The Shropshire Examiner and all round the Wrekin advertiser. — 1875-04-03 (Wenlock, Shropshire, England)

THE PENGE MURDERS.  LETTER WRITTEN BY THE PRISONER.  Frederick Hunt was on Monday brought up on remand, at the Lambeth Police Court, before Mr. Chance, charged with the wilful murder of his wife, Eliza, and Annie, his daughter, aged seven years, by cutting their throats with a mzor, at No. 3, Melbourne terrace, Dulwich road, Peng% on the 21st March. He was further charged with endeavouring to murder he two sons, Arthur and Percy, aged respectively nine and five sears, by administering laudanum to them. Lastly, he was charged With attempting to commit suicide; first by takirw, laudanum, and secondly by placing himself on the rails of the London. Chatham, and Dover Railway at Pangs.  Mr. William Moore, prosecuting officer of the Associate Institution for -Improving and Enforcing the Laws for the Protection of Women, was present; Mr N% hitwell appeared for the prisoner. The following is a copy of the letter written by the prisoner, and which has been frequently re. ferred to in evidence:— March _  Dear Guest,—For many days I have bad a haunting. sense of coming ruin upon me and mine, and all of my own causing, throu -h my mad folly in thinking that I could make up for Morley'c by soy own connection. It has proved a wretched failure. I have just raised a loan upon tw. ot my policies, and have paid Rotherham stol). If I had not done this I should have left plenty to pay all expenses. As it is, you must take what there is and sell off the furniture for the rest. I little thought it would over come to this. I cannot ask you to forgive me, for it is too awful, but I am sure if I live many more days I shall go mad, and then what will my poor wife and children do ? So I must sacrifi .e my future welfare for them. as I have always samticed my past life for them, and they, poor innocents, shall be safe from the pauper's fate that is so near to them, though they little think it It is a terrible result from one fatal mistake, but I see no way of escape. I have been to Mr. Morley twice and begged him to take me back, but he will not. I saw my poor father yesterday, but could not dare tell him all that runs in my mind. His address is 11. Little Alie street, near the Commercial road. Tell Mr. Morley that he might have saved me, if he would. I am utterly undone, and when you receive this I shall be-- • The foregoing portion of the letter is in ink, and the following in pencil There was nothing for my wife ard family but ruin; still I would have met it, if I had not known that the landannm would have no effect : but it won't. I can hear the children talking now. I am mad, and shall be mad for ever and ever, yet ask them at Gutter lane if I ever did anything I am ashamed of. Oh, oh, oh, there is an evil spirit in the world. Tell my father to sell no and pay all expenses, and tell William Morley, as he would not have mercy on me, to take my children into the Albert Orphan Asylum, I would never have done this, if I had not thought to put them all in heaven before I went to hell, but they woke up. My poor darling wife and Annie are cafe, but why not all I have always lived a life of selfssaerifice, and now am defeated and lost at last. Ask Mr. Hooka to take Fred, for the love of God and his mother—Wiliam Morley will do the rest. I went to him at ten o'clock the other night, but it was of no use; but he would not come home. I am a wretched victim of the fates. Pay Miss Maas £2. She is the best girl one ever had in the house." On the same sheet of paper was also written the following :  " March 21, 1875.  "Mr. Guest,—Vr. Guest keep the money. I 'am mad. My sister committed suicide. My brother was mad: and I wanted to send all the children to heaven before go to hell, but cannot finish, they will wake. Mrs. Hunt's mother's address, 10 or 12, Newnham•street, St. Mark's, Whitechspel, near Alie street." The prisoner was comrni• ted for trial on the charge of murdering his wife and child.