A SAD STORY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3399, 28 August 1890, Page 2

A SAD STORY.

k Bad story was told at the inquest at Holloway, London, on the body of Arthur Oakes, aged 8 whose parents liiin strychnine and then attempted Belt-destruction by the same means, and by catting theii' throats, It appeared tiiat the father,: ■ Riohard Oakes, a manufacturing obemibt, had been out of work. ' '

The landlady, wife of a harmonium' makor, deposed (bat on Saturday ibe found Mrs Oakca with her throat out, and evidently suffering great pain, She said, "You have been kind to us; wo could not pay the money we owed your mother, and so we thought we would take our lives.", TVitnesß asked," Where is Artie?" and MrsOakes replied," In heaven." Witness then saw Mr Oakes lying on the bed with a towel round bis neok saturated ffith blood.

.:■' A police inspector deposed that • \ when be arrived at the house, Mrs V W .(lakes said, «• We" have been out of T our minds for nights, and did not Mow what we were doing. We agreed to dio, aria took stryohnine, finding the poison was not effectual, I took a razor and cut my throat, and ■ • gave it to my husband,, and ..he .out •• v: bis," A letter written by Oakes . was found,: in • whioh •he said:— > months have I nowputin ot 'ainopt'miserable and struggling exist-'. ence,, I .really cannot; stand 'any. ' ■''/. ■more. :■•-tain completely, worn buti' '■ and my relationswho have 'ttssiflted'.'■'' : ■ ,k we can do no. more j for Inch 'wasr in : -',

■ uncle's intimation. Never mind'; he may be iii ' the. 'same boat ■: himself idmo day. I cannot faco poverty and degradation any longer, and wouldsooner dio 'thin "go 'to the workhouse, whatever the awful cdn"sequence may be of the step we have Wo have-God forgive us! our darling lamb Artio ' with us out of i<ura love and affection, so that ho may not bo'scoffed at and taunted with his'heartbroken parents' orhne. My poor wife has dono her best at needlework, washing, i'o.; in fact, at everything and anything which would bring us in a shilling But it would only keep us in semistarvation. I have now done six weeks' travelling |Qakos had been canvassing for an insurance coinuntil night. Have just received a farthing for it, 1( that is not enough to drive one .Ad, wickedly mad, I don't know what is. No bright prospects anywhere ;no rays of hopo. Nothing can avail us. We must abide by our lot. Doar sister, try and forgive us. If £2 is got for our bed, that • will pay tlio rent, and the sale of the furnituro will bo'enough to bury us cheaply.—Your heartbroken brother, Riciubd Oakks." . .