The Herald of Wales. — 1889-02-16 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

THE SPEECH FOR THE DEFEECE. Mr Williams aid it was with considerable trepidation he rose to address the Bench on behalf of the prisoner. He did not deny the hula of the evidence which had been brought against the prisoner, but he did wish to deny the construction which had been pie i upon it. He did deny that he had aided Kr Tent with malice aforetholight. The prisoner had withdrawn the statement that he had been asked to the house by Benantk, but he still adhered to that which Its had said all through, that he had been enacted to the house by a girl, and whether some girl had played a practical joke upon him he could not say. Eat if the prisoner had gone to the house with a felonious or murderous intent would he bare struck a match P Was it not in accordance with his story that he should have gone to the house at the invitation of a girl and gone to the bodrocm, and finding no one corning had gone tO sleep under the bed, and waking in the morning did not quite realise where he was and struck • match to see. A great deal too much bad been made of the match incident; but what vim more natural than that prisoner, who had no felonious , intent, should have struck a match. With regard to the razor, he asked their worships to say that it was found by the prisoner on the floor, ard if he found the resat on the fl tor the murder could not have been with malice aforethought. The prisoner would no doubt be fairly tried, but many of the jury would not appreciate the difference between manslaughter and murder, end be asked their worships not to prejudge the ease to the prejudioa of the prisoner, but to commit him for trial on the leaser charge of manslaughter. The Bench then held a consultation, after which  The BOpendiary said: The only question for the RAI& is whether the releaser shall be onm• milted on the charge of wilful murder, or on the loiter charge of manslaughter. The evi. dunce raises a strong suspicien that theprisonet ooneealed himself in the bedroom with intent to commit a felony. Iu that C 9119 Mr Kent had a perfect right, on disoovering, to arrest, detain, sod give the prisoner in charge. If in a struggle the prisoner then infLoted fatal wounds on Mr ICent, that would be murder eccording to our law. Of all this there is, in our view, sufficient evieleno to make it our duty to onnunit the prisoner on the charge of wilful murder, and not on I any inferior charge. The case htui been ably conducted on both sides, His Worship then added ! Before this awf ii esee penes from us, I wish to say a few words. I am sure that I am expressing the sentiments of His Worship the Mayor, myself and the magistrates, and the inhabitants of this town and neighbourhood, when I say that we deeply sympathise with Mrs Kent in her almost unexampled affliction, and we highly estimate her wonderful self- n and er cireuinstancee so caloulsied to terrify and away her presence of mind and the power doing the right thing. To do the right moment. We all hope will not suffer in holth  tuider take '  ' and that she will be able te oontinne to live in this town. (Loud applause, whioh was suppremed). The prisoner was:then committed for trial to the assizes.