Year: 1869

Further details of the London tragedy have
been publishod from which it appears that
Duggan's i'll health and dread of approaching
want-he having been notified by his employ
er that his services were no longer required
were the cause of his terrible crime. The
following letter to his brother gives reflex
OF his feelings, and states the causes of the
tragedy in full:


Is HOsIER LANE, Smithfeld, E. c., June
u, lSG9.-Dear Brother: You are aware of
Mr.. Adams's harsh and hard course of action
when he heard my lungs were affected, which
ended in giving me one months notice to
leave his employ, knowing Gas l told him)
had no means of livelihood but the one weeks
wages left with him. His bearing and Ian
guage have been thoroughly tyrannical from
the first moment he heard that was struck
down, and have been continued up to the last,
and the cause of it all is that he had made a
miscalculation in me. He had reckoned he
had good, sound, serviceable article in me.
and when he discovered his mistake he was
furious, and showed his annoyance as only a
hard selfish, narrow-minded man could do,
After the month expired he then allowed me.
after q great deal Of solicitation, to remain in
the house, which is his, a week longer, while
! looked for work and a place to live in which
! had no opportunity of doing before Ihave
tried hard to obtain either or both, but can
find no lodging or home, for when they know
am out Of work and can give no reference,
they decline altogether; asked Mr.. Adams
II he would allow me to name him as a refer
ence; he said he would have nothing to do
in the matter. Us he might have to pay: |
asked him what he thought | could do; he
said could get place somewhere if liked,
and that must be out of his house at the cy-
piration of a week, orhc would put my things
into the lane; appealed to him for some con
sideration for my wife and little ones the
oldest he knew was far gone in consumption.
had also asked him if it were possible that
he could 90 to such extremes after my being
four or five years in his employ, and the LONG
character he had with me, and up to the time
of my health partially failing had devoted nv
whole energy in forwarding his interest; he
took no notice of that. but said he would not
be trtled WITH and unless | was out of his
house he would do as he said, so not to de-
ceive myself in the matter


So we have to face the alternative of starry
ing in the streets, the workhouSc. or death.
We prefer the latter. We might have been
able to sumount the difficulties, possibly. if
Mr.. Adams had acted less 1mfeelin@ly: but
he has shown scant mercy. and if the same is
meted to him in his extremity, it will 90 hard
with him, for the blood Of me and mine is on
his hands, and will cling to him and his. 1t
is bettert to meet death rs we have, than wait
till he comes through want privation and
misery, and would come with equal certainty,
for me, Emma, and all the children are far
from strong. and must have quickly succumb-
ed. We are strongly attached to each other,
and separation alone wouldbc rs bad rs death
and we love the children dcarlv-too dear
ly-to condemn them to utter wretchc,lness
and want. 1t is agony of mind almost be-
yond endurance to think that the alternative
is so terrible that we cannot shield from one
or the other. Break the news gently to
mother. Tell her it is, under the circum-
stances, the best course-Ear better than the
degradation and want and disease before us.
which must have ended in the same way after
all our sut1erings. Prussc acid was the thing
used. Pray, undertake the funerals, if YOU
can. l trust you will have enough things to
pay expenses. Oh! the horror Of this night.
May it be visited upon the man who forced
it. | can write no more. | am nearly mad.
50, an eternal farewell to YOU all, and may
God bless you. Farewell for ever,


The verdict of the coroncr's jury was. THAT
Walter James Du@gan and Emma Duggan
murdered their children (6l and afterwards
destroyed themselves while in an unsound
state of mind"