The Herald of Wales. — 1887-11-12 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

JOTTINGS IN COURT.-TITESDLY.  The court this morning is crowded in anticipation of the hearing of the Pontypridd murder ease. It will be remembered that under the direction of the Judge the Grand Jury reduced the crime from murder to manslaughter, and it was for this the prisoner stood to answer in the choir this morning. Mr Arthur Lewis, together with Mr Woodford, were counsel for the Crown, and the prisoner was defended by Mr Bowen Rowlands, Q. 0., M.P., and Mr Benson. Mr Rowlands was epecially retained for this case, and he is the only Q.C. who has graced this assize with his presence. The court was a trifle late commencing this morning, and it was quite a quarter to eleven when the Clerk of , Arraigns said "Put up Thomas Morgan." Morgan, who was in waiting, stepped forward and locking his bands together looked corn. po•edly around the court. He is a tall, slight built, man 38 years of age, respectable let appearance' and bee by no means an unpleasant face. He looks like a quick tempered man, and has sharp deeply set eyes, but the face is one of a type that may be seen any day in every Welsh town and village. Morgan is well-known in Mumbles having been first in a situation there, Mr Will. Morrie, butcher, being his employer, Later he was in business for himself in the village but did not appear to be successful in his venture, and after a brief experience of Mumbles' trade, be left the place and settled in Poutypridd. Mr Arthur Lewis related the circumstances which led to quarrel  between prisoner and a woman named Higgins, and went minutely through the whole of the words and sots which eventuated in the death of Morgan Salathisl, the inncoent victim of the quarrel, commenced, in the first place, by:a woman's tale. Tbe first witness called was the sister of the deceased man, Salathiel, who cried _  as she gave her evidence. Beth her and her brother appear to have been on good terms with the prisoner, and during her examinatiou, Morgan kept his eyes fixed upon the ground. He seemed to feel a touch of remoras, on hearing the sound of the voice of the woman whom he, in his rashoess, had 1:e reeved. The next witnea was the woman Higgins, and an she entered the witness box prisoner folded his arms, bent forward, and leases sharply at her. She aas pale on entering the box, and before long it was evident that the ordeal was too great for her. When the learned counsel came to examine her about the fracas between her and Morgan, she faltered for a moment, and then, with • scream, fell back from the box into the arms of • policeman who happened to be stand.ng near. When this occurred, the prisoner became excited. He appeared desirous of saying something, and turning to a warder who stood by him, he whispered a few sentences with great emphasis, glancing at the now unconscious wits's)." as he did so. Mrs Higgins was subsequently cross-examined by Mr Rowland, but the only thing elicited was that the whole disturbance imam out of ;some words which she said the prisoner addressed to her, and which she repeated to his wife. The croes-exemination of the other witnesses appeared to be directed to prove the theory that the prisoner did not point the gun into the street, but that it was swerved in this direction by those who were struggling with Morgan. The gun was an ordinary doublequrrelled fowling piece, the barrel rusty with the and exposure. The theory of the defence that the firieg of the gun was accidental, and that the direction of the muzzle towards the street was due to the persons who were struggling with the prisoner, was given greater colour to by the evidence tendered by those who were themselves engaged in the struggle. But the theory of accident was nether shaken when Inspector Jones gave the prisoner's statement, which was as follows "I fired the gun. I did it is self defence to clear the shop." To another policeman he said, "What could I do but shoot : they had filled my chop, and I thought they would murder me." When formally charged with the murder, he changed his tale somewhat, and charged another man with bating fired the piece. lhe prisoner had listened with apparent interest to the evidence, but betrayed no emotion until Mr Lewis remarked "That's the ease, my lord. " He then bent down his head, his fearnres reddened and quivered, and it was with difficulty that he regained composure to listen to the speech of the counsel opposed to him.