The Sun. — 1859-06-16 (London, England)

AND SUICIDE.  Yesterday morning, about a quarter to eleven, the neighbourhood of Clerkenwell Police-court was thrown into a state of great excitement by the announcement that a most dreadful murder had been committed at 52, Swinton-street, St. Pancras, nearly opposite to the above police-court. From inquiries that were made on the spot by our reporter it appears that a working jeweller, of the name of John Croft, has resided with his wife and family for some time past in the front and back parlour of the above house. About two months since his wife, Elizabeth Croft, was confined of her second child, and since then she had been in a very desponding and low state of mind in consequence, as was stated, of her imagining that she would not be able to take proper care of her children. Mr. Selwood, the surgeon, of Percy-street, had been attending her, but since Saturday, owing to domestic afflictions, he had ceased visiting her, and it was understood that she was about visiting some friends in the country. . _  About nine o'clock yesterday .morning the husband went to his employment in the City, and afterwards the wife was seen about the house as usual. Shortly before eleven o'clock Mrs. Croft sent her servant, a girl about 14 years of age, out for an errand, and after an absence of about twenty minutes she returned and found that she could not obtain admission. Feeling somewhat alarmed she communicated with a Mrs. Clarke, and she also knocked at the door, but could net obtain a reply. After the lapse of some time, and not hearing the children cry or any one moving about, Mrs. Clarke called in Zr. Liddiard, a painter, residing at 11, Swinton-street. A ladder being placed nest the back parlour window, Mrs. Clarke ascendedo,tdhaneadpnadsrettehiienesgewotomhmamta unt hnleicciahnt egi trnoe nat hvweeeprryoerpicceoecvtuehlrieea ridr spwuoisstpihtiicboinloon, s that all was not correct. Inspector Allen, ofi the G division, at once proceeded to the house, and police-constable Thomas Bailey, 451 A, effected an entrance by the back parlour window. A most frightful sight presented itself. On a French bedstead lay the lifeless bodies of Mrs. Croft and her two children, the blood at the time being quite warm, and oozing from the wounds.  The children are both females, one being of the age of three years, and named after the mother, and the othei, named Ann, as before stated, about to o months old. Both their throats were cut from ear to ear, and the incisions were very deep. The elder child appears to have two wounds on the throat, and from its appearance would seem to have been awake, and to -have put its hands up to its throat. The mother, it would appear, cut the throat of the eldest child first, and then the youngest. After this she must have sat oh the side of the bed, and cut her own throat with her right hand, and when she fell on the bed, with her left hand covered her face with the end of the sheet. The children were in their night clothes, the mother fully dressed, and her clothes saturated with blood. The razor with which she committed the dreadful act was found between her feet, and is now in possession of the police. About two o'clock the husband of the unfortunate woman returned home to dinner as usual, and on entering the house asked the reason of the mob being outside, and the police inside. He was asked up stairs, and when told what had occurred, fell down in a violent fit of hysterics. The unfortunate woman, it is stated was very respectably connected, and was about 25 years of age. It was stated that she had latelysai possession fd ors she eaf r.l was hea de to s tired of her life, and had been in a very desponding state. tookknd th inquest will 3r i.lnspectorlvkiaAoyll,etnhe coatornoenee rt, ao o room, and information was immediately be held tonight or to-morrow (Ftri doafey ) . During the day large numbers persons surroundednot police, been th efosrt street would have been im the house, and had • of thel passable.