The Dewsbury Chronicle, and West Riding Advertiser. — 1882-12-30 (Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England)

SHOCKING MURDER AND SUICIDE  AT LEEDS. On Saturday night James Cerling, a herbaliet2 living in Hedloy-etreet, New Wortley, Leeds, reurderea his two children, aged eight end three years, poisoning them, and afterwards committed suicide bY crating his throat. Deceased, who bad been, low spirited for some time past, poieoned his ehildree whilst his wife was out shopping. Mrs. Cerling,t3l returning, found the house looked up, end 15°Tg unable to gain admittance passed the night at tee residence of a relative. In the morning the bcatas was forcibly entered, and the children W3re found 007 dead and the other dying, and Carling with his thso4, ant. He had evidently taken poison, but fintlieg 06'; iueuffictient had cat his throat with a razor. committing the deed, he had written three lettere, ce of which was addressed to the coroner. The Leeds coroner held an inqaest at ArraleY. " Tuesday evening, on the leeches of James Ceril?'t aged 45, herbalist, and his two daughters, aged elg"; and three. The evidence showed that decesseeg having for some time been unfortunate in laneirle°A% had sold up hie home with the intention of goWg. America. He went to Philadelphia, where lie obteete,g a good situation, but after he was there these he had to return to England in consequence of seric!: illness. The money which he had got together Wo; spent in paying his pazsage out and home agairtt„ returning to Leeds he took a small house in street, near Armley Gaol, but was able to get little custom. His poverty so preyed upon his mind tetao his wife for a long time had been under the imercoElce that he contemplated takiug the lives of himself le; children, and in consequence she had not leit.Pett alone for many minutes together. On Saturday however, ha induced her to go down to Leeds to °3O the Christmas decorations, and to remain in the towAo until 11 o'clock, in order that she might be get some meat for the Christmas dinner at a Wit price. Mrs. Carling returned home about 11.30 when she found the door locked. The next deY entrance into the house was forced, and, on onteul3.; the bedroom, Carling and the two children found lying on the bed apparently asleep. closer examination they found that the older child Oa dead, that the younger one wee just breathWg, that Cerling himself was in a half.conscions ets'of They had scarcely descended for the pelrP°!3eeed sending for a doctor, when Carling got out 01 "tei took a key from his pooket, unlocked a drawer,.stto took out a razor, with which he almost Fever" 1,10 head from his body. A doctor artived soon afterwortt; and found Carling on the point el death, in facte"t expired a few moments leter. It was diecovered ti2sl; the daughter Julia had died partly from atrangulatl% and partly from morphia poisoning. The Ycll'e° child died at two o'clock in the alternel It is believed that hearing his wife sent' 1.°13 a doctor, and fearing that the poisen he himself had taken would not take effect el enough, Carling hurriedly jumped out of bed ff,,r, cut his throat in the manner described. The unto tunate met had left three letters, one to his wife, ee7,11 to his mother-in-law, and a third to the Leeds 1300)u4i Coroner. In his letter to his wife he informed her l'eo when she received it he and the children would he, di-0 more, and implored her to keep up her spirits the best she could. In his commenication to coroner he informed that gentleman that he suffered for weeks from dreadful painS in the hlt until ho was nearly frantic, and his desire was to PA an end to his painful existence. The jury rettlero7e, verdict to the eflect that Carling murdered hie children and committed suicide whilst in an elnE"' state of mind: