The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-09-26 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

APPALLING TRAGEDY IN TOXTETH PARK, LIVERPOOL.  SUPPOSED MURDER OF A WIFE BY HER HUSBAND AND SUICIDE OF THE LATTER.  On Sunday morning, about ten o'clock, the inhabitants of Chester-street, Toxteth Park, were alarmed by the rumour that a murder bad been committed by a man named Robert Howarth, residing in that street, who, it was stated, had first killed his wife, and afterwards committed suicide. The circumstances of this dreadful event are as follow The supposed murderer, who is about forty-seven years of age, was a cattle dealer, and was, until recently, a wholesale confectioner, occupying a shop in St. James's-street, Toxteth Park. For some time back neither his wife nor family have resided with him, in consequence of some family differences. Since the separation Howarth had made his wife a certain allowance, and on Friday evening she went to the house for the purpose of receiving the usual monthly stipend from him. As she did not return, her friends became alarmed as the evening advanced, and some of them remained about the house until between one and two in the morning, expecting her every minute to make her appearance. She, however, did not do so, and not having returned on Saturday morning, they became still more alarmed, and again went in search of her, but did not succeed in finding her anywhere. The day passed over without anything having been heard of the deceased, and her friends became more and more—alarmed. The intelligence of her absence as, on Sunday morning, communicated to a servant in the employ of her husband, and, about seven o'clock, that person, having the key of the back door of Howarth's residence, proceeded there along with three other persons, when, after making a search for a few minutes, they went up stairs into one of the bedrooms, where the most horrifying spectacle was presented. The Unfortunate woman was found lying stretched on the floor of the bedroom quite dead, her head and face being surrounded by a large pool of blood. Her dress was also torn open, and the disordered state of her hair and other general appearances of the body gave evident indications of violence having been used upon her. The body was lying straight out, with the head from the bed and the legs under it. They then drew, the clothes from off the bed, where they discovered the body of her husband. They at first thought that he was asleep, but on a closer inspection they ascertained that he, also, was dead. The body of the husband (lid not exhibit the slightest marks of violence; neither was there any appearance about the face to indicate death, the deceased looking as if in a sound sleep. On searching the bedroom, no deadly weapon of any description was found; but, on going down stairs into the kitchen, a cup was discovered, containing a mixture supposed to be arsenic, and this opinion was strengthened by there being a considerable number of dead flies upon the table, lying in drops of what is supposed to be a portion of the same mixture.  It appears, from information we have received from the relatives of the deceased woman, that, on Friday evening, her husband was dreadfully agitated in consequence of having lost a considerable sum of money in a purchase of cattle, and he repeatedly said to his wife's sister, early that evening, that he was almost inclined to deprive himself of his life, at the same moment drawing his hand across his throat and exclaiming, " Oh, I could do that just now!" It is supposed that the murder must have been committed, at the latest, on Saturday morning, twenty-four hours before the discovery took place, for the unfortunate man, who, at that time, had no one with him in the house but his wife, his housekeeper having gone from home a few days previous, went to a neighbouring house about eleven o'clock on Saturday morning, and complained that he wss very sick and ill, lie then went into the house again, and was not seen afterwards until he was discovered as already described.' During several hours early on Sunday morning the relatives frequently knocked at the house door, but receiving no answer, and, on looking through the key-hole, seeing his hat, coat, &c. they felt satisfied something was wrong, which led to the search by which the dreadful deed was discovered. . _ _  Whether the murder was effected by poison or by some other means is not yet known; but it appears from the state of the deceased woman's body that towards her great violence has been committed.—Liverpool