Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1867-07-27 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

THE INQUEST.  The inquest on the body of the unfortunate woman was held on Monday by Dr. Wybrants, coroner for East Somerset, at the Red Lion Inn, Woolverton, before a jury, of which the Rev. C. F. Baker was foreman. The room was crowded. Mr. Messiter, solicitor, of Frome, watched the proceedings on behalf of the family of the prisoner, who was present. The prisoner is a somewhat aged man, gray-haired, and dressed in a suit of black, and appeared to feel his position. Mr. Valentine Wood, chief constable of Somerset, was present, and Air. Superintendent Deggan, of En:me, in whose custody the prisoner was. As the prisoner has confessed the crime, it is unnecessary to do more than give his own statement. Superintendent Deggan said the prisoner. when taken into custody, said " It's a bad job." Ile produced the stat,raent written by the prisoner on Sunday morning. It was directed to Mr. Woolly, his brotherin-law, and was as follows :  Mr. Woo do to you what / could not do to any one else. With shame and true abhorrence and repentance of the deed I hare done, I confess it was I that foully murdered my poor wife. It was done in the heat of passion and in a fit of jealousy, and arose thus. I saw what I shall keep to myself —told her of W—she treated it lightly, which enraged ow. I caught hotel of the first thing that came to hand, struck her with it three or four times. Oh, how wish I had been blind or God had struck one dead before I did so. Oh, what power the devil must have over ow. It seemed as though I had almost a hundred devils in me, and, I believe, had twenty people been there, I should, had they interfered, served them in a similar manner ; bfll after it was done, and I reflected a little time, oh, how detested and deplored the act—viewed it with abhorrence, and on, what I would have gave to bring her to life again. I fully intended then to have destroyed myself, but was prevented by two thoughte— first, that, alone in the house, the child would come down and first find us, and no doubt would lose his reason, or something ae bad. Second, that probably Clod May forgive murder even, but not selfmurder. 7'hen I thought of at once giving myself up, but then the devil or my own evil heart tempted and induced me to try ant hide my act from the world, which I did immediately by carrying her poor body over the icall by the pear tree into the "tollhouse, and finished the next night. I chose that place for reasons Moyer and her friends nil iiikeb,stand. The reason I would not take your hand was, I could cot put the hand of a murderer into that of oty sister's husband. Once you said. if antethinghaptaeoeet to me, you would take cargo( the boy. Will you to so now! There isa draft on the old Bristol Bank for 3551 in my trunk. Do so for not mine but his sake, and I hope, poor fellow, he may reward you. oh, what I have brought on myself and friends, and first begun and ended by false friends, which has been My bane through life. Oh, how I pito arid feel for poor Elizabeth—you—your family—my boy—Oharlee and Joseph. ANA,. myself, now I feel My doom is fixed, and that since the last tragedy! deserve if, beet not before. I have no wish to live. May God receive coy icife'e soul in Hie abode above, and may He forgive Ms and receive mine at last also. do for man, Ido riot ask, nor expect, to rcreive forgiveness. Do let me again beg you and poor Elizabeth to take the poor boy into your care, and may God bless you all and him.—(Signed)