Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-08-07
HORRIBLE TRAGEDY.
= LabOFInE MAN, his Wife and Three
children Murdered by Tramps,
and their Cottage Set Fire
tO-A Terrible Tale.

London Telegraph, July Is: A terrible dis
covery was made at Llangibby, near New
port, Monmouthshire, yesterday morning.
On the previous day a lad had been at work
at Llandowlais farm with a man named Wat
kins, laborer, who bore an excellent char
acter for honesty and integrity. The boy
went again to meet Watkins at the same
place at an early hour yesterday morning,
and finding that he did not come to resume
his labor he proceeded to his cottage. On ar
irving there frlghtful spectacle presented
itself The body of the unfortunate man
Watkins lay on the garden path, his head
beng on a hower-bed, while the corpse of
his wife was also lying near the garden gate.
The terrified boy at once ran to tell his moth
er what he had seen, and she accompanied
him to the spot. Subsequently she informed
Mr.. Evans, of Cefullwich farm, of what had
taken place, and the police were communicated
with. But in the meantime man named
Morgan, who was passing, saw the bodies
lying III the positions already Indicated and
ascertained that both had had tnelr Threats
cut He then became aware that the cottage
was on fire. BY means Of ladder Morgan,
assisted by neighbcrpg farmer, removed
the tiles aud plaster from the root and, the
smoke having cleared away TO some extent,
the two men entered the building. They
found that the dwelling had been greatly
disturbed, and on proceeding up stairs were
Mortified ut finding tine bodies Of three chill
dren all quite dead. One was lying with her
head between d box and the bedstead, an
other under the bed lying On its face, and the
third in the inner room, Their names were
Charlotte, aged eight; Frederick, aged five,
and Alice, aged four. All three had been
stabbed and hacked about with a knife, and
all, especially the second child, were much
burnt. 1t seemed as If the eldest, who had
wounds IN the back, must have gone to the
window for the purpose of raising an alarm,
when she was prevented from SO dong 10y the
murderers. The wounds on the children
were apparently more severe than those IN
fiIcted on their parents, aud the opinion of
the people, who speedily assembled at the
scene of the tragedy, was that Watkins had
been attacked and stunned with blunt in
strument, his throat being afterward
cut while he was insensible, and that his wife
hld been killed IN a similar manner. After
rUmmagiDg the lower part of the house, the
miscreants evidently went up stairs for pur-
poses OF plurder, and, finding the children,
dispatched them, setting the house ON fire
before making good their escape. The hus-
band and wife were lying near the gate of
the garden, in front Of the cottage, in pool
Of blood, under some thick bushes and shrubs,
which partly shielded them from view from
the turnpike road. Two of the children were
lying on their beds with their Threats cut and
dreadully charred, and the youngest child
also burnt, with its throat cut, lying under
the bed. A couple Of tramps in blouses were
seen lying under hedge on Tuesday even
ing in the neighborhOod, and il is surmised
that Watkins aud his wife were at supper
between nine and ten O'Clock at night, when
disturbed Ivy the murderers. Two cups, half
empty, were found on the table, and some
slices of bacon We're in the frying-pan. The
house appears to have been ransacked and
the room set on FIRE. Broken furniture, APP
parenty destroyed IN the scufie, was lying
in all directions.