The Pontypridd District Herald and Rhondda Valley, Llantrisant, Caerphilly, and Mountain Ash News. — 1892-08-13 (Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

GLAMORGANSHIRE ASSIZES.  The Ynyshir Shooting Outrage.  At the Glarnorganshire Assizes at Swansea, on Thursday week, before Mr Justice Lawrence. Edwin Pugh, 29. collier, was indicted for feloniously shooting Dr J• Lloyd•Edwaids with intent thereby, and of malice of aforethought, to kill and murder him at Ynyshi r, on the 23rd May la 4. Mr Arthur Lewis prosecuted. and Mr. tflascodine defended. Mr Arthur Lewis said he did not think in this. ease the jury would be troubled very much with the facts, because he shot Id call evidence to satisfy them that prisoner in point of fact did fire a resolver at Dr. Edwards, and subsequently made a statement to the police which, unfortunately, pointed to the conclusion that he was the person who did shoot Dr. Edwards. But in that case those who instructed him had thought it right that an investigation should take place as to the prisoner's state of mind when the occurrence took place, and therefore it would be his duty to put before them medical evidence on which the jury could decide as to whether the prisoner was responsible in point of law for his act. Prisoner was a collier employed underground, and Dr. Edwards was an assistant to Dr. Lewis at Yuyshir. Prisoner was anxious to be put on the sick fund of a club to which he belonged, and applied first to Dr. Lewis and afterwards to Dr. Edwards for the necessary certificate. This was refused, and this appears to have rankled in his mind, because he used to say he intended to ass violence in consequence. On the 23rd of May Dr. Edwards went to the Ynyshir Hotel, and on leaving it prisoner followed him until he got within seven or eight yards from him, when he shot at him, striking him in the back. Prisoner disappeared, and was not found for a week, having been secreted in a wood all that time without food. When arrested he made a statement, in which he not only admitted the fact, but gave the reason he did it. He proposed shortly Droving the facts, and then calling Dr. Pringle, medical superintendent of the Bridgend Asylum. from whom they would hear the result of his investigations. Formal evidence having been heard, Dr. Pringle was called, and said :—" In consequence of instructions received from the Treasury, I examined the prisoner on the on the 23rd of last month. I made a careful examination of him, and from what I saw formed an opinion as to the state of his mind. He suffers from delusions and hallucinations of sight end hearing. In my opinion he was not responsible for his actions on the date of the offence. He could not distingnish as to the wrong of an act.—By the Judge :—He was a man who would brood over a fancied wrong. . _ _  The Judge said it was evident the man suffered as Dr. Pringle had said, and, having got into a low and depressed state of mind, threatened what he would do, and, unfortunately, on the night in question he used a pistol, and most miraculously did not do worse than he did. The question was —what was his state of mind' Was he in a statc of mind to make himself responsible for Lis acts? Dr Pringle said he was not, and if the jury were satisfied as to Dr. Pringle'. evidence the proper conclusion for them to draw was, that they found prisoner guilty of the act, but not responsible for his actions at the time he committed it. The jury found a verdict in accordance with the Judge's advioe, and prisoner was ordered to be detained during her Majesty's pleasure, his Lordship saying when he got well he would be discharged.