AWFUL TRAGEDY IN THE ISLE OF MAN.

Southland Times, Issue 983, 10 July 1868, Page 2

AWFUL TRAGEDY IN THE ISLE OF MAN.

On Friday afternoon week an awful tragedy was perpetrated near the. mining •village of Foxdale, in the Isle of, Man. A miner and farmer named James Killey, residing near that place, threw four <}f his children into a draw well near to his own door, and, after an unsuccessful attemptto throw in his wife, jumped in himself and was drowned. For the last few weeks Killey had shown symptoms of , mental aberration, but no notice seems to have been taken of his state. About five weeks ago the unfortunate man when returning home a little the worse for liquor, sustained a fall which frightened him considerably, and since that time had been very much depressed in spirits and at times talked incoherently. On the Monday previous to this affair he returned home considerably excited, and said he must prepare for America, &■ there would be no more work for him in the .mines, the captain having received a letter about him, telling him not to keep him any longer. This has since turned out to be an hallucination. On "Wednesday, after his return from work he said iiis cows were to be burnt in the cowhouse, his sheep.killed on the mountain, and his house burnt over his head. On Thursday his nephew died, on on the folio wiug day (Friday) he remained at

home for the purpose of attending the funeral, and about half-past eleven that day he took three of his children down to see the corpse. Upon his return home he seemed greatly depressed, and his wife became very much alarmed about him. He would not answer her, and wandered about the fields, and, as she was afraid he would do himself some injury, she sent her brother to watcli him. This young man, Archibald Shimmin, did so ; but upon Killey's return to the house Shimmin went back to the fields. Presently the husband committed some other actions in the house which aroused the wife's fears again, and she despatched her second daughter, Emily, a child of some five years of age, to her uncle to tell him he was wanted. Killey then went out to the well which stood opposite his cottage, and began playing with the bucket and winch. This well was a draw well, some twenty feet in depth, and containing about eight feet of water. He returned to the house, and after a little time went out again, three of his children being at the time playing in the yard. His wife, who had taken the youngest child, an infant of three months old, out of the cradle, was in the house, when she heard one of the children cry out. Bushing out, still with the infant in her arms, she was horrified to find the wretched man had thrown two of the children into the well, and was about throwing in the ! third. She seized hold of him, but too late to avert his purposes. He then turned to her and said, " We are all to go together," and endeavored to take the infant from her arms. A struggle ensued, but it was short, as she succeeded in getting away from him, and ran to a neighboring house for protection. She was followed by him for a little distance, j but, sad to say, he met his second girl, whom, it will be recollected, had been sent by her mother to Shimmin to tell him to come down, and the wretched man seized her and threw her into the well also, and then consummated the horrible tragedy by jumping in himself. Shimmin, who was a little distance off, talking to another man, heard the screams of Mrs Killey, and at once came down, but by the time he reached the well all was over. He courageously got into the bucket, and was lowered. As soon as he got down he found four of the children floating on the water. He at once grasped the child nearest to him, and was hoisted to the top, but through excitement and exhaustion he allowed her to slip from his grasp. He at once descended again, and Was fortunate enough to once more seize her, this time bringing her in safety to the top. It proved to be Emily, the second child, who had been last thrown in. Again and again did the brave fellow descend, each time bringing up a child with him, until he had brought up four. One of these four was restored to life. Of the father and eldest child he could not discover anything, although he twice descended in search of them. The last time he fastened a small line around his waist and on this occasion the rope of the bucket broke, and the brave fellow was precipitated into the water, and had it not been for the line he would in all probability have been drowned. In about an hour after this ladders were procured, and the two remaining bodies got up. The number of those who p^ishedjwjisfour — namely, James Killey, thirty-four~years of -ag© T EZill«y, seven years of age ; Anna Louisa Killey, four years of age ; and Madeleine Killey, three months' old. The bodies were carried into the house, and laid side by side on the bed. An inquest was held on Saturday by the High Bailiff of Douglas. The jury returned a Verdict to the effect that the three children had been drowned by James Killey, while in a state of temporary insanity, and that he had drowned himself while in the same state. They appended to their verdict an expression of sympathy with the bereaved widow, and of admiration of the gallant conduct of Shimmin.