Child-Murder, Chloroform, and Attempted Suicide.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 43, 20 February 1886, Page 4

Child-Murder, Chloroform, and Attempted Suicide.

A übmaiikablb case of cbild-murdor in Sydney haß been investigated by the coroner, Jeremiah O'Sullivan, coachman to Dr. M'Sweeney, ot Petersham, married in September to the doctor's cook. She gave birth to a child four months after, and she states that her husband tried to smother it oy saturating a cloth with chloroform and putting it over the child's face. The mother snatched the cloth away, and he then promised not to do any harm to the child in future. Disagreement between the pair was caused, it appears, by tho discovery that he had another wife at Parramatta. The next incident was the sudden death of the child on January 28, caused apparently by chloroform while the mother was away from their home. The jury were satisfied, from the evidence, that O'Sullivan was the guilty party in this tragedy, and they returned a verdict of wilful murder against him. Ho was therefore committed for trial on tho capital chargo, bail being refused, of necessity.

The prisoner O'Sullivan, after leaving the South Sydney Morgue, where the inquest had been held, was removed on Wednesday, in the custody of two policemen, and when passing Gipps-street he suddenly stepped back from between the two constables and pitched himeelf headlong before an approaching tram motor. The motor was not travelling at a rapid pace, and O'Sullivan'a rash design was frustrated. The cow catcher caught him on the head and hurled bim out of the course of the tram. Ho was immediately rescued, and prevented from making such another attempt. He was taken to the Darlinghurst Gaol in a cab, not much hurt.