The Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph (May 24th) reported a "sensational affair" in Russell Rise, Luton, in which a woman was lying in the Bute Hospital with her throat cut, and her husband was in the Union Infirmary in a similar condition. They were visitors who had come down from London on the previous Thursday evening to stay with the woman's relatives.

The following edition of the Tuesday Telegraph reported that it had been found necessary to send the 47-year-old meat cutter at Smithfield Market to the Three Counties Asylum. He had made a murderous attack on his wife and then tried to commit suicide.

The later report said the man's conduct early on Friday morning was such as to suggest that his mental stability had gone, for he was found largely divested of his clothing running round one of the fields near Farley Hill.

Later in the day he was still in a very excited state and then about five o'clock attacked his wife, inflicting knife wounds in the face and throat.

After inflicting serious wounds to his own throat, he was still so exceedingly violent that the police had difficulty in handling him and in stopping him from tearing off the bandages which were applied.

In the Infirmary on Saturday morning he was much more quiet, but later, after he had slept for a time, his conduct was more violent than ever. Police officers watching him only just managed to prevent his attempt to jump from a window.

More police had to be fetched, while the military police also arrived to assist. As it was found impossible to restrain him otherwise, he had to be put in a 'straight jacket,' a course which had not been found necessary in the institution for a number of years.

He raved and struggled, and used awful language, and was in such a condition that it was impossible to keep him in the Infirmary. Accordingly, arrangements were made to transfer him to the Asylum.

Mr Powers (Relieving Officer) stated at a meeting of the Board of Guardians on Monday that the man had been admitted to the Asylum. Whilst in the Infirmary it took eight policemen to hold him down. “And,” said Mr Powers, “he is coming back to murder me when he gets out!”