The Herald of Wales and Monmouthshire Recorder. — 1885-08-22 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

ING TRAGEDY IN BWANSIA. IER AND ATTIMPTED SUICIDE.  One of the most painful tragedies that ever ed in Swansea took place oi Saturday v, in • shop situated at the corner of ,„fielach-road. On the left Mud side of road is • respectable grocer's shop on whieh shewn, in modeet letters, painted inSmith, licensed licensed to retail tobacco, et." This Smith—the victim of the trager—was a ire of Yorkshire, and hailed from he neighnrhisod of Huddersfield. He wee, ike moat orkshiremen, a blunt, straightforwarl person, -cribed by his friends as a genial. neidebourly trustworthy man. ad was Mt much [minted with the business, but had aken up residence in Swansea (in conjuncton with wife) to spend calmly and quietly th rest of days—being about sixty years of me when sth so unexpectedly overtook him. Acording the opinions he expressed to his frieida, he not made what he called s good u In Swansea, yet he wet on that things would mend. In his builI he was assisted by a youngtonan, abut 23 .ris of age, named Walter Jenkins, who bore exemplary character, and previous to ha ea-^t with Mr Smith had served four mars' _ .....eticeehip with Mr. West, grocer, those Ilinsineaa premises is situated opposite Zoar 1, Carmarthen-toad. Mr. West lid a opinion of young Jenkins, and opinion seems to have been shred bll r . Smith. Jenkins like =My ▪ young Welshmen, had to fight the battle of ,for himself, and since the death of his falter had, by being attentive to his business duies his best to get on in the world. Like met people be seems to have ideas somew.at the business he was engaged in, and sas I known to have a great ambition to become a paisaionsry, and a strong deist' e to enter colliers Wlialify himself for a missionery career. Is coring man of average height, With a sallo face, surmounted by a profusion if wavy hr. His face may be discribel of the rs emmon to the Welsh religiena busiest. e fa,thead is di average hetEht ' prominent in the :entre; his eyes are deli brilliant, and his mouth indicates sensibilty I feeling in a narked de:ree. Living wth e. Smith were lie wife and a preposaming et girl, namei. Julia Clark, whom the yossg entitle regarded at a sister, and of when used frequently to speak at such. On KlMday evening Me. Matt and Miss Clerk welt to town for the purpose of taarketinr, ▪ 111 Mr. Smith and young Jenkins "4' to attenl to customers. Mr. Smith, it seems, bad hid some words with Jenkins cancerMing the gieng of credit. There was reach ' more money m the books than Mr Smith eared for, and Jenkins, on being reprimanded, took it very mucbto heart and had actually given notice to lerre. Whether Mr Smith and his imistant has further words is not known; in the light pf pelmet knowledge it does not seem probable fur Jenkins seems to have been minding We stop while Mr Smith did mine odds nd ends in the house. Farrallel with the skips and fronting the aide street is a parlour end behind this • kitchen of about twelve feet long and seven or eight feet wide. It is appmathed from the chop by a door and has another door at thefarther end leading to • back yeti. Close by the latter door is a little wash tlf cistern of earthenware, and while Jenkins wet I. thssiop Mr. Smith appeared tohave been washing some dishes in this cistern whiehass an Of intl." water tap a little above' and poring into it. Jenkins, it is supposed some from the shop armed with , revolve, which ha had procured somewhere& sad tieing his master busily engaged is the, rioters with his back towards him, he find at him. The first shot was evidently s miss, for the helot passed the object aimed at, and withered the back door. On hearing the shot, Mr. tooth must have tamed smartly round in the direction from when°, the shot was fired. In thing so, he exposed his left aide to his sandlot. Then another—a fatal shot—was fired, piercing the heart of the dammed, The dropped where he stood, and lay on the floor weltering in his gore. Jenkins mot then have fired at himself, directing the amber of the revolver towards his heart, but the shot mimed its mark and entered the left Img, Where it now romans. He assuaged to ge on the sofa in the adjoining parlour, and bee Ile was found lying, bleeding profusely fms Mit mouth and aide. NO