Extraordinary Scene, in Sheffield

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 73, 27 February 1885, Page 4

Extraordinary Scene, m Sheffield

A. distressing incident.occurred m Sheffield, Mrs. Fuller,, the wife of , a. greengrocer, had for a >£ew days been suffering from brain fever. : Anxiety and- the cares of business seem to have also effected Mr. Ful ■ ler, for early m the morning the neighbours heard sounds as of crockery and glass being smashed and the children screaming most piteously. This was followed a little later by cries of." murder,'" and then., two-; policemen forced the door to enter; the houses- A window opens ori 1 to* the leads over the shop, and as soon ; as the constables came Mrs. Fuller! opened the window and threw one of the youngest children out on. to the leads, She then stepped out, and saying ; to ! her husband, " Follow me', Bill," 1 sprang from the. leads into the street, a distance <pf about 14 feet.' The husband , obeyed her, ; and, taking up the child, he tossed' it down to his Wife. She ran forward and caught it. ; Mr. and Mrs. Fuller .had nothing on but their; nightdresses, and tlie cnild; was naked. A p^Upcmnrt ._oxuloov^uv<jd to persuade them to return to, their house, but they : refused, and walked \ arm-in-arm down the street singing a hymn. -The policeman then asked them to go to the chapel with him,-and-they at once consented. He led them towards the Highfield Polide Station, nearly a mife off". Meanwhile a policeman who had gone into the house found that the crdekery, glass, mirrors, and furniture had been smashed to atoms, and lying about were knives, aji axe, hammers, and other weapons. A baby -was lying partly m a bowl of water, and two other children were in-bed dripping "wet." They told a pitable story of what their father and mother had been doing to them. Mr. and. Mrs. Fuller were taken home m a cab from the police station, and left m charge of a policeman ancl; ifriends^; About . ten o'clock, however, they succeeded m smashing the window and getting on the leads again, and caussd great excitement m the street. Ladders were procured, and after much trouble they were got back into the house. 7