The Pontypridd District Herald and Rhondda Valley, Llantrisant, Caerphilly, and Mountain Ash News. — 1892-09-17 (Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

THE KENTISH TOWN TRAGEDY.  On Monday, at the Star and Garter, Church. road, Battersea, Mr. A. B. Hicks held an it:Nulty concerning the death of William Atkinson Taylor, aged twenty-six years, a tramcar driver, lately residing in Holmes-road, Kentish Town, who was found di owned in the Thames. The deceased is the man who was wanted by the police for attempting to murder Alice Hook by shooting her with a revolver in Countess-road, Kentish Town.—P.c. Conelly identified the deceased as his brotherin-law, and said he was formerly a carman in the service of Messrs. Schoolbred and Co., of Tottenham-court-road, but latter he had been employed by the North Metropolitan Tramway Company. He was a single man and lived in lodgings. He was sober when the witness last saw him on the 30th ult. Witness had since heard of his being wanted for attempted murder. The letters produced were in his handwriting.—Catherine Taylor, a widow, of Holmes-road, said the deceased was her son, and lived with her. She last saw him alive on the afternoon of the Ist inst., when he was very despondent, and had been for eight or ten weeks. He had been out of employment about four months. She first heard of his shooting Alice Hook on the same night. He went out and never returned. Witness subsequently received the following letter from him :  heptem-ber 2, 1892. My dear Mother,—l thought it would not be the thing to depart this life without letting you know my end. I hope you will bear up and think things for the best, though we have had a few words at times. I have now my senses and feel prepared to meet my fate. I have told you not to go to my funeral, but no doubt if my body is found you will. When you get this letter I hope to he at rest. My life has been a misery foi over two years. Although Alice Hook is now to blame, I love her to the last. If it had not been for my sister Alice I should not have fell in company with my deceitful lover. My last wish is— May God help and protect you through life. Give my best and last love to Agnes, Gladys, Jane, Ellen, James, Charlie, Albert, Conolly, Mrs. Head, Mrs. Taylor, Mts. Curtis, and all kind inquiring friends. My body will be found in the Thames between Vauxhall and Waterloo. I must now say " Good-by " for the last time on earth. I remain, your heart-broken son, W. T. Do not think lam insane.  Alice Hook, who appeared to be very ill and had her left arm bandaged, said she was a widow and lived in Countess-road, Kentish Town. The deceased some time since asked her to marry him, which she refused to do. On the evening of the Ist inst., at nine o'clock, he followed her and asked her where she was going. She replied, "To the pollee-station," and he asked, "Would you have me locked up?" and upon her replying in the affirmative he fired four shots from a revolver at her, one taking effect in her arm. She had previously threatened to complain of him to the police. He ran away after shooting her. She would have married him had it not been for his mother.—Dr Henry Kempster stated that death was due to drowning. There were some marks of violence which however, had nothing to do with the cause of death.—The jury returned a verdict of temporary insanity.