Bargoed Journal. — 1906-07-26 (Gelligaer, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

PONTYPRIDD POLICE COURT.  Craig Girl's Trouble.  ! A case which took considerable time was heard in the second court, when David John Davies, a young man, of Nantyglo, was sumn.-nied by Sarah Watkins, a single woLlan residing at 33, Llantrisant Road. Pontypridd, to show cause, etc. Mr. Powell (of Messrs. Powell and Hughes, Brynmawr) appeared for the wAnplainant, and Mr. F. P. Charles, solicitor, Merthyr, defended. The evidence of complainant was to the effect that she went to stay with her brother-in-law in September, 1904, at Nantyglo. She met defendant at Brynmawr fair and went for walks With him several times afterwards, and on these occasions had misconducted them'selves. On November 10th she returned to Pontypridd and just before Pancake Day wrote to defendant but received no answers from him. She visited him later and accused him of being the father of her child, but he denied paternity, alleging that she had misconducted herself with other young men. Cross-examined, defendant had not seen her in the company of a man named Johns. It was untrue that she had dressed herself in men's clothes and gone into the Hector Inn. Mrs. Mary Ann Lewis said she saw the parties together at the back of the house. It W.LS between the hour of 9 and 9.30 in the night and was dark, bat by the light of the Ebbw Vale furnaces she recognised them. Defendant, in his evidence, told the Bench that he first met the complainant on September 20th, 1904, and had walked out with her, but denied being the father of the child. He saw the complainant with a man named John Bull in 1904. He knew nothing of the birth of the child until nine weeks after its birth. He did not answer her letters because he was innocent of the charge. After a timber of witnesses had -been called for the defence the Bench made an order of 3s. per week and costs. Tired of life and took rat poison. Mrs. Lewis, of Coedpenmaen, wife of John Lewis, boots at the Park Hotel, Pontypridd, was brought up on remand charged with attempting to commit suicide. Mr. T. W. Lewis represented the husband, and at the request of the Stipendiary Mr. James Phillips appeared for the defendant. Police-constable Davies said that at 10.45 p.m. on the 15th inst. he was informed by John Lewis that his wife had threatened to commit suicide and had bought some poison from Mr. Oliver Davies' shop in Mill Street. Witness in company- with Lewis went to SO, Coedpenmaen Road and there saw the defendant talking to a Mrs. Thomas. !When asked what she had done with the poison defendant said she had thrown lit away. She was shivering and appeared to be in pain. She asked Mrs. Thomas for some water, which was given to her, and after she had taken it wanted to be sick. Witness asked her what she had taken and she replied, "Oh, don't say anything, I have taken some poison to do away w;th myself; I'll be better dead than alive." She then explained that I she had taken the poison on Merthyr Road and had thrown the bottle into Ithe canal. The elector was then sent for , and wltness gave defendant an emetic of salt and water, which made her very sick. Questiencd by the doctor, defendant said that she had taken some of the poison on her way up from Cardiff in the train. She added, "It was a better stuff—l took it out of the bottle with a hair pin, and ate it—l put some on an orange." She was then conveyed to the police ,station and charged, when she replied, "I have nothing to say." Dr. Evans said that when he saw the defendant she appeared to be excited and occasionally weat out to the back to be sick. She told him that she had purchased Gd. of waiskey and taken the poison in that. When she arrived at Pontypridd station she had a bottle of stout. He gave her a strong emetic, which aused her to vomit violently. There Was no evidence of poison about her, but she had been drinking heavily. which caused her to vomit violently. There was no evidence of poison about her, but she had been drinking heavily. There were no symptoms of phosperous. E. Doved, chemist's assistant, said that defendmt purchased the rat poison from Mr. ()liver Davies' shop on Saturday, the 14th inst. Re-called, Dr. Evans thought that the act was done more out of bravado than anything else. She complained of no pain to him. Prisoner was remanded for a week in order that arrangements could be made for her friends to look after her.