Weekly News. — 1892-08-04 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

VIEWS OF THE WEEKLY PRESS. FROCKING TRAGEDY IN SCOTLAND. , TWO PERSONS KILLED. The most shocking tragedy that has startled SLIP lingshire for many years occurred near Polment Station about 9 o'clock on Tuesday evening. At that hour named William Shadwell and his wife, Janie Tait, or Shadwell, were sitting in their house when they were alarmed by the entrance of a neighboul ' named James Fraser, a bank-clerk residing al IValview, who rushed into the house with a sword In his hand. Fraser first struck Mr. Shadwell, and then attacked Mrs. Shadwell. Husband and wife ran out of the house, and were followed by Frame Into the garden, where, it is alleged, the lattall attacked Mrs. Shadwell a second time, felling her to the ground. Thereupon her husband rushed between them to prevent further violence, but was again struck by Fraser and knocked down. Mrs. Shadwell. , although severely wounded, was able to make hes ' way to a neighbour's house, but her husband was fatally injured and died shortly afterwards. Fraser , then,it is alleged, went out into the road way,where he attacked a young woman named Mary Grindley, who was passing at the time. It is reported that he struck her on the head repeatedly with the sword. The unfortunate young woman was immediately removed to her mother's house, but succumbed to her injuries within three or four minutes. Mrs. Fraser in the meantime went to the spot and managed to induce her husband to go indoors, where the police subsequently discovered him sitting in a chair holding the sword in one hand and a revolver in the other. He did not appear at all inclined to be violent or to resist arrest. It was found that he had been severely wounded in the thigh, and after his injuries had been attended to he was removed to Falkirk, where he was locked up. Fraser was well suppled with ammunition, his pockets bring filled with cartriders, and he also was in possession of two revolvers. Dr. Wickham was summoned to the scene of the outrage, and under his instructions Mrs. Shadwell was removed to Falkirk Cottage Hospital suffering from serious idjuries to the head, arm, and thigh, and there seems some danger that these wounds added to the shock to the system may terminate fatally. At present she is unaware of her husband's death. Fraser and the Shadwells are said to have been on the very best of terms, and it is alleged that when the former attacked the husband and wife Mr. Shad- ; well exclaimed, "Oh, Mr. Fraser, what do you mean by this!" His assailant vouchsafed no reply. It is stated that Fraser believed that people were zirculating damaging reports about him. On Wednesday Fraser was taken before Sheriff 3cott Moncrieff, by whom lie was committed to prison pending further inquiries. lie exhibited the most sullen demeanour, and evidently had no idea of the terrible crimes which he had committed. ; He will, in all probability, be tried on the capital charge at the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh. An examination of the bodies of the, murdered man and woman prove that the wounds' inflicted were of a shocking character, both bodies; being partially disembowelled. Mr. Shadwell was arst stabbed in the chest, then in the back, and; several times in the abdomen, while Mary Grindley apparently received nearly all the stabs in the abdomen. The weapon with which the murders were committed was an old cavalry sword, and was very sharp, having recently been ground. Of the two pistols found in Fraser's possession one was a six•clianilivred revolver, with five chainbe, loaded, and the other was a single-barrelled pist which was also loaded.