The Pontypridd District Herald and Rhondda Valley, Llantrisant, Caerphilly, and Mountain Ash News. — 1892-01-02 (Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

THE NEW INN HOTEL.  Attached to the Now Inn Hotel was what was known as the Long Room, in which concerts, meetings, and other gatherings of a public character were held. Looking at the room from a modern point of view it was a small chamber. Under the hands of the builders when it was deemed necessary to meet the growth of the times, this room was rebuilt, giving one with a greater length and greater width, than the one it displaced. A change of name was demanded also. And so the "Long Room" dropped into fitting oblivion, and the "Assembly Room" reigned in its stead. In this Long Room and the one attached to the White Hart Hotel, the Petty Sessions of the district were held. The Sessions for Llanwonno and Ystradyfodwg, in the New Inn Long Room with Mr Lewis of Merthyr for Magistrates' Clerk. Those in the White Hart Long Room with Mr Stockwood as clerk to the magistrates. Mr Lewis was a most painstaking clerk and a most unassuming and amiable man. He has passed the Great Divide for some years now. Mr Stockwood still acts, and afford in his sixteenth lustrum a wonderful illustration of vigorous health and patient industry, under a load of work with which that of the town of which I speak is but feeble in comparison, though then in tke hands of two officials. The New Inn Hotel, however, and with it the Lone Room will ever be connected in memory with the most remarkable event that ever stirred local society to its depths. I mean the murder of Miss Jane Lewis, at Tyntyla Farm, Ystrad Rhondda. The occurrence created a profound sensation and in its incidents brought out the essentially clannish nature of the Celtic character. The  victim, a fine, well developed, good looking young girl, was found one Sunday afternoon on the road track from the farm to the chapel, dead, with terrific cuts in the throat, and with indications in favour of the theory that a struggle had taken place, before her life was sacrificed. The news sent a thrill of horror throughout the Valley, and Mr D.C.C. Thomas took the matter in hand. While investigations were being made, the Coroner opened and inquiry at Cymmer amidst intense excitement. After hearing witnesses, the jury returned a verdict of " Suicide." This result was apparently so entirely at variance with conclusions drawn from well ascertained facts in bands of the police, that David Thomas, a farm labourer, working on Tyntyla Farm, a relative of deceased, and an unsuccessful suitor for her hand, was arrested and charged with the crime. The country around was now split up into two camps, those in favour of the suicidal theory, and those who contended that the poor girl had been murdered. The magisterial investigation was held in the "Long Room" of the New Inn, and Mr Perkins, deceased, was the presiding justice. Mit St ockwood prosecuted. The inquiry lasted for several days. and was watched by both sections of the public with absorbing interest. The prisoner was a short, stolid looking, grey eyed man, the type of an intellect running in the mechanical grooves af an agricultural labourer. He was ably defended by Mr Verity, solicitor, of Bridgend, who, although suffering at the time from the exhaustive effects of a painful carbuncle, gallantly, eloquently and ably contested every inch of the road in behalf of his client. There the prisoner stood day by day, either brutally indifferent to, or keenly watching the evidence as it accumulated, though betraying no sign whatever, whether or not his attitude was due to one or the other. The only change perceived in him and that was a slight tremour of the eye lid, and a faint pallor in the cheek, was when under the dim light of mould candles, when the breath of the crowd in the room was hushed, the poor girl's bonnet with its ribbons saturated with blood, and the razor with the edge of her thunb sliced off adhering to it, were produced and placed on the table. Then and then only was the prisoner through the weary hearing, observed to blanch. But this physical manifestation might have been produced independent of his guilt with innocence. The scene as pourtrayed then was worthy of the pencil of Rembrandt. The prisoner, after a remarkable defence from Mr Verity, who created an immense sensation by falling helpless with a swish of his handkerchief into the arms of a policeman, was committed for trial. For want of an important . link in the datunatory evidence against him, the grand jury threw out the bill. His return to the valley was hailed with vociferoui acclammations by the many who, believing him innocent, had liberally subscribed for his defence. There are many to-day who still hold to the opinion that the tragedy of Tyntyla was a suicide, and not a murder, though it is said there are or were witnesses who could have furnished the missing link, but for the abhorrence the Celt has of being looked upon as an informer, and so prevented society from avenging poor Jane Lewis' untimely death. Well, revowns a nos moutons, the town was making progress, though that progess was but slow. The arrangements of the New Inn needed overhauling. First came the Assembly Room, then the New Bar, then as a distinct advance in lontypridd civilizAtion, a Billiard Rotm ; then a storey of bed rooms to accommodate the increasing commercial element.• This advance was considered equal to any prospective emergency, and matters went smoothly on until Mr Cousin's death, which took place suddenly at Birmingham, whither he bad gone on a visit. The obsequies of the poptslar landlord of the New Inn were attended by a lariet body of mourners from within and without the town. He lies in Glyntaff Churchyard, leaving the memory behind him of a fair, straightforward, honest, open spoken man, who always meant what he said, and said what he meant. [To be continued.]