The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-31 00:00:00

CROWN SIDE-MURDER.

Abraham Omen was indicted for the wilful murder of .Morgan
Saunders, on the lath of November last, at Trevethin, in this
county.
Mr. MAULS and Mr. JUSTICE were for the prosecution, and
adduced the following evidence :
Philip WI am a mason, and I worked for Morgan
Saunders, the deceased, who was a master mason. I was at the
Pentwynn Tavern, at Pontypool, on Saturday evening, the 12th
of November, about seven o'clock in the evening. Several other
masons were there, as well same, to receive their wages from the
deceased, who generally paid us at that house ; I left the house
first that evening ; my dog was with me. When I got out of the
house, I perceived two men standing in the road ; I did tint know
them. The biggest man kicked my dog, and Inv dog cried out.
I went up to the man, and asked hint what he kicked my dog for ?
and he immediately struck me down. After I was down, he began
kicking me ; lie kicked me so often, that I cried out " Murder !"
Mark Price, my fellow-workman, then came up and asked the
man what he meant by using me so? The man then went from
me to Price, knocked him down, and kicked him whilst on the
ground. He then returned to me, and taking me by the hair of
the head, he kicked me several times. Mark Price went again
into :he public.house. I was crying out " Murder" all this time.
Soon after, he returned with Daniel Lewis and Morgan Saunders,
the deceased. When Morgan Saunders came up, the big man let
me go, and went up to him. Then the big man and the man with
him said they would tight uny man on the road. Morgan Saunders
said, " lam no fighting man ; don't strike me ; for if you do,
yogerill ;event of it." The big man oheatruck me then knocked
Morgan Saunders down.
Cross-examined by Mr. RUSSEL—There were many masons
at the tavern that night, perhaps more than ten or twelve; they
were all the workmen of the deceased; they had received their
week's wages, and they were ail drinking sonic ale. Mark Price
and 1 left the house pretty much at the same time ; he followed me
out; the two men I have alluded to were about 20 yards from the
door. It was not so dark but that I could see a man. After the

big man kicked my dog I did raise my hand, but only to fend off
the blow he made at me. His hat fell oil', but I did not knock it
ofr; my hand went towards his head when defending myself. The
big man knocked down Mark Puke; he was quite close to me
then, while I was on the round. Price ran buck to the public-
house, and then at least a &yen men came out with Morgan Saun-
ders, the deceased leading them. They came towards the biggest
man. They did not press upon him, nor dill he retreat from them.
He retreated from me, but not from them. He then struck the
deceased.

He-examined—l was quite sober, and so was the deceased. The
big man first kicked my dog, and was then about to strike me,
when I raised my hand to defend myself.
Examined by the Count —My dog had not barked at him. I
gave the man no provocation whatever. I had never met with him,
nor did I ever see him before.
Mark Price called—l was at the Pentwynn Tavern on the night
of the 12th of November. I had been receiving my wages there. I
had only drank a pint of beer. and I was quite sober. Morgan
Saunders was in the house, and he was quite sober. I followed
Philip Williams out of the house, as we wcre both going home.
I left Morgan Saunders in the house. When we went out
I saw two men standing in the road a little distance below
the house. There was a big man and a little man. The big
man had a smock frock, and he kicked Williams's dog without
any provocation whatever. Williams asked the big man why he
kicked his dog, and he immediately knocked him down. lie then
kicked him several times while he was down. He continued to beat
Williams, who cried out " murder ;" on which I went up, and
told the big man not to murder Williatna. Ile then jumped from
Williams to me, knocked me down, and kicked me after I was
down. He then went hack to Williams, and began beating and
' kicking him again ; on which It'illisitts cried out " murder." I
then went to the tavern anal called for assistance, and said that I
was afraid Williams would be murdered. I said " For God's sake
let soinebody come out." The people in the house then
came out. The first man that came out was the deceased,
Morgan Saunders. The big man then left Williams, and
came towards Morgan Saunders. I saw the deceased hold up his
hand, and I heard him say " I am no lighting man; do not strike
me. If you do, I will make you suffer the punishment of the
law." The big man then jumped at the deceased and knocked him
down.
Cross-examined by Mr. C. PIIILLIPS.—It was then between
seven and eight o'clock. It was six when I went to the tavern. I
only drank about half a pint of beer. The dog, in going along
the road, went towards the big man, who had his hat on then. I
did not see his hat fall off*. The road is rather narrow there. It was
not a very dark night ; it was star.lighrt. When I came out of the
house a second time I ran past the big man and the deceased. How-
ever, I was near them when I heard Morgan Saunders say " 1 am
no fighting man." I did not hear any thing said before that. I did
not see Williams knock the big man's hat off. I did not see the
little man after that.
Daniel Lewis—l am a mason, and was apprenticed to the de.
ceased. There were ten of us together at the public-bowie on the
night in question. We had eight jugs of beer to drink, and each
jug was a ehilling's worth. That was all we had among us that
night, and, in my opinion, we were all sober. Mark Price and
Philip iVilliams left its first. Shortly afterwards Price came in,
and said that somebody was beating Williams. We went out.
The deceased and I went first. I ran and got before Saunders.
who. I suppose, is about forty-five years of age. j ran beyond
Williams and the man who was beating him, but I returned back
to the spot, as I head them talking behind me. I heard Morgan
Saunders say, " I sm no fighting man; do nut touch me, or I will
make you repent it." Some big man then ran at him, and down he
went. The big man first pulled Whig smock frock. While he
was taking it off, some man behind hint said that the big man
would fight any man on the road. The big man and Morgan
Saunders struggled together, and then the big man got in a sitting
posture with his hack up against the bank, and Morgan Saunders
had his head on the big man's knee. The big man then placed one
of his hands in front of the deceased's throat, and the other hand at
the back of it. He held him in that manner. Mark Price said,
" Loose the man, or you will certainly kill him." He did not let
him go, and then l'rice struck him. Ile then let him go, and some
man threw Morgan Saunders off his knee, and the big man then
got up. Isaac Charles then came up, and taking the big man by
the shoulders, ,aid, " This is the man that has killed Morgan.
Then the other people came up, and they tried to take the big man
to the house. He kicked, snuggled, and got free. No one else
attacked Morgan Saunders, A quarter of an hour afterwards I
SSW Morgan Saundra, dead in the house. Some short time after.
wards three men were shown tame. I knew one of them, because
I and another man caught hold of him that night. I should not
know the person of the big man if I was to see him.
Cross-examined by Mr. Russet.—lsaac Charles was a fellow.
workman of mine. It appeared to me, that the big man took off
his smock like a man who was going to light fairly. I don't know
that the big matt's party were beaten that night by the masons.
Isaac Charles—l was at the tavern on the night in question. Mark
Price called us out, and I saw Morgan Suaniers on one
side of the road, aid Abraham Owen, the prisoner, challenges
to fight him, or any other ni in on the road. 111/Tgan replied that ha

was no fighting man ; and if the prisoner struck him, he would
make hint repent it. I pointed to Morgan to go to the house, and
to leave the righting to those who were ,t ire Reg:tainted with it.
I was well acmicinted with Moron, and I never saw him strike it
man in my liM. Ile seemed to return hack and go towards
the house, and I went in search of Philip Williams, whom we
were called out to save. I could not find him, end in live mi-
nutes I returned back to the spot where I had left the deceased and
the mines. I then saw a man on the ground, whose back was up-
permost. It proved to be Morgan Saunders. His wife Ind come
un will a light, and she cried out," It's Morgan! Morgan I"
I found hint quite dead. I hind him up, and we took Lim in a
chair to his house. I then went away to take the big man, who
was the prisoner, and who was only two or three Yards from where
the deceased was found. I seized him. and told him he should go
bark to the house. as he had murdered my friend. Ile replied lie
had not twirdereel him, and then I seized him. He seized me like.
wise, and caught hold of the handkerchief about my neck. I told
a young man near to clime and cut my handkerchief loose, as the
prisoner had almost choked me. I contrived to slip the km it my-
self. I then heard sonic one behind the " Why don't you
strike him ?" The prisonerthen struck me on the left aide of my
head.

Joseph Duffield—l am:the landlord of the l'entwynn Tavern ;
I remember die night in question ; on a cry of " murder !" I
took a candle 111111 111C13 out ; I then saw the prisoner sitting
against the bank wilt Morgan Saunders' hest( between his knees.
He had his hands round the throat of flue deceased ; I said, "You
villain, you are throttling the man 1 loose loin', or I will strike
you." He did not do so, and I fell into a scuffle with him ; I was
struck down and beaten severely, but by whOm I cannot tell. When
I g.t up I laid hold of the man that I supposed had kicked nie,
and it was the prisoner's brother; I had him taken to my honse,
acid when I came out again I saw five or six persons bringing the
!disoner in. . . .

Other witnesses were then called, win proved that the prisoner
throttled the deceased until he completely strangled Pim.
The prixober in his detence said, that the dog of the first witness
had bitten him on the road, and he having kicked the dog, a vio.
lent riot commenced, in which he (the prisoner) was severely beaten.
Two witnesses were then called to Ruhmantirito the prisoner's
statement, but they proved nothing to justify the attack made upon
the deceased.

Mr. Justice PARK summed up the evidence to the Jury, sod
they found the prisoner Goitty.
His Lordship then pas ed the awful sentence of the law on the
prisoner, and ordered him for execution on Friday mooting.