The Telegram. — 1895-10-01 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

MURDERS BY A MADMAN. TRIPLE TRAGEDY NEAR WORCESTER.  At Oinhersley, near Worcester, on Thursday, Thomas Hartland, homicidal marlin:in, shot dead a labourer, and tramp, severely wounded Mr. South, landlord of the Rose and Crown Inn, and afterwards completed the tragedy by fatally altoutit.g himself. That Hartland was mad is, says a local correspondent, beyond doubt. lie had no grudge of ill-feeling against his victims,and appears to have tired at the first men he met. It seems also that madness runs in the family, a younger brother being at present in the lunatic asylum near Worcester. Twelve years ago the murderer was himself the landlord of the Hose and Crown, but latterly he had been employed as a iabourer by Bass anti Company at Burtoteun-Trent. Two years ago he accidentally fractured his skull. After his recovery, he complained of pains in the head, and up to the end of last May was confined in Brentwood Asylum, Lichfield. When he left the asylum his employers sent him to his mother's home at Ombersley, for the benefit of his health. On Thursday, however, he said that the pains in his head were more than he could bear. He went for a drive in the morning and returned for dinner, after partaking of which he shot an old man named Davis, a shepherd, who lodged at the house. After killing Davis, Hartland went down the road towards the Rose and Crown. On the way there, he saw a tramp sleeping by the roadside; whom healso despatched. This inan's name is unknown, but he is believed to belong to Wolverhampton, nod to have been hop-picking in W. rcestersh ire. Hi-died immediately the charge entered his head. Hartland's next victim was the landlcrd of the Rose and Crown, Walter South. When the homicide entered the house he talked for some time to both Mr. and Mrs. South, and they noticed from the first that his manner was peculiar. He complained of paws in the head and called for a pint .4 beer, which the landlord drank with him. Hartland then asked South to let him have a pickling cabbage from the garden, and when Mrs. South offered to fetch it, said, " No ; let the boss go, and I'll go with him." They went to the garden together, and Hartland called South's attention to the crop of potatoes by the side of the garden hedge. South thereupon turned to look in that direction, mud Hartland immediately hied at him, the charge entering the landlord's head. South was able to run to the house and exclaim, "'row Hartland has shot me," and as these words were uttered another report was heard. A man named Greenwood, in the adjoining garden, attracted by the first report, was in time to see Hartland, who was on knee., put the revolver to his mouth and fire. Hartland fell to the ground, and after a time expirel.—Hartland's mother says she once heard her son remark, "South is doing too well down there. I shall have to stop it. I ought to be there." The man South is not yet dead, as was at first reported, and there is good hope, thiat he may yet recover. The ball, which was tired from behind, passed through the cheek bone, just under the eye, and penetrated the jaw, but the brain was not touched. The conmer's enquiry into the tragedy was hell on Friday evening, whet evidence was gilen as to the murderer's acts and his state of mind. The jury returned a verdict of wilful murder in the cases of the old man Davis and the tramp, and insanity in case of the suicide. The medical men have removed the bullet and sonic broken bone from the head of South.