The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-28 00:00:00

THE LIVELL -TRAGEDY.

The "Ewell Tragedy," as it is called, was investigated by
a coroner's jury on Monday. Mr. Carter had been called
upon to investigate the cause of the death of Thomas
Huggart, who "lost his life in consequence of the explo-
sion of twenty pounds of gunpowder which he first
stale from Sharpe's powder mills on Ewell Marsh,
awl then threw into a house in West-street, Ewell, for
the purpose of killing some of the inmates," Before corn-
mmeing the inquiry the coroner told the jury that if the
deceased was in a state of sound mind when he threw the
powder on the fire, he was guilty of fclo de se.
The first witness called was a Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, now
living with a carman named Richardson. She stated that
she had lived with the deceased as his wife for seven
m-,nths, that she left him, and that he had begged her to
come back, threatening her that if she did not he would
kill her. On Wednesday last, at twenty minutes to
four o'clock, witness got up and lit the fire. Mr.
and Mrs. Spoencr wore then in bed. The other
occupanta of the house were William Smiths George Mason,
anti Mr. Spooner's two children. When witness went to a
shed outside the house for the purpose of getting some
cords, she saw a man seated on the coals, and ho had a bag
between his knees. She recognised him as Thomas
Huggart, a sack and bag maker. She had known
him twelve years, and while she was looking at him he
passed his hand over his chest three times. As he had
threatened to take her life several times, she became
alarmed, and, giving a scream, she ran into the house. At
the top of the staircase she saw Mr. Spooner, and
she then ran into her bedroom. In about two minutes
she heard the noise of an explosion. She was so dread-
fully alarmed that she did not leave her room until after
everybody else had left the house. When she came down
st drs she saw Huggart with his face blackened. The
wltness further expressed her belief that Huggart at-
tempted to blow up the house that he might kill her.

Other witnesses were called. The man who lived next
door to Mrs. Smith described how he woke up in the morn-
in; and found part of the wall down between his and his
neighbour's house. Edwin Grantham, a carpenter, said he
SAW Huggart lying cn the floor just after the explosion.
Near tho left side of the man was an open clasp knife. On
tho left side of the breast, near his heart, was a wound
fr,m which a great deal of blood flowed. There was a
slight cut across his heart. lie was carried to the Hop
Pole, and ho was then asked where he got the powder.
H 3 replied, "I stele it; I had half-a-pound of it in my
pocket." Upon being asked why he did it, he replied,
"Jealousy."
Dr. George R. Earns said that he was called to see the
d3ccased on Wednesday last, and he found him lying in
Hills's house. He was in a feeble condition. There was a
w.r,lncl near his heart an inch in depth. Witness could pene-
tr.:te the wound with his finger. Also a wound about two
in les and a half long across his throat. Witness believed that
tin dez,th of the deceased, which occurred in a few hems
after witness saw him, resulted from the combined effects
o! the shock resulting from the explosion, and the self-
inflicted stab near the heart. Witness could not say
wlietlicr the deceased stabbed hinrelf before or after the
exdosion. The influent was adjourned.