SUICIDE AND ATTEMPTED MURDER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 933, 3 May 1883, Page 2

SUICIDE AND ATTEMPTED MURDER.

On April 18, at about half-past 8, the residents in Grosvenor terrace, Moorhead street, Waterloo, Sydney, were aroused by loud screams and the report of firearms, apparently issuing from No. 5, in the occupation of a Mrs Cornish. The house was at once entered, when the dreadful spectacle met the eye, of an apparently dying girl and the lifeless corpse of a man. It has since transpired that the name of the dead man was John Bennetts, and that he was lodging in the house of Mrs Cornish, who is a widow with' two daughters, one of whom, named Jane, lives in the house, whilst the other, a girl of about 21 years named Emily, is in service at Barwood. It seems that Emily Cornish was being courted by two men, one of whom was Bennetts. The latter, hearing that she had accepted her other lover, took to drinking heavily, and for the last fortnight has been frequently seen in liquor. Nevertheless, he had not shown any signs of jealousy, nor were the inmates aware of his lately formed habit of carrying with him a six-chambered revolver of the “ Bulldog ” pattern. On Tuesday evening, Miss Emily Cornish came to see her mother, and was supping with her and her sister, Bennetts also being present, when he requested Jane Cornish, in rather a strange manner, which, at the time was accounted for by the supposition that he was “ boosey,” to fetch him some water. She got up and left the room for that purpose, when Bennetts coolly drew his revolver, and, without any hesitation, placed it within a foot of Emily Cornish’s left cheek, and fired. Mrs Cornish, although terribly frightened, rushed at him, and a hand-to-hand fight for the possession of the fatal weapon ensued. At last Bennetts presented the pistol at her and pulled the trigger, but it missed fire. Here Mrs Cornish’s heart failed her, and she fled away, screaming for help. The murderous villain then turned upon the poor girl, who was leaning against the wall, and as she turned to stagger away, shot her again, and she fell. Believing that his bloody work was complete, Bennetts then placed the revolver in his mouth and shot himself dead. By this time the neighborhood was thoroughly alarmed, and Constables Miller and McCoII appeared on the scene, and removed Bennetts to the South Sydney morgue, and Emily Cornish to the Prince Alfred Hospital Bennetts was a rope-maker in the employ of Messrs Forsyth, and, from an apprentice’s indenture found.in his box, appears to have been a native of Falmouth, West oi England, where, in 1865, he was bound apprentice to a rope-maker named Curne. The bullet which caused his death was extracted by Dr Egan, who found it lodged in the back of the head after passing through the palate, and fractured the skull. The unfortunate girl Emily Cornish was attended at the hospital by Dr McMaster, and she has since succumbed to the injuries she received.