The Miner and Workman's Advocate. — 1864-05-14 (London, England)

PAINFUL TRAGEDY IN LONDON.  A terrible story was revealed at an inquest held in London, on Monday, on the body of Gabriel Tregear, a young civil engineer, who had committed suicide. The following letter, written by the deceased, and signed by him and his wife, was handed in : Fellow-countrynsen' We have drawn up this statement that you might know why we have agreed to die together, and the villany that drove us to do it. We were married on the 6th of July last, and we met for the first time only a year ago. We slept together for the first three months, and nothing disturbed our happiness. Then we took the house in Bedford Terrace, and, as we had only a very small income, to increase our means we let rooms. One of those lodgers was Mr. Cowen, bandmaster and secretary to the London Irish Volunteers. In February I received a valentine, intimating that my wife had an adulterous intercourse with Mr. Cowen. I then gave Mr. Cowen notice, and he removed to Mr. Rod's house, next door, giving out as his reason for putting up so near that he did it to show his contempt for the slander in question. I noticed that after this my wife's health failed, and four months ago I sent her down to lodgings in a highly respectable place, three minutes' walk from my sister's, at Home Cottage, Tottenham. I received a letter from my sister, saying that she had discovered a letterwritten in slang terms to my wife, and she said I ought to put a atop to any such clandestine correspondence. I suspected Cowen, and I called at Mr. Rod's, but Cowen was not in. I said to Rod I had got the letter, but Rod repudiated the impzitation on Cowen, and said that he suspected some one—that it was the same person that sent the valentine, and that he would pledge his honour that Cowen was not the man he suspected, whose name he could not give. He said Cowen always spoke of my wife with respect and esteem, and as a father would of a daughter. But on Thursday I received a letter, stopped by my orders at the post-office, addressed to my wife, cautioning her not to leave her letters about, as she was watched, and one of them was found. The letter was only signed "A Wellwisher," butes Mr. Rod was the only one that I had mentioned the affair to, I knew at once that the caution came from Rod's house. I had an interview with my wife, and she admitted the intrigue. She was my adored idol. I had only: seen her first twelve months ago, and I could not survive the blow. I had for her an undying love. She implored pardon, and I forigave her. I took laudanum. She called my sister, and I was forced to take an emetic. Let me say that my wife was only six months past sixteen years of age when we married, and she was then pure as a babe. Now I call on you, fellow-countrymen, to root out from society the man who infamously prostituted her to his lust. He is 43 years of age, and is a married man, but is not living with his wife. He at first committed a rape on my wife's person, and then, by his threats, he compelled her to keen the dreadful secret, and so made her subservient to him, and by threats frightened her into secresy. Her health was dragged down by the state of her mind. All you that have daughters sisters, orwives punish this wretch. I cannot wish for life. We cannot live, and, two young and shattered hearts, we dedicate ourselves to death. He has two letters which she wrote to him because he made her do so by frightening her with the secret. My love was so great that I would never spare any expense for my wife. I cannot now bear that she should be made an exhibition of to punish that man. I hope you will all punish that diabolical wretch who has crushed two young hearts in the spring of their life.