The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1842-09-06 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

FRIGHTFUL MURDER OF A CHILD BY ITS MOTHER, AND SUICIDE OF THE MURDERESS.  (From the Merthyr Guardian of Saturday.)  The unfortunate woman who was principal actor in the mournful scene was named Mary Evan. She lived with her husband at the Red Cow, a decent public-house, situate about four miles from Llantrissent, and one mile from TonyrEfel. The inn is well known on the road, and none who frequented it ever suspected that Mrs. Evan was a person at all likely to commit so dreadful an act. She had formerly been a servant in the family of Mr. Harris, of Treverig—in that occupation she continued three years—and faithfully performed her duties. She was 44 years of age. On arriving at the Red Cow a frightful spectacle presented itself. The house was filled with weeping and wailing friends. The wretched husband sat groaning in a chair by his desolate fire-side, and the shrieks of the neighbours who, now and then, ventured into the rooms where the bodies lay, were absolutely appalling. We first went into the room in which lay the dead body of the poor little fellow, William Evan. He was six years of age, and as the neighbours touchingly remarked, " his mother's boy." He was her only child, and she was passionately fond of him. On Wednesday morning, Mr. Evan got up for the purpose of proceeding to Cummer, at which place he had built some houses. His object in going was to receive some rent due to him. He left the Red Cow, between seven and eight o'clock in the morning.. Before his quitting the house, his wife went to the child's bedside and kissed him twice. After this, what passed within the house is merely a matter of conjecture. The only two persons why could give au account are no more. At about ten o'clock, a little boy who had been in the habit of taking the poor murdered child to school for him. the door and windows were closed. He fancied he heard a noise as of knocking in the house, but supposing that the people within were busy, he went off. At that moment, it is most probable the child was being murdered. The Red Cow is not a much-frequented house, and thus may account for the unnoticed closed doors and windows during the hours of ten and three o'clock, at which time the husband returned from Cummer. When he got to his own door it was closed, and so were the window shutters. After ineffectual knockings he, with a gentleman of Aberdare, who had stopped just before for a glass of beer, burst open the door. The room below was quiet and clean ; all was in order. His wife having been of late subject to low spirits, a fear flashed on Mr. Evan's mind, and he went up stairs. The first object which he saw was the lifeless body of his wife. She was suspended from a beam, and quite dead. Two persons, named Thomas Williams and Evan Matthew, cut her down. At first it was supposed that she was alive, as both her feet trailed on the floor. On a closer examination it was found, that before placing the cord round her neck, her throat had been cut. The manner in which the cord had been placed over the beam was striking. Mrs. Evan must have made two turns, and then fixed a noose at the end of the rope on a peg, which was in the timber, thus preventing the noose slipping, and frustrating her deadly purpose. When the husband saw the body he had no idea of the death of his child, but the blood on the hands of his wife excited his fears. He proceeded to the parlour, and there lay lSis son with his throat cut in a shocking manner, and quite dead. He lay in a pool of blood. When we saw the poor child he had been removed to a table, but the appearance of the room was terrific—the blood covered the floor. In a pool of gore lay the razor with which the murder was committed, s shown mndostthiepnrtotri probable eboslweonft bloodhthaet poor adrbkroia. It i a' s struggles were distinctlymitted immediately Mr. Evans left his d f houseul d e eidns twheeremcoorrnn ing, a The ns them rdesrhouptehres ewhei Irtel ov 13. as se r pv ee rdpteot br aete d close ind taht et e dna or k' oacknd. when the person who found his body entered the room, he stumbled over it.  It is not a little singularhat although Mrs. Evan's hands an d arms o lweren nd w covered s found with in n n blood to the elbows, yet not a trace f blood was have cut her throat down the room where she hung hertto herself. She must it is supposed, stairs, and then, finding that he ineffectual, she hung herself, a!empt destroy life was adjusted it before-hand. having provided the rope and Mrs. Evan had of late been observed and shy, but no apprehensions of her injuring herself were to be low spirited however, entertained. She had been heard, he husband would do very well without her vsnr(„i to say that her , also frequently expressed her fears that she t should come to e child. She poverty, and as her husband had borrowed Ennne enable him to finish his houses, at Cummer, she seemed toafraid that lie never would be able to repay it, although there was not the slightest ground for her misgivings. We have since beard that the unfortunate woman attempted her own destruction and that of her child some yearssince, when she strapped the boy on her back, and walked intoossible, river. They were then saved, to experience if p • the a dreadful fate.  The following curious inscription is copied from a tombstone in Lincoln Cathedral :—" Here lieth ye body of Michael Iloneywood, D.D., who was grand-child, and one did of ye 367 persons that Mary the wife of Ricbd. H., see before she died, lawfully descended from lier—that!s, 16 of her own body, 114 grand-children, 228 of the third generation, and 9 of ye fourth."