Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1861-04-03 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

MURDER. RF.OINI V. WILLIAMS. The prisoner, William Williams, was indicted for the wilful murder ofAnn Williams, a the hamlet of Grwy: ney, in the parish of Talfarth. Mr. Giffard appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. C. E. Coleridge, at the request of the learned judge, watched the case on behalf of tit' prisoner. From the opening statement it appeared that the deceased was aunt to the prisoner, and occupied a small farm about six miles from the place where the prisoner was in service. On the night before the murder (October 18) the prisoner went to the deceased's house, taking his gun with him, and was kindly received by her. The other inmates of the house were the prisoner's sister, and a little boy, six years old, an illegitimate son of the deceased. The next day the prisoner remained in the house till 3 o'clocl4 when he went out in company with his sister and the child, taking his gun with him. The di ceased remained indoors picking wool before the fire. The prisoner turned back shortly after he left the house, and in a few moments Charlotte W iiliams, the sister, who had gone on for the cows, heard a scream. She ran ta the house and met the priaoiler coming out, who said, "Aunt bas shot herself." She then saw her aunt on fire, and after putting nut the tiro discovered that she was shot dead in her chair. The prisoner subsequently, when arrested, and after being repeatedly cautioned, said, that it was but an accident • that the gun bad gone off as he was going out of the door ;" but, subsequently, on two or three occasions he stated his determination to tell the truth, and when told that he was to attend the inquest "he hoped they would not bully him, and that no one would talk to him." He added, "The truth I skill sav ; I did the deed, I did it with all my heart; I expected something after my grandfather's death. I committed this in consequence that I had no home; ray mother has been a bad mother to me." He further said, "I sent a num to inquire of the man who made the will as to who the property was to go to after Anne Williams's (meaning the deceased) death," and that the man told him it was to be divided equally between his sister and himself. Ile stated to another witness that he did not shoot his aunt in the night, as his aim would not be so good and his sister was sleeping with her. From the appearance of the chair it would appear that the prisoner must have gt ae behind the deceased, put the muzzle through the staves of the back of the chair, aad shot the deceased through the body. Upon the first witness, the prisoner's sister, being called, Mr. Coledride objected to her being sworn on the ground that she had no religious belief whatever. His Lordship directed her to be sworn on the voice dire, and she was examined by Mr. Coleridege, and certainly bore out his view of her state; but on cross-examination by Mr. Giffard she said that she believed there was a God and that He would punish her if she did wrong. His Lordship then allow ler examination to proceed. Several witnesses were cal!ed in surport of the opening statement, and the facts were all substantially proved. Mr. Coledridge cross -examined the witnesses very slightly, and in addiesaing the jury told them that he was not there to deny that the prisoner committed the crime, but that when he committed it he was mentally incapable of knowing the nature of the crime. He implored the jury to take his utterly neglected and scarcely human condition into consideration, and asked them, if they thought they could not conscientiously acquit on the grounds of insanity, at least to add that reeom