The Herald of Wales and Monmouthshire Recorder. — 1886-08-07 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

DISCOVERY OF A STAKED SKELETON. The excavation of a trench for the laying of • gas main at a point where Cannon-street-road and Cable-street, in St. George's-in-the-East, cross one another, has led to- the discovery of the skeleton of a Elan with a stake driven through it. The remains weie fund at a depth of 6ft., and some portions of • chain were lying in aloes proximity to the bones. The person whose remains have thus so strangely been brought to light is,by common omment,declared to be the principal in some tragio ocaurrences which took place at the close of the year 1811. Shortly before 12 o'clock on Saturday night, December Bth, in that year, the servant of • Mr. Man, • silk mercer, residing at 29, Rateliff.highway, was sent out to purchase some oysters and to pay a bill. On her return, in about 20 minute, she was unable to gain admittance to the house, the shutters being closed,the door fastened and all the lights being oat. With the aid of Mr. Murray, who lived next door, an entrance was obtained through the back door, which was open, and it was then discovered that the whole of the inmates of the house had been murdered. They °omitted of Mr. and Mrs. M.arr, their infant child, aged 14 weeks, and an apprentioe named James Gohen, aged 14 years. The two former had not been married two years, and were each under 26 years of Age, and apparently nothing was taken from the house, for earth to the amount of nearly £l6O Wal found in a tin box, or on the person of Mr. Math. The murderer, left behind • large shipwright's maul or mallet, the head weighing two or three pounds, and the handle being about three feet long, an iron chisel 18 inches long, and • wooden mallet about four inches "quasi, with a handle of about 18 inches in length. These were the only trees' left with which to unravel the mystery, the perpetrators having left the holm by the back docr on to a pier. ef waste ground belonging to the London Dock Company, So things remained until Thursday night, December 19th, between 11 and 12 o'clock, when the neighbourhood of New Gravel-lane was alarmed by a cry of "Murder" at the King's Arms public-house, and • man quite naked was seen de. ecending from • second-floor window by the aid of sons sheets knotted together. His name woo Turner. He lodged in the home, and hie evidence was to the effect that after having gone upstairs to bed he beard a cry, "We shall all be murdered," which induced him to cautiously go down again, and looking through the glass window of the tap-room he saw • powerful man, 6ft. high, dressed in • drab. shaggy bearskin coat, stooping over the body of Mrs. Willi•maon, the landlady, apparently rifling her pockets ; he then returned to his bedroom and let himself down from the window. The front door having been broken open, it was discovered that Mr. Williamson had been' murdered in the cellar, and the servant girl was lying dead by the side of her mistress, the vacant piece of land belonging to the Dock Company having evidently again been used by the murderers to escape. Strong evidence induced the authorittea to apprehend an Irish sailor named John Williams, alias Murphy, who lodged at a public-home called the Pear Tree, kept by Mrs. Vermillos and at which house there bad been left by John Paterson, • ellip's carpenter, a chest of tools. The maul found in the house where the first murder was committed was identified as belonging to this set of tools, and a woman who had washed Murphy's linen stated that a shirt of his was bloody and torn when it came into her bands. There was other evidence pointing to him as the murderer, or, at all events, one of the murderer., supposing he had accomplices, and he was remanded to Coldbath Fields Prison. On December 27th, upon his cell being opened, it was discovered be bad hanged himself with his pocket-bandkerchief, and it is believed the remains now discovered at the cross roads are those of this unmitigated scoundrel. There were strong siapicions against two men, friends of the suicide, named Alibis.. and Hart, as being implicated with him in these murders, but we believe after several examinations they were discharged, the. evidence against them being too weak for conviction.  The Sheriff of Lancaahire on Saturday received an intimation from the Home Office that Police. constable Alfred Bligh, who wee condemned to death at the last Lancaater assizes for the murder of lus three ohildren at Kirkham, on May 15, has been reopited.  Her Majesty's ship Elisppho, which wan under orders to prepare at Sheerness for commission, has been condemned ae unfit for foreign service. Handbills are being circulated in various districts is Wales demanding Home Rule for the Principality. • -  , • Another fatal duel is reported. It toot place in Algiers, the parties to it being two non-commissioned cavalry officers, who fought with sabres. The bead of one was cleft in twain.  On Saturday morning an elephsnt belonging to Bog• took and Wombwell's menagerie, whilat marching into Portsmouth, ran into hilsea barracks, seized a sentt7 rod the left leg and Snow him to the around before ho had time to protect himself. The animal then gale loped round the barrack square, excitang the greatest consternation ; uut, after eating a dab of potatoes tad cleinkiog soms orate ,ho quiet!y treat away.  Justice Mathew,  once proaseded to I calendar contains  It los dew* 'Mathew took Ma seat eetopeaced 'the bok kr the Galati waived at  Sheriff,  cuNDrnott 4' . sa.vh:ess ity ,svibettbtakir %.111.1 tr.t.•,`" bethite did Dot ::11pe isasaeity al 16e dielbariask bat A^ reamtheledsLthelearer Yr. de- appointed . "tniabligi kir &nal 1111•141038- timaniar Aeaiall t al the Dilatms. ft sae ontarbs ert...74 .B:rimaess from Chester Surat Tilt mi IsairOtikak, Labraderome that the popal* 1.,.._"' ton of that siblisariat *ma lON* 13D. I" •• hPn ....." be left witb bls wile not a fil,ll reiiialaed. Early me is Marib the Seel gave am& - - deep of oir inadskah and bit of ematelcia was railing. r , the thstervals a illaalrughter t1:14 bear erma killed. Filially... . wirs quit 11313 DAY, =hanged. On Setae 3 they had nothing for __ • six dam lad, goaded by Maw, 4 at the 1 corpse. of several whitest A kis , were 1 kilted by tbeeokL When ens el ti dlsvl. .. . •• oat ores mod from tor ' terrible dymesterr e-• . . . ..