The Sun. — 1844-12-12 (London, England)

THE ANTI-CORN-LAW LEAGUE,  This neighbourhood was aroused by the intelligence of the above murder (recorded in The Son of Monday), and on the constables proceeding to the spot they found the body lying on its back, at the top of a short hill, with the hat drawn over its face, and two small pools of biood, which had issued from a bullet wound two inches behind the right ear, the ball being afterwards discovered, on post mortent examination, to have penetrated the brain, and to have flattened against the skull, where it lodged on the opposite side. His waistcoat had been torn open with such violence as to break several buttons, and ail his cash had been abstracted from the money pocket ; his watch and several articles in other pockets were untouched. From all appearances it was evident that the fiend-like assassin had fired the fatal shot while walking up the ascent of the road, at the side of his unsuspecting victim, who must have fallen forward on his right knee and forehead, and have been turned over on his back by the murderer, for the purpose of plunder. Messengers were immediately forwarded to Brecon. On the intelligence reaching Mr. D. Rosser, landlord of the Bridgent Inn, where the deceased (whose name was David Lewis) had been in the habit of putting up, the suspicion flashed across his mind that the deed had been done by a man named Thomas Thomas, of Llansowel, Carmarthenshire, who had called at his house in a drab mackintosh, and had inquired for butter carts going to the vicinity of his home, About two hours before Lewis and his boy started. iie accordingly caused a letter to be sent per mail to a respectable innkeeper in the neighbourhood of Llansowel, who immediately forwarded descriptions to the rural police of the county, leveral of whom wet: stationed near. In the meantime inquiries been made by the Brecon police, which strengthened the suspicion, and Mr. Superantendent Stephens, accompanied br the late superintendent, who knew Thomas from havio.g had him in custody on a previous occasion, started off -to,. Cirmarthenshire, while printed descriptions were forwarded to all the adjacent districts and seaports. Having been detained making inquiries on the way, the Brecon police did not reach Llansowel until after one o'clock on Sunday morning, when they found Thomas in the custody of the rural police. who had taken him under the following circumstances .—Acting on the information they had received. they had proceeded to his father's house, and found that he had reached home at half-past eleven o'clock ; they also ascertained that he had been seen in the village, and deeming it likely that he would come home at night, the superintendent stationed his men on the look-out, lying in wait himself with one of his men- in a lane near his father's house. Soon after eight o'clock they heard him coming down the lane, and passing one on each side of him, collared him at once. Being a very powerful young man, he succeeded in throwing them both down, and after a severe struggle on the ground, they were compelled to draw their cutlasses before he would surrender. During the struggle use dropped a brace of pocket-pistols, which, fortunately, were not loaded, and in his pocket were found twelve bullets, caps, and some powder. Having been surrendered to the Brecon police, he was brought on Sunday to the station-house in that towns and on Monday was taken to an adjourned inquest held before Thomas Batt, Esq., at the Camden Arms, Trecastle. From the evidence here adduced, it appeared that he had nine days previously bought the pistols at an ironmonger's shop in Brecon, and that on Friday night lie rode in a farmer's waggon a short way out of town until overtaken by Lewis and his cart, when he made the bargain for conveyance to Trecastle. The boy who had charge or the waggon, and Mr. Lewis's little boy, swore most positively to his identity; and such a chain of circumstantial evidence was made apparent, that the jury without hesitation returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder against Thos. Thomas," who was therefore removed to the county goal, to take hie trial at the March assizes.  His appearance WAS more that of the careless, cheerful, country boy than that of a designing boy; and he kept his composure to the last, maintaining that the two boys were mistaken as to his identity.