Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1866-02-02 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SINGULAR AND DISTRESSING DOUBLE SINCIDIL—SoIue weeks ago a French gentleman, with his mother, took furnished apartments at No. 2, Norfolkroad, Paddington, stating that lie was a French nobleman, who, from political motives, had been compelled to leave his country. He gave as references some of the high dignitaries of the Roman Cailiolic Church, and the inquiries proved satisfactory. The apartments were let at 258 per week. Several weeks elapsed, and the landlady received no rent from her lodgers, and she further discovered that they were living in a state of semi-starvation, al though they continually received visitors, the majority of whom came in their carriages. Last week but one she gave them notice to quit. The gentleman asked her the latest hour he would fie allowed to remain, and was told eight o'clock on the Thursday evening. He then informed his landlady that on that (lay he should be certain to receive some money from France, through his friend the French consul in Londoa, when he would pay her all the rent due. In the interim he wrote a great many letters, but received very few in return. On Friday morning last, Mrs Connor, the landlady, went to the doors of the rooms occupied by her lodgers, and after knocking for several minutes, receiVing no answer, she sent for the police, who effected an entry into the room, when they found the Frenchman and his mother suspended by cords from the opposite ends of the window cornice roller, both of them quite dead. The man was hanging by a piece of window cord, and his mother by a small rope pulled from the bed sacking. There were indications that, after the nooses wer: affixed, both mother and son stood on a high footstool at the centre of the window, and threw themselves off simultaneously, but that the end of the cornice pole to which the mother was attached splintered, and that the feet of both parties touched the ground; so determined, however, were they to cpuunit suicide that both of them had drawn up their legs, and thus consummated their purpose. On a sofa near the window were found the man's coat., cravat, and collar, and the woman's cap and neck ribbon; on an adjacent table were several articles of antique jewellery, and letters from several English and French noblemen. Close to where they lay were two shirts. One Wda marked with ink " This or myself ;" the other, "This for my mother." On the table was found a letter written by the deceased lady, giving directions as to the disposal of their bodies, making a division of the remains of their property, pawntickets, Sm., and stating that they had committed suicide because they could no longer bear up against their misfortunes.  Sir John C. D. Hay has published a second address to the electors of Tiverton, in which he says that Conservative principles predominate in the borough, that his canvass has been most successful, and that he will go to the poll. It will not be at all surprising if the borough, which for more than a generation returned two Liberals, should now return two Tories. A Reform Bill involving a redistribution of seats would certainly deprive the little borough on the Exe of one of its members, and it is almost two much to expect that the electors will perform the "happy despatch" upon themselves by returning a member who will support that bill.