Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1888-09-08 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SENSATIONAL TRAGEDY IN WALES.  A MAGISTRATE SHOOTS HIS SERVANT GIRL AND HIMSELF.  An occurrence of a very sensational character took place at Wrexham on Sunday. A well. known and highly-respected gentleman named Mr Wilson Edwards, a Justice of the Peace and ;vice-chairman of the Board of Guardians, got out of bed about six o'clock. and, takiug a reaolver, went into the servants' bed-room. One of the girls named Mary Stevens, being I awakened by the noise of his entrance, sat up in ; Led, and asked her master what was the matter, when he deliberately tired two shots at her, hitting her on the side. Another servant girl immediately jumped out of Led and fled from ; the Meese screaming. Mr Edwards then returned ; to his room and, placing the revolver to his head, shot himself. Medical and police assistance was at once sent for, and Mr Edwards was ; found on his knees at the foot of his tied unconscious, the girl Stevens being in a similar condi• tion in her bed. Edeards succumbed to ' his injuries. His ;victim, Mary Stevens, still continues in a critical state. From the statement of the housemaid, Annie Smith, who I gave the alarm, it appears that about half-past six o'clock that morning Mr Edwards went into the bed-room where she and Stevens were sleeping, carrying a revolver in his hand. Stevens sat up in her bed and asked, "What's the matter, I master?" He then fired two shot" at her, both of which struck her in the body. Be then went'] out of the room. and Smith, who had pulled the I bedclothes over her head when she saw the I revolver, jumped out of bed when she heard him I leave. Hardily dressing herself, she escaped I , from the hoese and ran, as already described, for the doctor and the police. Mrs Edwards, an elderly lady of 70, who has been ailing for some • time, states that she noticed her husband come • into her bed-room early that morning with a • revolver, and on her speaking to him, to her sorrow he placed the revolver against his temple and fired, the Mallet piercing the skull. No ade9nate cause for the tragedy seems to have existed. It is said, however, that Mr Edwards had been much depressed le.teiy, and bad complained of money difficulties, which, however, were more imaginary than real. Dr. Davies states that when he saw Mr Edwards on Saturday he seemed to have recovered from his recent depression. Mr Edwards occupied a prominent position in the town, and was highly I respected by all sections of society, and the attempted murder and suicide have created the I utmost consterostion. He was a Magistrate I for the borough, a vice-chairman of the Wrexham Board of Guardians, director of the Wrexham Waterworks Comeany and the Wrexham Gas Light Company, a member of the Free • Library Committee, the Wrexham School Board, and ether public bodies. The inquest on Mr Wilson Edwards was held on Wednesday. The Coroner said it was strange that no steps had been taken to place deceased , under restraint. A than might take his own life, I but other lives should not be endangered. The i deceased had been very depressed, and it was singular he had not been carefully watched.—Dr. Davies, who visited deceased, stated that since I the occurrence he had heard that deoeeeed pre- I vionsly attempted to commit suicide. Had he knovrn this he should have ordered him to be.' *laced under restraint, but, as it was, he should . not have dared to have done so. They most alter the state of the law first.--The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased committed : suicide whilst temporarily insane.