Warminster & Westbury Journal, and Wilts County Advertiser 29 April 1899
TRAGEDY AT MOSSLEY
The inquest on the bodies of Samuel Broadbent Mallalieu and his daughter Edith Mary, aged six who were found dead in their bedroom with their throats cut on Friday morning of last week was held on Saturday at Mossley. The evidence showed that the man and his young daughter were sleeping in a separate room together. As he did not get up at his usual hour his wife went to call him but she could not get into the bedroom. She called in a neighbour, who burst open the door. The child was found on the bed with its head very nearly severed from the body, while Mallalieu lay on the floor with a deep gash across his throat. A doctor who was called in stated that death must have taken place several hours previous to the discovery. Mrs Mallalieu stated that her husband had not been in good health of late and that he had appeared depressed in mind but that he had never threatened to take his own life. The jury found that Mallalieu cut the child’s throat and then his own while in a state of temporary insanity.
