DRINK’S DOINGS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2178, 11 March 1880, Page 3

DRINK’S DOINGS.

It is a ghastly incident of this Christmas time which wo have to report as

having happened at Ihe village of Weargifford. near Bideford, by which one life has been sacrificed and another placed under the shadow of the gallows. It was the life of a young wife, the mother of two children, and likely soon to have added a third; and her murderer is her own husband and their father. We need scarcely add, so common is the case, that the inspiration of this foul and unnatural crime was the drink —nothing but the drink ! But for it they had now been a happy family, enjoying all that heart could wish. Strong drink has made her a victim, their children motherless, and branded him as a murderer ! And this drink is an indulgence for which many good people plead, and say many soft things in extenuation and even in praise of it. When will our country rise as one man to declare war against this monster, which will surely ruin her if she do not crush out its life ? We need not dwell long on the circumstances of this tragady, for they arc but few. A gentleman and his wife, by the name of West, from Cornwall, have been living here more than two years. They seem to have been of ample means, and lived in a style of much respectability. But he was known to be a drunkard, and they appear to have made no acquaintance of their own rank of society. Fond of his wife and affectionate when he was out of his cups, he was a demon ivLoa tho drink possessor] him. Fn his frenzy he had many times threatened to shoot her, and she was known to have expressed her apprehension that he would some day do so ; but with a woman’s weakness she persisted in running the risk of her life rather than leave him. And her worst fears have been realised. It docs not appear that there had been any quarrel between them on Saturday night ; he had been drinking, but was somewhat in a frolicsome mood, and spent an hour or two with their maid-servants in the kitchen, where he induced his wife to join them, aud some pleasantries passed between them. Little did the ill-fated lady imagine that she had only a few short minutes to live ! She retired to her bed-room, whither he followed her. No sound of quarrelling was heard, but an ejaculation from her once repeated, “Oh Frank, don’t!” Then a rifle-shot and all was over? She sat in her chair a corpse, the blood flowing from the fatal wound in the neck. And there stupified with drink, it must bo supposed, he remained with the dead body the rest of the night, while all besides in the house slept. The servant went in the morning with a cup of tea for her mistress, and found her sitting in the chair dead ? Aud the murderer —he had gone to his workshop—to amuse himself, it may be, or to await the issue. And the issue came full soon ; and now in the hands of justice he is immured in a dismal cell, and by and bye to bo exchanged for the murderer's doom. Such is the tragic story—one out of thousands of instances in which the samo]demon —drink —is multiplying its victims every year. Arc there none who will be moved to make the only atonement —if we may so speak—po; » siblc for the young life thus brutally destroyed by breaking off from, and vowing eternal enmity to, that accursed habit to which, not in herself, but in him who has solemnly sworn to guard and protect her, she owes the unutterabl} r cruel fate which had overtaken her.