Weekly News. — 1892-03-03 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

TERRIBLE DOMESTIC TRAGEDY I I QUADRUPLE MURDER AND ATTEMPTED  SUICIDE.  On Monday the little village of Brodsworth, near Doncaster, was thrown into a state of excitement by the discovery that one of the residents, George Rev ill, aged 29, a shoemaker, had cut the throats of his four children, and then attempted suicide. The facts are very sad. In connection with the hall at Brodsworth there are small gasworks for lighting the hall and its surroundings. Opposite these works is a row of cottages, named Gas-terrace. In one of these houses lived Revill, his wife, and their four children—Ernest, aged eight; Mabel, six; Ruth, aged three; and Ethel, aged four months. Revill, his wife, and baby slept in the front room, and the three other children in the back. Revill and his wife came to Brodsworth some six years ago. Here Revill commenced the business of a boot and shoe maker, and, being a quiet, steady, and inoffensive man, he was fairly patronised. He was an affectionate husband, a good father, and, until a few days ago, a member of the church choir. Some year or two ago Revill's health began to fail, and this led to severe nervous depression. About two months ago his medical adviser, Dr. Kenyon, of Hooton Pagnell, ordered him away, and he spent a few weeks with his friends, which seemed to do him good. Finding his work too laborious, he took a situation as gardener in connection with the hall, but only did the lighter work, and lately, finding this even too hard for him, he arranged to canvass for the Prudential Assurance Society. On Sunday he attended church as usual, and returning met a n-ighbour--ex-policeman Garbutt—who asked him how he was. He answered, "Middling," but Garbutt now remembers that the man seemed somewhat "queer." On Monday morning Mrs. Revill rose, as was her custom, about half-past 6 o'clock. She loft her husband and the baby in bed, Revill usually coming down when she had got the fire made, and then bringing the baby with him. At about 7 o'clock Revill came downstairs, but without the baby. He seemed neither better nor worse than usual. Mrs. Revill asked him how he was, and he replied "Middling." Having washed, he proceeded upstairs to obtain his razor for shaving, but being away a long time his wife followed him. On pushing the bedroom door open she saw him cutting his throat. She rushed to a neighbour's, the ex-policeman named Garbutt, who, on returning with her, found Revill standing by the side of the bed with his throat cut. A razor was lying In a pool of blood near the bedside. Asked what he had teen doing Revill said, "I had to do it." Two girls, Mabel, aged six years, and Ruth, three years, lay on the bed dead, with their throats cut, whilst in a corner, on a bunk, lay Ernest, aged eight, dead, with his throat cut. In the front room lay the baby, Ethel, aged four months, also dead, with its throat cut. Bevil' asked for pencil and paper, and wrote the word "Farewell." Then came something which was unintelligible, and next followed the word "worthy." Revill nearly separated his wind-pipe, and is in a critical cond,tion.  According to later information, it seems that when Mrs. Revill, with Mr. Garbutt, returned to the bedroom Revill opened his arms, and, it is believed, had he got hold of his wife he would have murdered her too. The baby and two girls are thought to have had their throats cut while sleeping. The bo) had evidently been awake and struggled violently. His bed shews that he was attacked when lying on the right hand side, and that he managed to turn on the opposite side, but was overpowered and sank, his head falling over the bed on the left-hand side. Mrs. Revill states that when her husband first went upstairs she heard him go to the front bedroom where the baby was sleeping. As he was a long time upstairs, she went to the foot of the stairs to listen, and heard what she describes as a "gurgling" sound. Thinking her husband was ill, she went upstairs and pushed open the door of the back bedroom, whither her husband had passed from the front. She then saw him near the bed hacking at his throat with a razor. When spoken to, Revill said he had to do it, and, pointing upwards, remarked, "Better off."