The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-07-27 00:00:00

THE SHOCKING TRAGEDY AT
LLANGIBBY.

At the Caerleon Petty Sessions, on Monday, Joseph
Garcia, 21, was charged with the wilful murder of
William Watkins, Elizabeth his wife, and three
children, Charlotte, Alice, and Frederick, at Llan-
gibby, a village near Usk. The Spanish Consul,
Seftor Uncilla, had instructed Mr. Ensor, of Cardiff.
to defend. The prisoner, who appeared unmoved
during the proceedings, understands but little
English. Much of the evidence given had been already
and was mainly as to the
been seen near the spot on
fs
at tt eodf
tbheef opr
re s
ot the ee r coroner,
having
the day previous to the murder being committed, and
to the discovery of the bodies.—The following is a con-
densed report of the proceedings :
Police-sergeant Povah saw Watkins and his wife
lying on the garden walk stabbed in the neck. Marks
of blood were seek on the garden gate and on the wall
and ground. It seemed as if a struggle had occurred.
Further evidence warn given showing that the prisoner
called at the house of Mrs. G. Watkin, about half a
mile from the deceased's house, on the evening of the
16th and asked for a glass of water. Police-constable
Tooze said at midnight he saw the prisoner at the
Great Western Station at Newport. He had a bundle
with him. Witness communicated with Police-
sergeant Magrath, who apprehended him whilst
sitting at the railway station.— Police sergeant
Magrath said he examined the boots of prisoner
and found they corresponded with those taken
from Watkins. The prisoner had various articles of
male and female apparel in bundles, and the loaf of
bread corresponded with a tin found at Watkins'
house. The prisoner's clothes were wet and his shirt
was stained with blood. Mary Anne and Catherine
Watkins, daughters of the deceased, recognised the
clothes found in the prisoner's possession as those of
their relatives. The boots were proved by the shoe-
maker who made them to be the property of Watkins.
Mr. Robert Boulton, surgeon, of Usk, said he
examined the body of William Watkins on the 19th
inst. The external marks were two bruises, whichi
were sufficient to cause insensibility. The witness
found a wound on the right side of the neck, five and
a half inches deep and three inches long. The wound
had gone through the carotid vein into the jugular
vein. Both hands were clinched. Watkins died from
Inemorrhage, and probably bled to death in about two
hours. The witness examined the body of the wife Eliza-
beth Watkins. There was a quantity of blood on her
clothes, and a wound on the left side of her neck, two
inches and a quarter long and five inches deep, com-
municatinglength. with two small ones under the chin.
hhe reirgeh t
were ahotuhl dr
three
There was a wound one inch and a half long on the
tworight
an
sdidae
quarter
a rttheer neck,
inches
ine
and on
fingers cut on the right hand, and the ring finger was
cut in two places. The children were lying on the floor;
they were very much burnt, and their night-dresses and
the bedclothes were marked with blood. The eldest
girl, about 10 years of age, was much s :orched and had
wounds on the neck and spine. In the boy's throat
there was a wound four inches long' and one on the
left side of the neck an inch and a half deep. The
children had all died from hwmorrhage. The witness
noticed stains of blood on pieces of calico, and found
a child's dress in the house with marks as if some one
had wiped their blood-stained hands on it.

The aelioitor far the defence intimated that the
&caused would be properly represented by counsel at
the Assizes. The prisoner was then formally com-
mitted for trial at the Assizes.

REBLECTION BY AN ILL-CONDITIONED CYNlC.—People
with plenty of money are not always well bred, but
they are pretty eureito be well buttereds—Punch.