The Sun. — 1858-04-12 (London, England)

EXTRAORDINARY CASE OP SELF-M TIRDER, AND DESTRUCTION OP A DIVELLIN  The vilisge of Beaufort, South Wales, has been the scene of one of the most remarkable cases of self-de-true ion which it has ever fal en to our lot to record, and a coroner's jury has decided that at the time of his committing the fatal crime, its perpetrator was in his right senses, and accountable for his acts. The deceased, whose name was George Screech, and who was between 45 and 50 years of ego, was not a native of the principality, hut earns to the neighl.ourlio ,d of Beaufort from Somersetshiie four or five years ago, and had since worked in the mines. At the time of his death he was residing at the house of a relative of his, a decent man, who also got his bread as a miner, named Richard Greenland. During the last few months he had once or twice said he wished he was dead, as he was tired of so much hard work, but nothing in his conduct had induced any suspieion that his mind was effected. Latterly he had been out of work, and looked more poorly than usual, but his appetite continued good, and no apprehensions were entertained regarding him. On the day of his death he was talking to Mrs. Greenland as usual, and she was working about tar house performing her u-ual household duties. Her husband being a miner, he always kept some kegs of blasting gunpowder in his house, which, with a view to greater secut ity, he deposited in an upstairs room. At the time in question there were quantities in two casks, one of which had the head out, and the, other a bole bored through the top. In the course of her duties Mrs. Greenland had to leave her house for a minute or two. As she passed the door she noticed the deceased going hurriedly towards the bottom of the staircase, and in a minute afterwards an explosion was heard, which shook the place like an earthquake. The utmost terror was occasioned, and the affrighted neighbours ran from their cottages to see what was the causeeef the alarming occurrence. It was soon perceived that Greenland's house was shattered to pieces. The roof was completely blown off, its fragments being scattered in all directions, the windows were torn out, the walls shattered, and the lower rooms filled with a dense suffocating smoke. On a search being made, Mrs. Greenland's infant, which she had left in a cradle in a lower room, was found alive, but the clothes were on fire and the poor little thing half choked with the vapour. Screech was found amongst the debris frightfully burnt and mangled, but sill alive and conscious. Prior to his death, which occurred some six or seven hours afterwards, he confessed that he had himself wilfully caused the explosion, and must have been tempted by the devil. He siid, being determined to destroy himself, he took the tongs, drew a red-hot coal from the fire, carried it upstairs, and threw it into the open cask of gunpowder, which was under the bed. As to the baby, he forgot that she was there. An inquest was held on the body at the Beaufort Arms Inn before the deputy-coroner, Mr. E. C. Davies, and a respectable jury. Tee foregoing particulars were deposed to, and Mrs. Greenland and a man named Amos were examined with a view to ascertain the state of his mind. A verdict of felo de se was returned, and the remains of the unhappy wan were interred in unconsecrated ground, and without funeral rites, at ten o'clock at night. Some of the adjacent houses were much shaken by the explosion, but were less injured than from its violence might have been ex.)ec.ed.  Country Mari ets