The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-12-08 00:00:00

SHOCKING MURDER AT ABERDARE.

On Fria's), night a shocking murder was committed
Absplare, one of the principal towns in the coal
and iron districts of South Wales. The name of the
victim Iran Thomas Watkins ; that nf his mar fern.,
Benjamin Jones. Watkins was the son of a cattle-
dealer living at Abetslare, and he assisted his father in
the trade. He was thirty-one years of age, tall, mus-
cular, and strongly built. Aild held in fear by all the
riche of the place, it being commonly steed that he
etc. o match for half a dozen of them. Jones is •
;ma ,ler of middle stature but thick set, tie in
thirty-Rut years of ags, and marri.d. Watkins was
also married. The cirenmmances which led to this
dreadful tragedy appear to have been three:—

WVldef, WU cusfrimary with him, was at the public
shinghterhonee on Friday toottsti,:g the hatcher., and Jon.,
who Wee Idling, was about the premiers att dan. Early in
the mornitlit it *mild seem they began to distillt,e upon
matter. conneetici with the slaughtering, and high word.
were spoken on both aides. Jones. it appears, went so fez
Sn to threaten to "do" for Watkins bet 're night while they
were at the elanehterhnnse, hut nothing more gerbille than
taunts and threat. happened at this place. Ahout 9 o'clock
in the eve, Am both men, who were somewhat tinder the
A fimmee of Ilunor, having been drinking doting the greater
pqrt of the day, went off together to the Market Tavern.
They entered thle Inn together, sat down, and tailed for two
glasses of beer, for *Mich the deceased Wet.. paid. In a
few minute. Jones. who termed bent on pickings quarrel,
I....meci the dinette whhh had been broken off at the
slanghterh-nse and, rising from his seat, challenged Watkins
to light Watkins refined to fight, and Jones then struck
him the face with his est Watkins then exp eeeee mirprise,
and, thinking J 'net was sweet, joking, end not in earnest,
simply Pushed him hank. Jones, how, err, came on again
end struck him another blow, upon which Waiklna greened
him, and they had • strnegle, hut were speedily eeparated
by the landlord line of the company then called out that
Jones had a knife in his hand, Mil, finding it wu dle-
coverml, he closed it and rammed Ii in his pocket imme-
diately. The landlord then ordered him to go out of the
hence lie replied, in a surly tone, "I will go," and went
hut as he went he looked at Walk nit, and said in Welsh,
I will he Into you before I sleep tonight." Moon after-
wards Ws, kin'. mother-Twlaw, heering of the enemy],
fetched him from the pub to home, and they left
the piece together. Jon... however, had been medi-
t eine Ate plan of revenge, anti he swelled them
',table the hint. with • large stone in his bald. When
W... was ail ,nt half a Ansen tans from the door Jones
ran up to him and with the Mote in his hand struck him
one tremendoue olow on the side of the head behind time
right ear, which felled hint deed to the grourd fil• mother.
shrieked in •ffright, and ran ha, k into the Inn, from
which p• opte rushed at the same moment to see what had
happened. Fortunately, a sergeent of pOllOO wee close to
the snot at the time, and he, without a moment's delay,
raised Watkins from the ground, and, finning that breath-
ing had stopped, sent for • ...germ. while he wee removed
to Ms house As they entered the house with him a glass
of wine was placed to his lb., and he breathed twice and
then expired. The surgeon arrived directly afterwards, but
the moment he Raw the face of Watkins he said he we.
dead.

A post mortem examination was made on Saturday
morning, and it was then aeci,tained that the skull
was terribly fractured, and that there was sufficient
effu-ion of blood upon the brain to cause instant death.
Jones ran from the scene of his crime to his own house,
where he WAR arrested a quarter if an hour afterwards
by a policeman, to whom he • enied that any stone had
been used. On Saturday he was brought before the
stipendiary nisgietrate tor the district. at Merthyr
Police.court, and artier sufficient evidence had been
taken to Fuitify a remand, he was remanded till Mon-
day.
A circumstance, which intensifies the heinona
character of the crime, remains to be told. The aife
of ‘Vstkin, was pieced with labour on Friday evening,
and within a quarter of an hour of the vierietration if
the frightful deed a child IVA. born. At that time the
unfortunate mother was unaware of the grevious
calamity which had overtaken her.