Kentucky Gazette And General Advertiser

Basseterre, (St. Kitts) Aug. 29.

Unparalleled Murder, aggravated by Suicide!

We have to record one of the most horrid scenes that ever appeared in the annals of this or any former country—a scene too dreadful for imagination to conceive—too unnatural for posterity to credit! in which the weakness of Human reasoning is totally absorbed in the dreadful result of the most mature deliberation; the public mind is still in such a state of agitation from the enormity of the transaction that we know not when it will regain its wanted tranquility. Mr. Francis Constable, a man naturally of a gloomy habit, but whose probity and placid manners for several years past, had gained him the respect and esteem of the inhabitants of this island, in which he has long resided, has disgraced all his good qualities, and will make horror accompany the mention and recollection of his name by this last and most dreadful act of his life—the deliberate and cruel murder of his four infant children; adding thereto the still more tedious act of suicide by putting a period to his own miserable existence by a large dose of laudanum.

But, to descend to particulars, as far as they have reached us: Mr. C. quitted his store on Wednesday afternoon; and went home in as apparent composure, as he had ever been. He, however, in the course of the evening, evinced some degree of restlessness, and impatiently desired the mother of his three coloured children to put them all to bed (including a fine boy of about 14 years of age, his only son by his late wife) soon after this was complied with, the woman herself retired, and he remained in the hall, preparing for the execution of his diabolical purpose, which was too fatally accomplished in the following manner, after one of his intended victims had escaped: When the stillness of night made him believe his woman and children were fast asleep, he silently crept into the chamber, and began the work of Death, by an attempt to strangle the unsusppecting mother, hoping, by giving her at the same instant, a violent blow on the temple with a boot-jack, to render her incapable of resistance.

Fortunately the blow had not the desired effect, but alarmed her so much, that she struggled from the grasp he had on her throat, and escaped through the window to call in the neighbours. Another woman (her relation) in the house, awaked by the noise, and equally alarmed at what she saw, made her escape the same way, when Mr. C. deliberately shutting himself closely in, began the horrid tragedy. Having previously prepared cords, he put one round the neck of each sleeping infant, and it must be presumed, that, finding he could not effectually strangle them, he must have held them up, suspended, in one hand, while, with the other (horrid to relate!) he gave them repeated stabs about the body, with a pistol having a spring-bayonet. The youngest (a fine girl not three months old) having one slight mark of the weapon on its left pap, no doubt the tightness of the cord had soon finished his purpose with her. His son, and the two other girls, had seven or eight stabs, many of which were mortal, and, it is also supposed, from his left hand being much bruised and covered with blood, that he did not effect his purpose with the bigger children without considerable difficulty; in fact, one was said to have been overheard remonstrating and endeavouring to avert the purpose of this cruel father.

After the woman got out, the cry of "MURDER" resounded through the neighbourhood, & along the whole street, but did not meet for some time with due attention, for, who could credit the tale, that a father, (particularly so affectionate a one as Mr C. had ever been) was inhumanly butchering his own children? Nature forbade it!—By dint of perseverance, however, a few at length gave ear to it, and Mr. Adlam, sen. Mr. Moore, Mr. Bamber, Mr. Popplewell, Mr. Brownbill, (Mr. C's. clerk) and others, came to the house.

The former gentleman called to Mr. C. requested he would open the door, as he had some business to transact with him. The wretched man replied with calm composure, and as if in the act of hushing one of the children to sleep, that was no time for business, and that if he had any business to settle with him, to call in the morning, at the same time disclaiming all occasion to use Mr. Adlam's reiterated offers of service, if he could render any.

The door being at length forced, he was seen lying on the floor, huddled up; from which position, however, he immediately arose, seemingly alarmed, and approached those who had entered, ordering them repeatedly to quit the house.—Seeing him stagger, Mr. Adlam and Mr. Brownbill, seized each an arm and one saying Good God Constable, what have you done? (not knowing, at the time, of the horrid transaction in the adjoining room;) he coolly replied, Well, can you help it? and then endeavored to draw them near a table on which, when the candle was raised, the fatal instrument of Death was seen, and immediately secured. He was then led to a sofa, where being laid, he almost instantaneously fell asleep—To WAKE NO More!—On carrying the Candle into the Chamber, what a scene presented itself! Four helpless infants weltering in their blood!—three of them already dead, and the eldest Girl who just lived long enough to be removed into the next room, say she was dying, and ask for some water, when she joined her murdered brothers and sisters! Assistance was procured for the wretched Father, but happily assistance was in vain—he lived in convulsive agony, till half past eight, yesterday morning, when he expired, a horrid spectacle to behold, as some of the by-standers who were present at the awful moment of his entering a dreadful ETERNITY, declare that he had more the ghastly appearance of a Demon, than a fellow-man!

A Coroner's inquest was held on the bodies of the unfortunate infants, and the verdict returned was of course, Murdered by the hands of Mr. Francis Constable. When the inquest was held on the body of this wretched man, the dreadful verdict of Self Murder was returned

Two papers were produced in evidence, one purporting to be a letter dated the 21st of August, addressed to Thomas Pemberton and Richard Priddle, esqrs. wherein he names them Trustees of a deed executed on the 16th of August. The other apparently intended as a justification of his conduct in this last act, and is as follows:

"Poor, wretched Creature! what hast thou brought thyself and that poor unfortunate boy* to?
When I reflect on the happy situation I once was in, and look now at what I am reduced to, life becomes a burthen; not the most distant hope or prospect of getting forward. As I must fall, I had better give up while I can pay every one honestly their own, and not by delay injure those that might repose confidence in me.

"My poor unfortunate boy! my heart bleeds to see the misery I have brought you to! this drives me to melancholy, despair, and madness.
Let us leave the world my poor fellow! before you know the state you are reduced to.

"My poor dear Child.* I don't regret the little settlement that is made on you: I wish it had been more. Had it remained in the hands of your father, it would have been wasted away, and you would be unprovided for. Your unhappy father feels for the pain it must give you to hear of his horrid and tragic end, and that of your poor Brother.
Forgive me, my dear child, though your sufferings will be great; I have not fortitude to bear up any longer!

"You other poor unfortunates!
I have been the means of your coming into the World: I have not the means to leave you support—the poor Woman, your Mother, has neither abilities or industry to provide for you. Shall I leave you to perish on the face of the Earth? No! it cannot be!

"Pity the poor Wretch who was drove to this by Melancholy and Despair! He was not actuated by Malice, Anger, Hatred, or Revenge, but Pity to the poor unfortunates who would have been left to want and misery!

"I forgive every one, and beg forgiveness of any that I may have unknowingly injured.

"Put the unfortunates into the grave with decency, as soon as it can be lawfully done, that the horrid scene may be closed from the World.

(Signed)
"FRANCIS CONSTABLE."

His Son by his late Wife
His Daughter in England.
His three Coloured Children.

What a pernicious system has this poor weak Mortal unfortunately formed for himself! What a dire contrast to the seeming meekness of the last few years of his life! If he had any [the most distant] sense of Religion, what must have been his idea, at that moment he wrote [what he considered] his justification?—Hapless Man!—or, at the moment when he gave the first stab to his unfortunate Child? His murdered Infants were carried together, in one Hearse, to their graves, calling forth the sympathetic Tears for premature Fate as it passed; while the remains of their unpitied Parent were interred on a part of his Land in New-Town.