Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1882-11-11 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

ATTEMPTED MURDER AT CANNING TOWN, LONDON.  I Shortly after half-past nine o'clock in the morning a few days ago what appears to have been a determined attempt at murder was made at Mr. J. H. Sankey and Son's Lime and Cement Wharf, Barking-road, Canning Town, London, followed immediately by the suicide of the assailant. Various accounts of the tragedy have Nen circulated, but the fo,lowing st dement may be relied on. The name of the man sho made the attempt at murder is Henry Wells, aged 26, a clerk, residing at 211, Findhorn.enest, Brunswick- road, Bromley, and the name of his victim is Henry Callaghan, middle -aced, living in Rumford - road, Stratford. Callaghan, It seems, used to carry Ca business for himself at a wharf in Canning Town as an oil merchant, and about a month ago, as he wished to dispose of his business, Mr. Sankey, • lime and cement merchant, owning &sex iVharf, close by, made arrangements to buy. One of the stipulationn of the bargain made eeems to have been that Svakey should find some employment for Callaghan, and accordingly some three weeka binee the latter assumed the managership of Mr. Sankey's wharf. Wells, It appeared, had been employed at Sankey's as head deck for the last six or seven year., and consequent on his leng: hened service he was much consulted as to its business matters, sad was in reality the managing man. Callaghan's appointment seems to have arou-ed the animosity of Wells, it being his imprm-ion that the appointment meant his dismissal at a convenient time. Callaghan in his function as manager frequently looked over the books, and Wells is said to have resented what he considered un j itstifiable interference. The day previous to the attempted murder while doing thin Callaghan had a few words with Wells as to some of the items, in the course of which the latter used some very strong language, and he is alleged to have then threatened Callaglutn. No further unplea.ntness occurred, however, during the day, and the not morning both were at Essex Wharf as usual. At about half-past nine o'clock Wells left his office end went into Mr. Kurtz's, the er:dge Howe llotel, Barkingroad, where he called for 3d. of bmndy, and having drank that he said, as he left, to the barmaid of the house, "Good-bye, Livic." The remark was taken no particular notice of, and Wells then returned to Bares Wharf. As he entered Mr. Sankey's private office he saw the manager Callaghan lookin over some of the books, and probably suppo jog that they were his own, he at once pulled a five-chambered revolver out of his breast and fired at Callaghan. The latter seemed to have heard the entry of someone into the office, and turning his head the bullet struck him behind the left ear. Callaghan then rushed out of the office, and ran into the Barkit ig.road, with blood pouring down over his shoulder, and shouting "Police, police, I'm shot, I'm shot." Paseenge-s were naturally alarmed, but Callaghan, still hurrying, made for the Victoria Tavern, where he told the potman that he had been shot. A duct a was sent for, hut in the meantime Callaghan WWI placed in a trap by a contractor, who knew him as Messrs. Sankey', manager, and driven to Dr. Dowling's, at Alexandraderram, Barking-card. The latter gentleman, after making an examination of the I wound, at once ordered Callaghan's removal to the London Hospital, where the bullet was extracted by Dr. Hingdon, the house surgeon, and the injured man is reported to be progres.hig as favourably as nm be expected. Meanwhile, the sound of a second shot follow: ing within a few seconds of the first was heard to emanate from Messrs. Sankey's office, and upon some of the workmen going In they found Wehs lying down in a comer of the room bleeding and dead, with a five-chambered revolver by his side. Dr. Tatum, of Poplar, was immediately summoned, and upon his attendance he pronounced life to be extinct, Wells having apparently placed the revolver to his mouth and fired it. The body 11'144 token to the Barking-road mortuary by Berg. ant Loverington and Police-cowl-111e Mallet!. Wells, ~ho war a married man, with three children, was much liked among the men employed by Mewrs. Sankey, and is stated by them to have been et goal-hearted young fellow. The fearful tragedy has crated profound iutereht in the neighbourhood where it occurred.