The Potteries Examiner : — 1876-08-12 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

AND SUICIDE  NEAR WELLINGTON.  --On Tuesday last a tragedy of a most dreadful character was enacted at Rushmore, near Wellington, Shropshire. On the morning of that day, between eight and nine o'clock, a man named James Winnall, the son of a well-to-do farmer, went out to shoot birds in a otrnfiold, and shortly after his return the servant girl, Ann Parton, fourteen years of age, and Winnall, w re found dmal in the kitchen of the house, with a portion of their heads blown away, and the fl tor covered with blood. On the evening of the some day an inquest was held upon the bodies, and the following evidence was given t--Mary Winnall, sister of the deceased Jas. Winnall, said Parton hal lived with her father for about five months, and her brother had always dyed at home. She (the witness) got up shortly after six on Monday moreing, and her brother came down soon after He went out to milk the cows, anti then re. I turned and took his breakfast. Parton afterwards came down, and her (witness's) brother went out to shoot birds. Immediately after his return, between eight and nine o'clock, the report of a gun seas heard, and she (witness) went into the house. She there saw her brother and Parton on the floor dead. A portion of the bead of ouch was blown away, the brains were scat, tend uson the walls and ceiling, and the floor was 'voted with blood. She (witness) bad gone out of the kitchen to fetch coal, and was only absent a few minutes. She only heard one report. Her brother Was on good tertns with all in the house, and she never saw him take liberties or act improperly in any way with Partpn.—Noah Churn] said he lived at Rushmore with Mr. Winnall, the father of the deceased, James Winnall. On Tuesday morning he was called up by the deceased about six o'clock, and he went to work in a fi+lll a short distance from the house. He heard Miss Winnall shouting, luld he went to the house. He found the two deceased persons lying on the floor in the kitchen. The gun was pointing towards the windo.v. The day before Winnall Was at work in a field weeding turnips. He talked sensibly enough, but he conkd ~ever talk very plain.—John Jones, waggoner at Rushmoor, said he was at work, on the morning in question, in ths orchard cutting grass. The deceased man came to him and took some of the grass away. Some time after he heard Miss Winnall give an alarm, and he ran to the house, when he saw what had occurred. Winnall, the deceased, was hard of hearing, and it was difficult for those who were net used to him to und rstand him when he spokeille was very passionate, and would throw anything he had in his haud at anyone who vexed hitn.—Police-constable Langford,Wrockwarline, said he received information of what had occurred, anti at once went to the house. The girl was lying near the fireplace, and the man at the other end of the kitchen. The gun was by the deceased man's feet. There was half a cup of tenon the tattle, and the girl appeared to have been getting her breakfast. lb--re were shot marks and blood in the fireplace near the girl, and blood and hr tins on the ceiling near where the man lay, so that there must have been two distinct shots from the gun.—Dr. Ryder said he was sent for to Ruslummr, bat when he arrived the bodies had been removed from the kitchen. He found in the man a gunshot wooed, which went upwards, under the left ear. The woman was shot in the same part of the head. He attended Winnall about eighteen months ago, wben he (Winnall) Was in a low state of mind in consequence of the death of his mother. He partially recovered, and had not been under him (the witness) since. Die mental capacity of Winnall had always beeu of a low order, and such that Inc might, at any time, commit any act.—A verdict was returned to the effect that Winnall committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity, and that the girl was shot by him while he was in that state.