UNSOLVED MURDER MYSTERY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 February 1920, Page 5

UNSOLVED MURDER MYSTERY.

MOTHER AND SON KILLED ON REMOTE FARM.

Criminologists are much pusaled bf an extraordinary case that has occupied the attention of Mr. Justice Bftilhache and a jury at the West Wales Assise* -it Carmarthen, says; a correspondent in Lloyd's News. It presented difficulties even for a Sherlock Holmes. Two brothers, James Evans, aged 20, and William Joseph Evans, a schoolboy • of 16, were charged with murdering their widowed mother, Mary 'Evans, 68, and their brother, SamnelEvans, on April " 20, by shooting them with a shot-gun at their home, Clawddmoel farm, situated between Lampeter and Aberayon. After • a protracted hearing they were acquitted; Terrible as the charge of murdef must lie, said Mr W. Llewelyn Willianwj K.C., who prosecuted, it was aggravated in this case by the fact that the allegation against the prisoners was that people they had murdered were their mother and older brother. Their father died about 17 years ago, before the birth of William Joseph Evans, who was the youngest of five sons. The eldest sonj John. Lewis Evans, at the time of the crime was serving with the army iai Egypt, and counsel believed he was still there. The second son, Samuel Evans, who was murdered, was 22 years of age, and he, too, had served in the army in Prance, and was taken prisoner and kept in captivity in Germany for two and a half years,' When the araistico was signed he was released and he came home. The third son was the accused, Jamw Evans. The fourth son was a collier as Ammanford, and the youngest was the accused, William Joseph Evans, a-post-humous child, who, at the time of the crime, was a pupil at the Aberayon school. The mother was at one time in very humtle circumstances. She had been <v farm servant, and, said eotuwel, ahe gava birth to her eldest Son in 1804. He was born out of wedlock. That fact, counsel suggested, might supply a motive for the crime. The mother was a thrifty and hardworking woman, who cultivated ller small holding of 2S acres with such success that she was able to buy it some six years ago. She had also accumulated ,some hundreds of pounds, which she- deposited in a Lampeter bank. She; had insured her life "for ,£l5O, and tho dead son had insured his life for £100; so, said counsel, after Snmncl was got rid of, tho elder of the two Accused ■would be heir-at-law.' There was also £IOO to be divided between tho threesurviving sons, the accused, and the son at Ammanford. The prosecution alleged that the money that had been traced to William Joseph was taken by him from his mother's house after she was murdered. There was no direct evidence of the murder, counsel added, because Clawddmoel was a lonely spot. Two shotguns were subsequently found placed above James Evans' bed. No evidence could be offered about finger-prints, as neighbors had been allowed to handle the guns. Police-Constable Jenkins gave evidence as to his visit to the farm, and finding the bodies, which were cold, No blood •was found on the clothing of either prisoner.