The Herald of Wales and Monmouthshire Recorder. — 1884-04-05 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

MURDER AND SUICIDE  AT SW 41,1SELI.  A horrible tnigtcly was perpetratel in Swansea on Widnesday morning, the victims being. a fiahmenger in High street, named Padley, and his wife. Padley waa well known in the town, having carried on businem as a fishmonger at the upper end of High street for many year,. He and his wife retired to re+t aLout half-peat ten on Tunday night, and their little girl and the servant, who' slept together, also went to b..d about the same time. Nothing seems to have transpired, or, at any r4o, no ;loin& of any sort was heard in Mr. and Nen. Padley's bedroom, until shortly before two o'clock on Wednesday morning. At that time the little girl befo-e)nentionod awoke the servant, stating she thought thire was something the matter. As however, it was no uncommon ceeurrenee to heir Padley and his wife quarrelling, the e rvant took au notice, and soon fell asleep sosin, but only ti be nvrakened a second time by her young beciti  companion. Now the girl begs-in to think there really was something serious the matter, though abe heard no noise of any sort, save a "goggling" sound, ac of a person choking. The little girl again asked most pitifully, " Emma, do get up and see what is the matter, or I will have to do .0 myeelf." The servant at length got out of bed, but appeare to have been too much afraid to go near the bedroom occupied by her master and miatress, for she went etraigtt to the front room, opened the window and shouted fore policeman to come. A porter happened to pass the home at the time, and after telling him something was the matter, she asked him to go to the police ststion for a constable. He at once proceeded to High. street police station, to execute his errand, and ret iirned to tell the young woman an officer would be there presently. He bad no soccer left the house than P.C. Piet cy arrived. He entered the slop, and Mee net by the servant, Whose name ' is Emma Jenkins, who told the constable she wee afraid something was the matter up-tairs b taten Mr. and Mrs. Padley. They both wended their way upstairs, and Pinny burst open Padley's bedroom, when to his horror he found Mre. Pulley lying in a pool tif blood on the bed, with a fearful wound on the head extending from the forehead, round the left side of the head, as far as the mope of the neck. She was unconeciones and unable to move, and were not f r the fact that she breathed but very slightly the unfortunate woman would have been taken for dead. Padley's little eaughter informed the police officer that hor father went down claim to his drawers, ' though she does not seem to hay., made this statement to Emma Jenkins. Piercy accordingly aearched the house, and on ocrmins to a back room on the ground floor used for the purpose of drying flab, be found Padley hanging by a rope which was suspended from the ceiling. He was quite dead. The rope was about eix feet in length, and was quite new, having it is said, been purchased by the deceased on the previous day. The beam to which the rope wan attached was between fourteen and sixteen feet from ;the Boor, and in order to commit the foul net the deceased had to approaeh the beam ty climbing up the p .orn which are need for banging herrings, and other dried ash upon. The deceased had long hem addicted to chiek, but the aervant stater that he signed the temperance pledge on fiaturdie, having promised to give up drinking altogether. To this it I. said he firmly adhered, not having tasted intoxicante of any kind shim ; but it is neverthelem strange that be should, in Member momenta, lure committed sueh • tragedy which, aexerding te the facts, moat have been Premeditated. It was no annsasl °common for the deemed and his wife to quarrel, and many a time has the woman &mud it necessary to call in the assistance of .he police in ooneequenee of the ill-treatment of her husband. We understand the unfortunate couple have been leading an unpleasant life for Teens. Padley himself was an excellent business man. He purchased flab from all parts of the kingdom, and carried on a large wholetside end retail trade, having a couple of horses and carte employed in his business. He was well-nigh approaching 50 years of age, and leaves a family of five children ; the eklest is 26 yams of age, and is employed as • hobbler at the docks. The woman was apparently about the mime age as her husband They are both Swanton pecq le, whose parents are spoken of as be ng highly r -pee able cilia us of the borough. We o nitted to mention in the previous portion of our report that:Dr. Howell Thomas and his assistant were called to see Mrs. Pulley, and filmy did not entertain the slightest hope of her rex.v3ry, her skull being literally battered in. The only wonder is that she was Irvin at all after the brutal attack upon her. From a statement made by Emma Jenkins, the deceased and his wife were on friendly terms on Tuesday night. Before proceeding to bed the deemeed went into the eervsnt's room, testing that he heard the noise of the cat, and asking if it wee there. He efterwards entered his own room and closed the dor, and the girl taw nor heard nothing more until next morning. P.C. Willie (36) found a crowbar in the deceased's bedroom, about three feet long, with which Padley is supposed to have inflicted the injuries on his wife. That no poke was heard is a fact which can easily be accounted for, inasmuch as the first blow horn such a deadly weapon would at once render the woman unconatioue. The greatest excitement pievaile in the town in consequence of this tragic affair, and a stet/ of police has been found necessary he disperse the crowd of people who flock near the house. A latter addressed to the Coroner by the deseised was found.  It is about ten years ago since a tragic event similar to the present one took place in Swansea, and on that occasion a man named Duncan murdered his wife in the Strand by battering in her skull with a flat-iron. He afterwards attempted to commit suicide by throwing himself into the North Look, but was rescued, and tried for the crime, and sentenced to 12 sears' penal servitude. Duncan is now an iLmate In a lunatic asylum.  Mr. -Padley succumbed on Wednesday afternoon, between one and two o'clock, to the injuries she recoiled at the hands of her huetool.  [BY L