DRIVEN TO MURDER

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 4, 26 March 1927, Page 21 (Supplement)

DRIVEN TO MURDER

MAN’S STRANGE DELUSION That he saw rats and huge white ants making for him was part of the delusions which were said to afflict a collier who was charged at Ystrad, Rhondda, Wales, with the murder of his sister-in-law. The story was a singular one. According to the Public Prosecutor, the dead woman, Mrs. Dorothy Irene Thomas, was sitting in the kitchen bathing her baby, when, without any warning, accused, Rees Morgan Thomas, sprang from his chair, seized a flat-iron, and struck the woman a violent blow on the head, more or less stunning her. Thomas Thomas, prisoner’s father, immediately struggled with his son, but was also struck on the head with the flatiron, and was in such a condition that he could do nothing further to protect the woman. Prisoner continued attacking the woman, and took hold of her by the throat. Eventually, Mr. David Rowlands, an insurance agent, who was passing at the time, was appealed to by some women, and went into the house. He tried his best to get Thomas to desist, and the latter threw the flat-iron at him. He had been showering blows on Mrs. Thomas. The unfortunate woman received a compound fracture of the skull, and died on the following day. Thomas was in good health up to the time he joined the army in August, 1914. He was discharged in 1916. and was in receipt of a pension. Thomas Henry Thomas, husband of the dead, woman, told of An All-night Vigil with his brother, who, he related, suffered from delusions that there were rats on his shoulder and in his bed. About a week before the tragedy witness was attracted to accused’s bedroom on account of his shouts and shrieks. Witness asked him what was the matter, and his brother requested him to - knock a rat off his shoulder.” He also told him to look in the bed, as there were rats there. Witness stayed with him until 10.30 the following morning, and during that time he was forced to go through the gesture of knocking rats off his shoulder, although there was nothing at all there. Another brother, David Daniel Thomas, stated that when he asked prisoner what he had done, the latter replied in Welsh, ” There’s someone upstairs carrying on with her, and she ■wanted me to go out of the way purposely for her to carry on.” Thomas then tried to pick up a stone to smash things, and had to be kept under control until the police arrived.” ,