead, anil his throat, like those of his victims, was fearfully gashed. It was these workmen who first summoned the police. These officers—and Detective Miller and Inspector Davey, of the Y division —at once summoned medical aid; but the doctor pronounced that the wife—who, it should be mentioned, lay upon a bed in the parlour--the child, a little girl of but seven years, and the man, were all dead. This was but the authoritative oar._ roboration of a fact which had been apparent to the workmen from the first. Jeffreys-street, the scene of the tragedy, is inhabited by the poorer classes of people. Else only removed from Talby-street to Jeffreys-street about nine weaks ago, and little is known of him by the neighbours. It is believed, however, that he has been a good husband and father, and during his wife's Winos had nursed her constantly. Indeed, he sat up with her during the whole of Monday night, and it was not until Tuesday morning that his demeanour seemed strange. During the frosty weather of last winter he met with an accident while driving his cab, and was confined In a hospital with a broken leg for many weeks. He WOA afterwards sent to a convalescent home, and it was only about a fortnight ago that he returned home. Both Else and his wire were 47 years of age. It is a noteworthy fact that the scene of this crime is immediately in the vicinity—in fact, directly at the back—of the street in which Mrs. Piercey lived, and in which Mrs. Hogg met her death.