The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1876-08-26 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE INQUEST AND VERDICT. A,131- in quest has been held at the " Dolaucouthy IZlnSi'before Mr. J. Prothero Lewis, coroner, on the 17 of Mr. John Johnes. Evidence having been mken, the jury returned a verdict to the effect that johnes had been wilfully murdered by his butler, Y Tremble, who had committed suicide. of oubacquently Mr. Lewis held an inquest on the body enrY Tremble, the butler, when the following • ence was taken t— ca"-";,,. William Morgan, of Liverpool, and Albert-mount, cet:4' WaS the first witness called. He said he knew the de• d, Henry 'tremble. Oa Saturday last he saw him in the bare, about ten minutes past eleven o'clock, and witness hbes a long Conversation with him. First of all he saluted toki him he had shot Mr. johner, saying that as he imse',▪ ,tri the neighbourhood, and had a horse with him, it was kr. to go as fast as he could to Llandovery to fetch letc,o,tuclxias, surgeon. The man added that Mr. Johnes dari7,-, soon be dead, and that Mrs. Cookmau was hat injured, injured. Ile also said he was sorry he could ~_'-e-ireplishnis object with the latter, as the cook was in csarjaY, and lie did not want to hurt her. He was to a gun' and witness tried to persuade him kitit it awry, but he said he had an account tOeltle with Jonn Davies (the man in negotiation for th: Dolaucothy Arms,') and that be wished to keep the, guisi to defend himself from the police. -Witness goo'fyirifere.d his horse to be called, and bid Tremble andsie uyg he would be back agsin in the afternoon, t `u,Rt. he hoptio he would then be eiss excited. Tremble that he would not be alive. On hie way home he • that Mr, .Tuhnes was dead, and he only at that It, "ete%ii•ed the truth of what 'Tremble had told him sonl"elieved the man before to have been suffering from t e Uelosion A little before one o'ciock he returned o (2, ' Yo. and saw the decease i at one of the windows of his "11, house. lie called a Hum to him, and having , gsstill in his hand, and referring to the police, said, toTkOod's sake keep those men away, for I do not want Rtte e awry innocent liver. It they or anybocy else raPt to interfere with use shoot them like dogs.'' oteh:,.llen showed nis guo in ono hand and a pistol in the Witness told him the policemen, two of whom Crre ttandlieg outside the bourn would not take him by and that it would he hest for him to give himself up Justice at once, Ps a jury might only bring in a verdict ;`rnanmlaughter. He rep:ied that he had planned it, ,tt!ticted it, aud it, and that he kiiew it was not man-I,Tußhter. In she course ef fir ther Observations he said b: would not cbrgr.:„ca his family by being hung, and that Would commit suicide. Ile bhen called for his daughter topto be allowed to take him a glass of water, and he ented for her to go on his promising not to injure her. ectlY afterwards the girl came out to witness crying, and himself appeared to be wiping his face with a cloth. the girl came to witness, he shouted, '• If you can do for her, G:cl bless yon," and disappeared. Witness IZrroarked that he was either going to destroy himself or in. some other person, and almost before he had got the  words dut of his mouth he heard the report of the gun in the bedroom, It was then ascertained that he had committed suicide. and witness went and saw the body. Tremble died within half an hour after the gun was fired He had torn his clothes and the shirt open at the breast, and witness there saw a wound. By the Foreman: Tremble was very much excited, but not deranged, and he believed it was his intention to commit suicide. Pollee, constable Philip Morgan said tint on Saturday last he heard of whit had occurred at Dolaucothy, and went in pursuit of Tremble, and about twelve o'clock he saw him in the village of Cayo, and he was then speaking to Mr, Williams, of the vicarage. Police-constable Davies and witness watcheel him until he went into the house. They then watched back and front to see that he did not come out again. The front door he locked when he went into the house: The witness then gave confirmatory evidence as to the suicide. The shot was fired about half-past one o'clock, and directly he heard it witness rushed into the house and saw Tremble lying on the floor with the gun beside him. One cartridge only had been discharged, although the other barrel was loaded. A pistol and a number of cartridges were also found in the room.  Police-constable Davies spoke to a conversation he had with the deceased before he heard of the tragedy at Dolancothy, and to his threatening to shoot him. Martha Tremble, who appeared in deep mourning, was next called, and stated that she was the wife of the deceased, and that he was thirty-six years of age. The Coroner briefly summed up, and pointed out that there could be no doubt that Tremble had killed himself in order to escape the consequences of the cruel murder he had committed at Dolaucothy. The only question for the jury was the state of his mind at the time he committed suicide. The jury at once returned a verdict of fel° de se.  The following, says the Western Mail, is a copy of the letter sent by Tremble to the Vicar of Cayo, the Rev. Charles Chidlow, who produced it and submitted it to the coroner : August 15th, 1878. I, Henry Tremble, butler, at Dolecothy, in the county of Carmarthen, do hereby authorise the Rev. Charles Chidlow, Cayo Vicarage, to take up my money that is now in the National Provincial Bank, Carmarthen, and to pay the said money quarterly at the rate of from £3O to £4O per year to my Boater Elizabeth, Susan Tremble for the rnaintanins of herselfe and her sisters and Brothers, namely, Susan Louisa Tremble, Chas Henry Tremble, Alice Jane Tremble, John Tremble, Frances Sarah Tremble. I will leave all the money that I can in a little box, and the bank receipt also, the key of which I will enclose to you, that you will be able to judge how that money will last before you draw on the bank. Sir, I hope you will excuse me taking this liberty, as I have no friends in this country nor do I know anyone that would be l'kely to take any interest in my children except you, as a Christian clergyman. Hoping at some future time you will be found amongst the good shepherds is the earnest wish of your obedient servant,