The Commonwealth. — 1867-05-04 (London, England)

MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. On Tuesday afternoon a murder was perpetrated in the parish of Lambeth, and the painful nature of the 'tragedy is added to by the attempt of the murderess to put an end to her own existence. It appears that a respectable mechanic, named Samuel Belcher, has resided for some short time at 26; Royal. street, Lambeth, together with his wife, Elizabeth Belcher, aged 28 years, and their infant son, Thomas Charles Belcher, who was about four months old. The mother was confined between three and four mouths since, at her relative's residence, of the first child, who has been the unhappy victim of the tragedy. Since the confinenient the unfortunate woman has suffered from illness,- and as fears were entertained that she would be attacked with puerperal mania, itsha,d been deemed necessary to keep a watch upon her actions. , Of late, however, she had appeared so mnch better, that her friends' alarm was appeased, and it was joyfully expected that she would soon perfectly recover her health. During Tuesday forenoon there was nothing. observant in the behaviour or appearance of Mrs.- Belcher to create alarm, but on the return of her husband, at about a quaiter to six o'clock, be was admitted.to the house by the landlady, and proceeded to the apartments occupied by himself and family, where he was horrified At seeing his wife and son lying in a mass of blood upon the bed. The poor man, half frantic, at once raised an alarm, and several neighbours rushed to the scene of bloodshed. Medical assistance having been procured it was found that the woman was dressed, and lying on the outside of the bed-clothes. She had a fearful gash right across the front of the throat, severing the-windpipe, and injuring the other arteries of the throat and neck. Beside the wretched woman lay the body of the little boy, which was also besmeared with gore. Upon the throat of the child several fearful cuts had been inflicted, completely severing all the .muscles and large arteries of the neck. The child lay upon its right side, with the back turned to the mother. Upon examination it was found that " the poor little boy was quite dead, and in the opinion of the Medical man life had been extinct for upwards of an hour. The mother, who was sensible when she was first seen by the surgeon, was very faint from the loss of blood and the ,great shock she must have received to her system. A further examination of the place was then made by the police, several of whom had arrived, and amidst the bloody bed-clothes a razor,' also covered with gore, was found. There can be no doubt that this is the weapon with which the several injuries were inflicted. Whilst restoratives were being administered to the woman, she 'uttered various exclamations in the most incoherent manner, such as, " Oh, my poor child has gone to heaven ! " Sze. It was very evident that the child bad had its throat cut some time before the wretched woman attempted her own life, for upon a side table were found lying several pieces of paper all besmeared with blood, and in very straggling and irregular characters were written disjointed sentences, the wet blood having evidently run from the fingers that held the pen by which the words were written. As may be imagined, the alarm which was raised caused the greatest excitement to prevail in this densely-populated district, and in a short time a vast crowd assembled in the street, requiting the attendance of a body of police of the L division to keep- the thoroughfare clear. As soon as the poor woman's wounds had been dressed, a cab was procured, in which she was carefully placed, and conveyed to Westminster Hospital, where she was 'received and attended to by the house surgeon and other members of the medical staff of that establishment. She was at once placed in bed, and although she appeared to regain some little strength, her injuries are of that fearful nature that little hopes were entertained of her , recovery up to a late on Tuesday hour night.