FRIGHTFUL TRAGEDY IN WALES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 188, 7 September 1878, Page 4

FRIGHTFUL TRAGEDY IN WALES.

FIAE PERSONS MURDERED IN WALES.

[« Lion's Weekly," July 21 ] A trngody of a peculiarly horrible chßracfer oneurrod at Llangibby, near Newport, Morsmoulhshire, on Wednee(lay moraine. A lad went to a bouse inhabit hy a man named Watkinß and his family, and saw what proved to he the bodies of this person and his wife. The former with his throat ouf, the latter stabbed in ihe breast. Information wgs given to (be police, and it was found thot the beds of the three children had ?ho been set on fire, and in each case tlso sleepers had been hacked about frightfully with a knife. The house is one of a kind usually occupied by farm laborers, situated in its own gardoD, by tlis Bide of ihe road, a long way from any other dwelling. A number of people soon congregated, among whom were Mcjor Herbert, chief constable of the coanty, Supt. M'lntosh, Sergeant Powell, Dr Bolton, of Uek, and a number of villagers. The dfceised man was employed bs a laborer at tbo Llandowlaia farm, and had been engaged during the day in singling out Swedes. He was a trustworthy nnd respectable fnrm laborer, nnd had a large fmnily, some of whom are now at service, while the three children who met with a fearful death, ure Charlotte, a-jed eight v^ers, Frederick, a«ed fiv?, and Alice,' aged' four.

It spp*-ars that the lad, who had been working with the deceased man, went to the field early on Wednesday morning an \ findiii.jr that Watkins wne n<~t jh-re, waited some litn^, and a^out 7 o'elo- k proceeded to the cottage. Here s frightful ecena presented itself. Waikins lay on the garden path, wi h his head resting on the flower border. His wifo also lay nearer the t'ftte. The boy proceeded at once to tell his mother, who, on arriving at the spot fainted, but ultimately recovered, and she h turn informed Mr. Evans, of Cefnllwoh Farm, of what she had aeen. He communicated with the police. Previous to this, however, a oiaa named Morgan arrived on the epot, and the first object tout met his gaze was the womau lying near the gate with her throat cat. Proceeding further he found Waikins in the position already described, with a quantity of sweetwilliam flowers lying over his face. He then observed that the house was on fire, h being filled with smoke. He secured o caudle and tried to enter the cottage, but the fumes overpowered him and put out the candle. He again lighted it, when a neighboring fa-'mer came by. He, with great presence of mind, raised a ladder which was handy, placed it over the roof of {he pigsty, and' removed the tiles and plaster from the roof. This had the desired effect, and the smoke cleared away to some exextent. They then entered the cottage, and found that tho place had been much disturbed. Upstairs they found the beds still smouldering. One child (a girl) was lying with her head between a box end the bedstead, quite dead j another child was found under the bed ou its face; and a third in the inner room with its throat cut. The first-nsmed child had two stabs on its Bboulders, while the child in (he inner room was resting calmly on its back, and had been stabbed. All the deoeaßßd, more especially the second child, were severely burnt; and it appears that the eldest, who had wounds in the back, must have gone to the window for the purpose of raising the alarm, when the miscreants, whoever they may be, stabbed her, and prevented her from giving an alarm. The wounds on the children were apparently much more severe than those inflicted on theadults, and the opinion of the people who were present seemed to be that the man was first attacked and stunned with some blunt insiruraent, and afterwards had his throat cut while the woman was treated in 8 similar manner. The murderers went upstairs, found the children and despatched them, act fire to the house, and then made off. The gashes on the bodies tend Jo show that the murders were committed by a nheath or shoemaker's knife. A couple of tramps, in blouses, are said to have been lying under a hedge on Tuesday evening in the neighborhood. It is Burmiaed that Watkina and his wife were at supper between nine and ten at night, when disturbed by the murderers. Two cups, half empty, were found on the table, and some slices of bacon were in the frying-pan. The house appears to have been ransacked, and the room set on fire. Broken furniture, apparently deetroyed in a ecuflla, was lying in all directions. The murdered mana boots could nol be found. ABKEST OP A SPANIAKD. A Spanish seaman, named Joseph Garcie, was arrested at midnight on Wednesday. He was only released from prison at Usk on Tuesday morning, having undergone nine months' imprisonment for housebreaking. His face, hands, and arms were bloody and much scratched, and marks of blood were visible on hie clothes. He had also a pair of boots on, which he was not wearing when he left the prison. He is only 20 years of age.