The Herald of Wales and Monmouthshire Recorder. — 1885-11-28 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

MURDER BY A WELSHMAN IN AMERICA. A Welsh farmer, named John Howells, has murdered his four children and attempted suicide near a town called Starrueca, in Pensylvania, United States. Howell, who is a prosperous farmer, 40 years of age. His farm lies in Preston Township, Wayne County, about three miles from Starrucea and ten miles from the large town of Susquehanna. Howell wee known as an industrious, well-conducted man, of excellent judgment and pleasant temper. For a year past, however, he has been under treatment for Bright's disease, and the melancholy so frequently attendant upon that affection (unsettled Ms mind.:lllk mania took a murderous and suici lal form, and it is now known that for some time past he has been planning to destroy the whole family. His opportunity came, when his wife and eldest daughter drove to the town of Thompson, tour miles distant, to make purchases for the household. Howell was left in the house with his other four children, ranging in ' age from 3to 12 years. The scheme that the crazed brain of the wretched man had conceived was to murder the four children in the absence of the other members of the family, slay his wife and daughter on their return, and then end , his own life. As soon as the wife and daughter were out of sight he coolly set about the murder-0118 work. By means not fully known he induced the four children to take arsenic in sufficient quantities to cause death, and when L they had fallen into a stupor, by way of making his work doubly sure he successively placed a pistol close to the forehead of each and sped a bullet into the brain. The murderous work was • ended before noon, and Howell seated himself, ' cocked revolver in hand, to await the coming of • his wife and daughter. About 1 o'clock he saw Ms brother-in-law approaching the house, and r determined to kill Mtn when he came in. but the ! brother-in-law turned aside while still at a I distance and thus saved his life. Anyone who ! bad entered the house at that time would certainly have been slain. Disappointed of his ! prey, Howell again took up his watch beside ' the murdered babes. For nearly three hours , longer he waited the coming of wife and daughter, that he might add them to his victims, and I shortly before 4 o'clock, f:ooncluding that they had determined to stay over night at Thompson, P he shot himself twice and fell 1111C01111Ciolls beside ' the children. A few minutes after the suicidal  attempt the wife and daughter reached home. Entering the house they found the father and the four little ones lying side by side, all apparently dead. Poisoning was the first idea that flashed across the minds of the horror-stricken mother and daughter, and, hastening to a neighbour's, they gave the alarm and called a physician. When the doctor arrived he pronounced all dead save Howell, and decla-ed the father's injuries fatal. The house was in perfect order and the murderer appeared to have done his awful :work with perfect coolness.  .Howell recovered conaciousnesi+, and was able at the Coroner's inquest to tell the story as it is told above. He confessed that he had bought the arsenic and the pistol weeks ago, with the very design which he had carried into effect. He had locked the door as soon as his wife and daughter drove away, and called his children from their play to be murdered. One of the children, a little girl of 6, was not fully under the influence of the drug when he shot lier, and she made a fight for life, but he stilled her cries, curbed her struggles and sent the fatal bullet crashing into her brain. The little house has been visited by hundreds of persons since the affair. No one holds the wretched man responsible, as his insanity is generally conceded. It is thought he cannot recover.