The Sun. — 1866-04-17 (London, England)

HORRIBLE MURDER IN DRURY-L &NE.  (THIS DAY.)  ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF THE MURDERER. This morning another horrible crimo was added to the list which it has been our painful duty to publish during the last few days. In this case the parties are in the lower walk of life, and inhabited a small room in one of the courts in Drury-lane. The scene of the murder is Feather'scourt, a cul de sac, containing about a dozen houses, the majority of which are let out in single rooms to those whose necg.ssitics compel them accept that mode of living, and and a public house called the Blue Anchor.  About half-past six this morning the terrible discovery was made that a married woman named Mary Whitley, a resident at No. 8, Feathers-court, .had been brutally murdered, and on the police entering the house the body, of the unfortunate woman was found lying in a pool of blood in the passage, her head resting ou the bottom of the stairs. The constables proceeded up-stairs, and on going into the front room on the third floor they there ieund the body of a man named James Whitley, the husband of the murdered woman, lying bathed in blood, which was flowing from a deep wound in the throat. The divisional surgeon of the, F Division of police was immediately sent for, and on his arrival an examination of both the man and his wife was made. The woman was quite dead, and on her throat there was a dreadful punctured wound, which, without doubt, was the cause of death. The man was not dead, although the wound on his throat was so deep and severe that recovery is altogether out of the question. The wound was a clean sharp cut across the throat, similar to that which would be produced by a razor or some such keen instrument. Dr. Harvey did all that was possible at the moment, and without the least delay the man was conveyed to King's College Hospital, where he lies until death, which is certain to follow, takes place. A strict search has been made in the room and a clasp knife covered with blood has been found, and this without doubt is the instrument by which the fearful deeds have been committed. No particular noise was heard to proceed from the room the Whitleys occupied that morning, so that the inference to be drawn is that some quarrel had taken place between the man and his wife previous to his going to work, and that he hadcut her throat during the quarrel, and then made a desperate attempt at self-destruction. The two led a very unhappy life, and tho quarrels between them were very frequent. Early on Saturday morning last there was a very serious disagreement between them, and the woman on that occasion shouted " Murder," but as that was by no means an unusual cry in the neighbourhood, the other lodgers took no notice of the circumstance, and slept on until their usual hour of rising. It then became known that the husband had threatened to "do" for his wife, but his threat was looked upon as that of an angry man, and one that was not so near its realisation as .has turned out.  Another shocking matter in the tragedy is, that there are seven children left, of the respective ages of 3,5, 6,9, 10, 11, and 17. Five of the children have been taken to tho Strand Union, and the other two, as they expressed a wish to be conveyed to their uncle's residence, have been conveyed thither. Whitley was a bricklayer, doing a small business on his own account. The murderer, it is said in the neighbourhood, has been excited to the commission of the crime by feelings of jealousy. The age of the man 'was 43, and the woman 38. On arriving at King's College Hospital at noon to-day, our reporter was informed that the man was, to the astonishment of the surgeons of the establishment, still alive, although recovery was beyond all hope. The body of the unfortunate woman has been conveyed to the dead-house of St. Mary-le-Strand, where it awaits a coroner's inquest.