The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1840-06-05 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

HORRIBLE MURDER OF A WIFE BY HER HUSBAND, AND SUICIDE OF THE MURDERER.  (Front the Morning Herald of Wednesday.) Yesterday forenoon, about a quarter before 12 o'clock, the neighbourhood of St. John-street-road and parts adjacent were thrown into the utmost state of consternation and alarm by the circulation of a report that a man named Gingell, who about ten months since carried on business as a greengrocer in Goswell-street, had while passing down Compton-street, in his wife's company, taken a razor from his pocket, and having succeeded in cutting her throat, had also in a similar manner, and with the same instrument, put a period to his own existence. The rumour turned out to be too true. It appeared that Gingell, who had previously been a widower, and left, with two children, is about 40 years of age. He married his late wife, who was the daughter of a respectable tradesman, named Shol, residing in lslington-terrace, Islington. They had lived most unhappily, and during the twelvemonth she had been - separated from him, and returned to her father, three times. Yesterday they were seen passing down Compton-street, and on arriving at No. 57, the residence of Mrs. Gingell's brother, she was in the act of raising her hand for the purpose of ringing the bell by the side of the door, when her husband seized her by the back of the neck with one hand, and with the other, which grasped a razor, he cut her throat from one side to the other, dividing the windpipe and arteries completely to the vertebra. Death was instantaneous, and the body of the unfortunate woman reeled lifeless on to the pavement. The persons who saw the occurrence were transfixed with horror and astonishment, and before their presence of mind returned sufficiently to enable them to raise an alarm, the husband had himself inflicted an equally frightful wound on his own throat, and fell on the pavement beside her completely deluging the place with their blood. A vast body of persons immediately collected round the appalling spectacle, and information having been conveyed to the police, constable Redman, 224 G, was first on the spot. He found the wife with her head leaning against the scraper of the door, No. 57, and the husband within a foot of her, both in a large pool of blood, which was still flowing from dreadful wounds . in their throats. A surgeon was present, who pronounced the wife quite dead, but the husband still alive, and advised their immediate removal to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, which was done. On their arrival at the hospital, Mr. Knight, the house surgeon, pronounced in both cases life quite extinct. On searching their bodies three letters were found addressed to the wife, upon the subject of their separation, from the husband ; two in the possession of the former, and one in Gingell's own pocket, bearing date last Saturday, and requesting her to return to him, adding that he had taken respectable lodgings at King's-cross, and he had no doubt but they would be more comfortable than they had been.  The unfortunate young woman's father being aware that Gingell had importuned her again to return to him, strenuously urged her not to comply, being cognizant of his violent disposition, and the fact that he had made several attempts on her life before. It is also stated that he had made previously three attempts upon his own life, twice by cutting his throat, and once by endeavouring to bleed himself to death. On searching for the razor with which he succeeded in committing the last horrible and two-fold crime, it was found in the midst of the blood in which the bodies lay, and is now in charge of the police, together with the letters, a bunch of keys, and other documents found in his possession. Both husband and wife were attired in a respectable manner. The coroner's ingust is appointed to take place this day when a full investigation into all the circumstances will be entered into.  The Morning Herald of yesterday contains an account of the coroner's inquest on the bodies. Evidence was adduced which went to prove that the murderer and suicide was labouring under temporary insanity. The jury then retired to consult, and, after a short absence, returned a verdict, "That the deceased, George Gingell, committed both acts, being at the time in a state of temporary insanity, brought on by jealousy."  The supplement to the Malta Times contains a letter of Khiva, dated May 2d, which confirms the account of the total failure of the Russian expedition. The invaders had lost-by the cold 15,000 horses and 10,000 camels. Few men have perished ; but the army was unable to effect its retreat to Orenburg for want of transport. The cold was many days below 30 degrees of Reaumur.