Attempted Murder and Suicide – Watching The Woman Escape.

August 1890

Sheffield Independent – Monday 18 August 1890

Watching The Woman Escape.

William Long, ostler, employed at the Star Inn stated :—l was outside the inn when I heard five shots fired. Then I saw the woman run out of the house. She went into the house of a neighbour. She was bleeding very much from the face and was screaming awfully. A great crowd soon gathered and went into the houses. The deceased was found lying in blood in the yard. He was moaning, but was not conscious. An attempt was made to bring him round, but he died. I always thought him to be a nice lad.

Mr. William Jones, blacksmith, who was the first to find the body of the would-be murderer, said he was engaged in his workshop when a passer-by informed him that a man had shot a woman beside the Star Inn. On receiving this information he immediately ran down the street, and finding there was truth in the statement he started a search to find Hoye. He went through the various rooms of Linley’s house but failed to discover him. On going into the back yard, however, in company with a man named Barker, he found Hoye lying on his face just beneath the kitchen window. Blood was streaming from his head and he was moaning heavily. The revolver was lying at his feet. Jones lifted the man up, but any efforts to revive him were of no avail. The yard was soon filled with excited villagers, and they stood around for close upon an hour, when Hoye breathed his last.  A board was then obtained and his body was carried to the stable at the Star Inn, where it now lies.

In a conversation yesterday morning with one of our representatives, Mrs. Fitzgeorge, of Doncaster road, said she had known Hoye for some time. To her he always appeared a quiet and steady youth. On Friday afternoon he called at her house and asked if she would allow him to lodge with her. She asked him why he was leaving the Linley’s, and he replied that he had been having a few words with Linley, who told him he must leave.

On Saturday morning Hoye again saw Mrs. Fitzgeorge, and told her he would not be coming to lodge at her house, as he had made arrangements to lodge with Mrs. Harrison, a neighbour. Mrs. Fitzgeorge expressed surprise at his so soon changing his mind, whereupon he gave answer, ” I shall not be there very long. He then gave her a shilling as a recompense for the trouble he had put her to, and left the house. The inquest is fixed to be held by Mr. Nicholson, county coroner, at four o’clock to-day.