Bargoed Journal. — 1907-01-17 (Gelligaer, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

BUNGALOW TRAGE.DY.  Insurance Agent's Suicide at New Tredagar.  The Mother's Grief at the inquest.  Mr. J. B. Walford and a jury met at New Tredegar Police Station on Friday to investigate the circumstances of the death of Mathouwy Williams (22), a son of the famous Welsh musician the late Cledan Williams, composer of " Cragy-bar." It will be remembered that on Wednesday of last week deceased was found dead in the bedroom of the bungalow in which he resided with his widowed mother, and the bullet wound in his head had made the place like a shambles, the brains being scattered on the ceiling, walls and furniture, and the bed besmeared with his life blood.  Mr. Geo. Brown was foreman of the jury. Mrs. Ann Williams, the mother, stated that her son was an agent to the Refuge Assurance Company, and prior to that he had been an assistant in a grocer's shop and had also been employed in London and other places. He had been back in New Tredegar for about three years. The Coroner: Was he drinking? Witness: No, he was a good boy. Proceeding, she stated that her son was in good health and she had no reason to suspect that he was wrong in his head. She believed her son got up early "to fill the gun." He retired about 11.30, and when she entered the house after ;Ting from home all day she spoke to him and asked him to come out of the bedroom, and he said, " All right, mother, I'll come," but he did not do so. About 6.30 next morning she , heard a noise like a fall.  The Coroner pressed her to describe the noise. and as her answer was unsatisfactory he said, " I wish you would not fence with me; there is no sense in deceiving or humbug." Witness replied that she could not understand what it was, but on going outside and looking through the window she saw a candle burning in the room. She called her son Jenkin, who burst in the door, which had been bolted from inside. On entering she saw Mathonwy lying on the floor (lead with the gun at his side. He had had the gun for about four years and of late kept it under his bed. She knew nothing about his money matters. He Lad no independent income, and as for his connection with the Refuge Company the assistant superintendent (Mr. Win. Evans) told her everything was all right. There was about £2 15s. in a purse.  Police-sergeant Humphries: There is one thing that ought to be mentioned. He WM ecretary of the Pride of Glamorgan Benefit Society and everything was all right then. A juryman asked a question regarding the gun. which was produced and found to be one with, a sliding lock, but the trigger guard was not fixed on it. .  The mother said he often took the gun to pieces to clean it. The Coroner: Yes, but he would not have to take the guard off to clean it. It is probable that he took it off to put his foot on the trigger. Jenkin Rosser, a step-brother, was next called. He stated that the deceased had no love affair and had had no quarrel. The body was left in the same position as found until the police arrived. Arthur Morgan, a young assistant to Messrs. Williams and Sons, ironmongers, deposed to the deceased calling upon him and asking for half-a-dozen cartridges with which he was supplied. Witness sold him them and asked if he would buy the box, but he said he was going on a shooting expedition to Llandrindod and could get plenty when he reached there. Then the deceased offered to sell witness his watch and chain. The watch, he said, cost 10 guineas and the chain £3 15s. Directly after he said he would not part with it. The step-brother declared that he knew nothing of the contemplated visit to Llandrindod though he had often been there for his holidays. Police-sergeant Humphries stated that on being called he procaedecl to the bungalow and found the deceased on his back on the floor with Dr. Roberts bandaging the head. He watt quite dead, and the gun we.s at his side. Witness took possession of the gun and went back to the police station, but found that the trigger' guard was missing, and he returned to the house and was there handed it by a young man named Vaughan. The row on the previous I nwrigeshttlinwg" withve rayn tthrei nng e i n and sode w ne:one strucakshim in the mouth. He (the sergeant) had made inquiries of the treasurer of the friendly society and was told everything was straight. The Coroner: That may be; thedaooks could be straight even if the cash was not.. f Dr. D. R. Roberts then described how he ound deceased dead in bed with the gun at his left side. The body was warm and there was ' a bullet wound near the temple which had passed right through the head emerging behind the ear. The police-sergeant explained that he found five cartridges in a coat pocket. The Coroner described it as a sad case, but the point for the jury was a very narrow one. It was 'whether death was accidental or by suicide. (The mother, bursting into team, j. Oh, dear no.") They were entitled to be .1 governed also by their personal acquaintance with the deceased. It was a very simple case. . The man bought cartridges whiell. were ob. viously unsuitable for shooting game, the discharge took place within a few inches of his head, and there were other circumstances pointing to intent in the trigger guard being unscrewed, whilst there was a knife near with which this may have been done. The death was either due to some motive which had not been disclosed or the deceased was unbalanced. (At this the mothers grief increased and she cried out, " No, it was an accident.") After a consultation in private, the jury returned a verdict to the effect that " Deceased committed suicide by shooting himself whilst temporarily of unsound mind.'