Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1889-04-17 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

THE TRIAL.  The trial of the prisoner before Mr. Justice Grantham, nt Cardiff, excited great interest among the public, but the trial itself was almost devoid of anything of a sensational nature. As in most murder trials the bulk of these present in court were female. Dames of high degree found seats in line with his Lordship, and even the Bishop of Llaindaff attended court, while his son, Mr. Arthur Lucas, opened the Case fig the prosecution. The prisoner was dressed in the old clothes which he wore when he appeared in Swansea. and was as cool and as unconcerned as anyone in court. The evidence was slowly given, as is customary in murder trials, and though Mr. Glascodine did his best in crossexamination to eleeit something in the prisoner's favour, the answers in almost every insinnee told against him. Better witnesses never appeared in any murder trial: the case was as clear as crystal against the prisoner. There could have been no doubt about the fact that Kent died through wounds inflicted by him. and, further, that he was present in the Glo'ster with a felonious intent. Mr. Glaseodine tried to induce the jury to say that the wounds were inflicted in self - defense, that Kent had no right to detain the prisoner, who had no intent to commit a felony, but the judge in the first few words of his summing up demolished the whole of the defensive -structure which Mr. Giese:slim had raised, and stated that a man finding a person in his bedroom at night had a perfect right to arrest him, and if the intruder should use force in endeavouring to get away, which resulted in the death of the householder, he was guilty of murder and nothing else. The jury did not hesitate about their verdict, though, for decency's sake they left court for a few minutes and returned with a verdict of guilty. The judge had before him a list of the crimes that the prisoner had been previously convicted of, but these were not read out, though his lordship referred to them in passing sentence. It is usual when the sentence of death is delivered for some of the spectators to indulge in tears, and Mr Allen, the deputy clerk of arraigns, invariably improves the occasion by weeping but there was not a moist eye in court when sentence was pronounced upon the murderer of Mr Kent excepting, perhaps. the prisoner's. He, too, was singularly calm. While Mr Glascodine addressed the jury, Allen, Pintub., or whatever his name is, cried a little, and again while the jury were from court he dropped a few tears, but they were oulv momentary. When he rose to receive his death matt-Ace he appeared quite firm: but his lips were white and bloodless, a grey pallor stole over his dark features, and his hands convulsively grasped the furniture before him. During the trial, he amused himself by twirling his thumbs, first one way and then the other, but while Mr. Justice Grantham summed up against 'him he ceased the twirling action, and pressed one thunib firmly against the:other. It was only when he turned to leave the brilliantly lighted court, and descend into the gloomy depths beneath, that his fortitude gave way. He tottered down the steps sobbing hysterically, and this was his last appearance in public.