The North Cumberland Reformer. — 1891-02-26 (Carlisle, Cumbria, England)

SHOCKING TRAGEDY AT HANLEY. A ISYSTERIOUS CRIME. A shocking tragedy was enacted at Hanley on Sunday night, resulting in the death of Edward O'Neill, otherwise Roberts (36), forgemau, and the infliction of terrible injuries upon Jane Lindop, greengrocer, of 55, Bucknall New Road. The ca-c is at present attended by somewhat mysterious circumstances, and until the police have had time to fully investigate the matter it is impossible to say whether Roberts committed suicide after attempting to murder Lindop, or whether the latter took Roberts' life in self-defence. It appears that about hall-past eleven o'clock on Sunday night Police-sergeant Humphreys was on duty in the neighbourhood of Bucknall New Road, when his attention was attracted to a great commotion at the corner of Clare Street, where a crowd of persons had collected. He was informed that Mrs. Lindop, who lived close by, had been shot by Roberts, and on going into the house of a Mrs. Rothwell he found Lindop sitting in a chair, and bleeding profusely from wounds on the head. A doctor having been sent for, Sergeant Humphreys, accompanied by a man named Henry Parker, proceeded to Lindop's house, where he found traces of blood upon the doorstep, across the floor, and upon the stairs. On going urtairs a shocking sight presented itself to the sergeant in the front bedroom. Lying upon his beck, with his feet under the foot of the bed and his head against a cupboard, was the dead body of Edward Roberts. He had a shot wound in the right temple, his face was disfigured with blood, and there was a pool of blood on the room floor. While making an examination of the room, the sergeant found upon the pillow on the right side of the bed a hammer with blood upon the head era shaft. The bedslothes wore also much stained with blood. A closer inspection of the bed led to the discovery, between the sheets, of a six-chambered revolver, of which four chambers were loaded with ball cartridges and the other two were empty, having apparently, been recently discharged. The revolver was covered with blood, as well as the pillows and sheets. The body of Roberts was searched, and in one of his pockets was found a new key, which it was afterwards ascertained fitted the lock on Mrs. Lindop's front door.—Dr. Prendergast, who was called to the scene of the tragedy, examined the body of Roberts, and found that his only injury was the wound in the temple,which he was of opinion must have caused instant death. On examining MreLindop the doctor found that she also had been shot, there being a bullet wound on the right cheek bone. Beyond this, however, she had sustained two serious fractures of the skull, apparently caused by blows from a hammer, one on the top and the other at the back of the head. After her injuries had been attended to as far as was possible under the circumstances Mrs. Lindop was conveyed in the ambulance wagon to the North Staffordshire Infirmary, where she lies in a very precarious state. On her arrival at the infirmary the woman was examined by one of the resident surgeons, who expressed the opinion that there was a bullet lodged in her head. Mrs. Lindop is a married woman, living apart from her husband, who resides at Fenton. She formerly cohabited with a horse dealer, named Thos. Smith, who died suddenly in the Market Square a few months ago. Some time afterwards the deceased Roberts, who was married but separated from his wife, went to lodge at the house, subsequently cohabiting with Mrs. Lindop. The pair seem to have quarrelled pretty frequently, and it is said that the woman had on several occasions been compelled to seek the protection of the police from the man's violence. She ultimately got rid of him, which caused him to threaten her repeatedly; and he has several times attempted to get into the house at night time. On Sunday night he seems to have effected an entrance to the house, during the absence of Mrs. Lindop, by means of the key which was afterwards found upon him, and to have concealed himself in a closet, where his coat and hat were afterwards discovered. On the return of Mrs. Lindop, with a little girl who was to sleep with her, she doubtless went to bed, without suspecting that there was anyone else in the house. What followed is at present a mere matter of conjecture but it is generally supposed that Roberts attacked Lindop with a hammer while she was in bed, and that she shot him in self-defence. This theory, however, leaves the bullet weund in the woman's head unexplained, while the discovery of the revolver in the bed is against the supposition that it had been used by Roberts to take his own life. Before being taken to the infirmary Mrs. Lindop , made the following statement to the police, and it I was taken down in writing by Mr. R. Bates, assistant clerk to the magistrates:—" I live at No. 55, , Bucknall New Road, Hanley. I went to bed last night (22nd of February) at 10.30. After I had been in bed a short time, and while I was asleep, I woke up with hearing a shot and something going through my head. I remember the blood was pouring down my head, and I ran downstai rs. Ido not remmeher seeing anyone in my bedroom but the child Lily Johnson, who was sleeping with me. About the month of August last a man named Edward Roberts came to lodge with me, and about two months afterwards I began to cohabit with him. While we were cohabiting together we had several quarrels, and I several times ordered him to leave my house. He said if I made him go he would blow my brains out. He said this many times. He left me about a fortnight ago, and I have not spoken to him since, but I have frequently seen him watch. ing my door at nights. I last saw him about ten o'clock on Sunday night. He was then watching about my front door. A week later, Saturday night, he came into my shop for some oranges and I would not servo him, and I ordered him out of the shop."