The Pontypridd District Herald and Rhondda Valley, Llantrisant, Caerphilly, and Mountain Ash News. — 1892-11-26 (Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

ALLEGED BRUTAL MURDER AT WARWICK. . .  A brutal n-urde.r. —wa—s..cOinn-litted at Warwick on Saturday night by, it is alleged, soldiers of the Warwickshire Regiment, stationed at Badbrooks. A labouring man, named James Russell, was returning home about eleven o'clock by the Priory-road, a secluded part of the town, when he was murderously attacked by a party of soldiers, who beat him about the head with buckled belts. The unfortunate man was picked up in a dying condition, and conveyed to the police-station, where he was examined by Dr. Ranhin, the police-surgeon, who found that the skull had been completely smashed with repeated blows, the cheek bones were smashed, and one eye was cut out. The injured man was in a state of complete collapse when brought into the police-station, and died within half an hour. The son of Inspector Hall,, the chief of the Warwick Police-force, stated that he had seen a soldier named Welch flourishing a belt and threatening passers-by directly after the discovery of the murdered man, and with this clue in his possession Inspector Ball immediately proceeded to Budbrooke Barracks, where he arrested Welch. From later information the police suspected a soldier named Frederick King of being the ringleader in the affray, but on a search being made at the barracks, King could not be found, although he was supposed to be in custody for a military offence. When it was found that King had broken barracks, diligent search was made for him in both Warwick and Leamington, but no trace could be found of him until 2 o'clock' on Sunday afternoon, when he returned to barracks and was at once arrested. The police believe the murder to have been altogether unprovoked on Russell's part. The soldiers had been taking part during the afternoon in a football match, and they appear 0 have been drinking heavily. The whole of the evening Welch was in a most excited condition from drink, and was seen by several persons wildly brandishing his belt. The ix/isomer King lies a bad regimental record.  At the Warwick borough police-court on Monday James Welch and Frederick Thomas King, Privates in the 6th Royal Warwickshire Regiment, were charged with having caused the death of James Russell, 31, labourer, at Warwick, on the 19th inst. Maj.,r M•Calmont occupied a seat on the bench.—lnspector Hall, having briefly stated the facts of the murder, asked for a remand for a week to enable him to complete his case against the accused men.—The Bench remanded the prisoners. . .  An inquest was opened at Warwick Police-station on Tuesday. James Welch and Thomas King, privates belonging to the Warwickshire Regiment, are in custody charged with having murdered the deceased.—Harriet Russell having identified the body as that of her husband, William Bray, a printer, stated that at about eleven o'clock on Saturday night he found Russell in Priory-road bleeding freely from wounds on the head.—Dr. Guthrie, who attended the murdered man at the station, said he found three wounds on Russell's skull, abrasions on each of his cheek bones, and two cuts over his left eye. Such wounds as he dcscribed could be caused by some hard, blunt initrument, sueh as belt buckles, or by kicks.— John Parsons said that on Sunday morning he found near the scene of the alleged murder, a military button.—Colour-sergeant Cox deposed that the police came to the barracks after midnight on Saturday and arrested Welch. Meantime King, who should have been in before the last bugle, arrived at the barracks with his overcoat and belt wet and dirty. At about mid-day on Sunday the witness saw the belt lying on King's bed; it was newly pipe-clayed, and there was a stain upon it. He noticed, too, that a button had been recently sewn on to King's overcoat, and that the bottom of the coat was stained, apparently with blood. A ring found near the scene of the outrage was identified as having belonged to King.—Other evidence having been adduced, the inquest was adjourned, and in the meantime the stains on King's boots, belt, and clothing will be examined by an analyst.