The Sun. — 1831-10-25 (London, England)

TRAGEDY IN REAL LIFE.  Some time since an elderly man, named Bentley, a ship-smith in Lower Smithfield, in consequence of the death of his wife, employed as housekeeper a woman past the meridian of life, named Sophia Westley, and employed a young marred man , named John Hughes, who is engaged at Mr. Cox 's chapel at Hackney, as organist, to anmse his leisure hours by playing on an organ, to which the housekeeper sang. The consequence of this was, the young man and Sophia Westley fell in love with each other. Mr. Bentley having remarked this gronegrowing affection, made on one occasion some remarks which interrupted the harmony of the party. About ten days ago Mr. Bentley was taken ill, and that so suddenly, that he conceived an attempt had been made on his life by poison. The other inn aaninba ainpsdo,rmfe rht,itis:ieceliaonut,:oewy.l'ivoer,orechc'etu occupied gar amboeallitlagl: yaanaTioll Cr Mills, 7.dc youth, received frequent checks and curbs from his master, which produced nothing but sulkiness and disobedience of orders : suspicions. fell upon him, and Mr. Bentley having submitted some tea intended for use, and a part of which he bad taken, and made him so ill, to the usual analytical tea:, it we, found to contain a portion of laudanum, but not sufficient in quantity to destroy life. ho ever, was taken before the Maeisteate at the Thames Police.oflice, and charged on suspicion with the attempt to poison his master. The Magistrates, after due deliberation, decided thet the evidence was not sufficiently strong to warrant the detention of the boy, and he was accordingly die-charged. Since the dreadful occurrence which, as will afterwards appear, lets taken place, strange suspciot have been entertained, which it may not be 1•-utter to allude to more particularly. Saturday nigh.. last Ileghes, the organist, had been in company with Mr. Bentley and Mrs. Westley, and performed daring tire Qeening several favourite airs. About ten o'clock he A up, and having wished Mr. Bentley " good night," Mrs. Westtey, as was her custom, welt to let him out and fasten the door. Mlts, Who vr". also of the party, went up stairs to bed, and Mr. Bentley himself retired to rest. Soon after he had lain down he was aroused by the discharge of firearms, two shots in rapid succession, which was inerareaneously succeeded by a fall of some heavy substance on the floor of the room over that in which he slept. Mr. Bentley hurried up stairs irnmediateh., and on opening the door of Mrs. \Vestley'a bei!. room, perceived Hughes and Mile Westley closely embraced in each other's arms, both weltering in their blood, and two pistols, recently discharged, lying beside them on the floor. Mr. Bentley sent for medical assistance, and Messrs. Bouverie and Bloomfield, two surgeons residing in the neighbourhood, were speedily in attendance. On their arrival, Mr. Bentley requested them to remove the female, who had exhibited signs of life by gienming and asking forgiveness, into bed, and attend to her ; remarking at the same time that he feared the tinfortuna,e man Hughee was quite dead. The words were scarcely uttered when Hughes, who had not before shewn the least signs of life, feebly exclaimed " Oh, no, I'm not dead; but regret I did not do the business more effectually." On examination ern-germs ascertained that Hughes was wounded in the bead, and that a pistol-ball had entered near the left ear, which took a slanting direction towards the back of the head. Mrs. Westley had_also received a precisely similar wound on the left side of her head; but from the direction which the hall had taken, she appeared to be in a much more dangerous state. Both were bleeding copiously, and the balls having lodged in the back part of the head, the medical gentlemen, after stopping the hemorrhage, recommended that both should be taken to the London Hospital, and they were, ssithout loge of time, taken there in a coach. The moat prompt assistance was rendered, but up to a late hour yesterday it was understood that neither of the balls had been extracted. Hughes remains in a precarious state, owing to the continued agitation of mind under which he appears to labour ; but with respect to the ultimate recovery of Mrs. Westley but very faint hopes are entertained. Both are reported to be per. feetly conscious of their situation, but without betraying anything like a regret for what had taken place. By the admission of Mrs. We.tley, it appears that both pistols were fired by the heeds of Hughes, but with the consent of the unfortunate woman herself, who, from her master having given her notice to quit his house in a week, more readily induced her to enter into the horrible compact suggeated by Hughee, that they should commit suicide iespectively. According to her statement, she actually made the attempt on Friday night ; but though she took the pistol in her hand for the purpose, she had not the courage to pull the trigger ; and then it • was that Hughes agreed on the following night tr shoot her and then himself. Hughes is ebot thirty years of age, and Mrs. Westley is fifty, least, and is a widow. It is said that Vlughe, a' mits an illicit intercourse was carr.A on betwen him and Westley.  •