Middlesbrough & Stockton Gazette and General Advertiser. — 1871-11-23 (Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, England)

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE IN  STOCKTON.  On Tuesday afternoon, the district of Portrack, which is notorious for the Irish rows and the cutting and wounding cases which generally follow, was the scene of a domestic tragedy of a kind for. innately unusual to this district ot Durham. On Saturd ty last, immediately after the lunatic, James Scott, had been despatched to Sedgefield asylum, a woman named King presented herself at the Police Station, and asked whether her husband could be placed in safe quarters for a week or two, as she did not think him to he in a sound state of mind, and was afraid of being in the house with him. In due course, she was advised to apply to Mr Pearson. the relieving officer, and we understand that Mr Pearson and Mr A. E. A. Trotter, the parish surgeon, paid a visit to her house in Elliott. street, where the prepetrator of the serious crimes of yesterday, John King, was found. The res tit of the examination we have not heard, but it is clear that King was left at home. After this visit he gave vent to his feelings, accused his wife of infidelity, said that she wanted to get him into the asylum out of her way, &c., and declaring that she should not be left at home to have everything her own way. The man King sometimes worked at the Rail Mill, but was oftener at home, the maintenance of the house to a great extent depending upon Mrs King, who received no less than five men as lodgers. King is 58 years, and his wife about 50 years old, so that the jealousy, which is said to have led to the crime, need not be considered as having any substantial origin. On Tuesday afternoon, between two and three o'dlock, when King and his wife were in the house by themselves, he procured a knife and attempted to stab her. The woman resisted in the best way she could, hut was overpowered, and the husband had laid Mrs King upon the floor, and got upon her to hold her while he cut her threat, when the cries and noise which had beeu made attracted a man. named John Sillick (living on the opposite side of the street, to the house. He forcibly removed the knife from the hand of King, and pulled him off his wife, and then ran out for a policeman. Whilst he was away, the madman took down a bill hook or hatchet, about 12 inches long, which hullo' upon the wall, and, whilst Sillick was absent, made a determined attack upon his wife with it He inflicted wounds upon the top, side, and front 4if her head, with several bruises, then he took up a large table knife, and cut his own throat from ear to ear, and when the policeman arrived he was standing at the door with the blood running from the wound, which fortunately had not been extended to the jugular vein. Sergt. Thornthwaite staunched the flow of blood in the best way he could, until the arrival of Mr Butler (assistant of Dr Tarleton), Mr A. E. H. Trotter, parish medical officer, and Dr Tarleton. The bruises and wounds of the woman were dressed, and do not cause much anxiety as to her chance of recovery; but the wound in the throat of the man, which was sewn up with fourteen stitches by Dr Tarleton, was at first considered to be very dangerous. Later in the day, however, the man seemed to be stronger, and recovered his senses, and shouhl inflammation be avoided, he will probably recover, Of course the house and its occupants are in charge of the police. When visited last night, the man was able to speak. He said to one 'visitor "It is a bad job, but I could not help it. I have tried to lead a peaceable life with her but I have not been able, and I could not help it. I hope I shall get better." Two letters written by King were found in the house, and some writing upon the door has been copied and published. All this will he forthcoming at the investigation of the case, which is inevitable.