The Sun. — 1846-07-02 (London, England)

WEDNESDAY.—A shocking affair has been discovered here this morning—the suicide of two brothers; and it is feared that to the heavy crime of self-murder the yet deeper offence of parricide must be added. The two brothers alluded to were William and Samuel Collyer, both joiners, residing in Coal-court, Parliamentstreet, of the respective • ages of 36 and 32. Their father (also named Samuel) was 73 years old, and possessed 14 houses in the court, but the property is so heavily mortgaged as to be really of little value. The family also included a young woman named Elizabeth, aged 37, of whom more anon. The father and his sons lived together, and were of most singular habits; latterly they employed no female servant, but washed, cooked, &c., themselves. On the 6th of August, 1842, a discovery was made which brought the;family under the public notice. A man named Charles Pearce, in passing the house, heard a cry of murder, and on looking through the cellar grating, perceived the young woman, and one of her brothers beating her. He immediately informed the police, and the matter was investigated. The young woman was found in the cellar, miserably clad, having on only an old coat, a ragged flannel petticoat, and a nightcap. She was also in a most wretched state of filthiness; her hair was dishevelled, and her finger nails were described in the local press at the time as being like a bird's claws. The brothers denied the ill- treatment, and alleged that their sister being insane could not be kept in a more decent state. The poor woman was eventually removed to the Asylum, where she has been ever since.  The•neighbours, however, were far from satisfied, and have uniformly treated the family with great shyness. The father and the eldest son have also seemed to grow very dejected; but the youngest went about as usual, collected the rents, and behaved, in short, as if• nothing had happened.  About five o'clock this morning, Charles Sewell, a ropemaker, employed by Mr. Baker, went to work in a field near Shaw's-lane, and on going into the shed, to his great alarm found the two men suspended within two feet of each other, from the roof, one by a pair of braces, and the other by a cord. Sewell ran for assistance, and the bodies were cut down ; but, though they were warm, life was quite extinct. Information was of course given to the police, who immediately proceeded to their house, but the old man was missing. It appears that at two o'clock on Sunday morning, the driver of the London train passed him on the Midland Railway, near Beeston, and having taken in the train returned with the engine to see who he was. Collyer told him that he had missed the road, and had therefore come on the lice, hoping, thereby, to find .his way to Nottingham. He was taken to the station, but soon afterwards he was allowed to go away; and he has not been heard of since. What has become of him is, therefore, a matter of mere conjecture, but the circumstances of both sons choosing the same time and place to commit self-destruction has given rise to very grave suspicions. A rumour is afloat that the old man has been found drowned in the canal at Lenten, about two miles from the town.  In the house of the deceased, which was miserably furnished, and appeared to have been ransacked, two shillings and threepence, several ancient coins, and four or five pawn tickets, were the only articles found that require particular mention.  THE LATE MURDER and