Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1889-02-16 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY AT BWANBEA.  A PUBLICAN MURDERED.  BRAVERY. OF THE VICTIM'S WIFE.  A terrible murder was doinmitted at Swansea on Sunday morning by a coloured man named Thomas Allen, the victim being Frederick George Kent, landlord of the Gloucester Hotel, Gloucester.pldce. The murderer, who is said to be a Zebu, was recently diseharged frorn the ship Cubans, and the hotel, which is situated near to the entrance to the south dock, is frequented by seamen and others engaged at the docks. I It appears that about four o'clock on Sunday morning Mrs Kent heard someone in the Led-room striking a match. She insmediately aroused her husband, who vial I sleeping by her side, and he got out of bed, and a desperate struggle took place between the two men. Meanwhile Mrs Kent struck a light, and seeing her husband attacked. bethought her of a revolver which was under her husband's pilflow. She was afraid for a few minutes to tire it, for fear that she should injure her hushed, but eventually did so, lodging a bullet in the right thigh of the coloured man. She attempted to fire again, but before she could do so the man made his escape from the bedroom and left the premises. The only other occupants of the house were two servants and two children, and Mr. Kent having given the alarm. it was discovered that Mr Kent had been I butchered in a frightful manner, a zigzag stab being found near the heart, the thighs and other parteof the body being cut in severalphices, and a deep wound inflicted in the throat. Medical ai i was at once obtained, but Mr Kent expired three hours afterwards. At first it was not known who the murderer was, bat he left his cap behind him, and this was identified, as also a razor which be left in the bedroom, and with which there is no doubt the wounds on Mr Kent were I inflicted. The police having been apprised ! what had happened, search was made for Allen. I Captain Oolquhonn, Head Constable, summoned ' the whole of the police force, and these, with a limber of volunteers, formed search parties. The only clue to his whcresthonts were hie footprints in the snow from the hotel to the docks. After six hours' search the man was discovered hiding behind an 111111801 tubular boller in the I Globe Dry Dock, at the entrance to the South I Hock. His capture was the signal for a general outcry, which could be heard all over the clock'', and men rushed from all directions to the I spot. He was at once taken to the Guildhall . I Police Station, the police on the way exoerienc.. ing great difficulty with the crowd, who mmle • attempts to lynch the prisoner. In fact, he was struck several times on the head as he passed the front of the establish. merit from which a few hours previously he bad taken the life of the owner, who teas . popular with the people with whom he was associated in the course or business. On (main; nation, it was found that the murderer's cuffs ; and shirt were covered with blood, and the bullet fired by Mrs Kent had passed through his , trousers and drawers and lodged in the back of ; his right thigh. Subsequently the bullet was ; succussfully extracted. He has practically confessed the crime, but Rays he did not mean to do anything dishonest or to harm anybody. He . was in a neighbouring public-house on Saturday night just before closing time, and it is supposed ; that he afterwards enteeed the Gloucester Hotel and concealed himself in the bed-room. The object of the murderer, it supposed, was to steal Saturday's takings. no had been ship's steward, but for some time had been hanging about the town.  "JACK TirE