The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1892-12-30 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

STARTLING TRAGEDY AT THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR ABERKENFIG. 1 AT COYTRAHEN.  AN INSANE COLLIER'S SUICIDE.  ASTOUNDING HALLUCINATIONS.  INQUEST AND VERDICT.  The startling report of a sudden death reached us on Thursday last from Aberkenfig. Very rarely anything of an exciting character occurs to ruffle the habitual serenity of this pretty little hamlet, which is situated not half a mile from the scene of the terrible colliery calamity at Tondu. On Tuesday week, however. the inhabitants were plunged into a palpable state of excitement and consternation by the shocking announcement that an old inhabitant of the place—who was reputed to be a miser—had met with hie death by his own hand. The circumstances connected with the mournful occurrence certainly tended to support this theory, and in some quarters the rumour was rife that the unfortunate man had burned his house to the ground, and had himself afterwards died from shock. But this story wee contradicted by the relatives. Deceased, Joseph Thomas, was a bachelor, in the forty-fourth year of his age, and resided at the extreme end of Alma terrace, Abeikeutig. His abode is somewhat romantically situated, it being a semi-detached cottage, cut off entirely from the main road, the terrace itself comprising sin.ply a handful of tenements. The only access to the deceased's house was by means of a:narrow lane, which at nightfall was mcarcely passable, owing to the deep gloom which 4 Wir pervaded the thoroughfare. Such _a place would  ,A favourite rendezvous for highwaymen • .1 conspicuous absence of '. • Articular locality does not • • •• • sery favourably with the • • Aberkentig. Aftergroping . the shadow of death," . • .• ,ed deceased's cottage, and, •- ..ne, entered the gloomier came face to face with . the entrance, lay the corpse, .• • I only light visible being a eh stood on a small round , • „. i's side. The room smelled . timber, but beyond this no .. In was to be noticed. A fire . grate, and a general aspect of ••• id the apartment, which is a parlour combined. Deceased's •• '• atm, collier, living in the (iarw . s sitar, on being interviewed, the -•- of the whole matter:—His • ose at his usual hour, seven . ty morning. At about eight to was acquainted with deceased, tity of the house, perceived a • - • suing from the bedroom window. s • . dug wrong, he forced his way . d there found a portion of the 1 the room from the adjoining Matthews, the mason referred • s. guinhed the fire, and deceased, who • ~ lay prosti ate on his knees in his _ Aeusiule condition. Medical sssi procured, Dr T. Jones and Dr ant) attending on deceased on Tues. .ollowing day, when they found . • ate of collapse, and in the afternoon - yhe expired. TliE INQUEST  %he Angel inn, Aberkentig, on Friday . ..• : • -before Mr Cutlibertsun (coroner), and •i deli Mr E. Williams, Ynisawdre, was • .•.au.—lsaac Thomas, a brother of the .:. • , viug in the (.iarw Valley, deposed • who was 43 years of age last birth. • •••, merly a collier, but had not worked for --!-. months, the reason being that he was • : ',•:itness did not know what he complained • . ~ed was umnarlied and lived by himself. sw him before, deceased said he did not _ .eceased) ought to live long. He died on Ts Weduesdey, at about three o'clock.— • .• jell, living at 28, Alma-street, deposed to seeing deceased on Tuesday morning week last, about a quarter to eight o'clock. She saw deceased by the side of the partition, which divided the two cottages, ' and he called out to her for some water, and spoke about the weather, but did not complain of anything. Witneas did not know what was the matter with him. After he received the water, deceased went back into the house about a quarter-past eight, and she called out to him through the bedroom window to take care. Witness saw smoke coming through the bedroom window. The deceased was brought into her (witness's) house, and was eventually taken back to his own house. He had not told her about the fire. Deceased was always a very quiet man, and lived by himself, and had plenty of means to live upon. He never married, and said he ha.t cancer in his nose.—Evan Matthews, mason, Aberkentig, deposed that on Tuesday, at about eight o'clock, he saw smoke rising from the house in which deceased lived. Witness went to Mrs Howell, aud asked her if anyone was in the house. She replied that "Joseph was inside." Witness' then endeavoured to effect an entrance into deceased's house, but found the door locked. He, wtehvee ic at ut actuee ehdee found in oun forcing ito fomn , e andl oclothes eoan aetn tiehreuni of the stairs on fire. The boarding and rail of the staircase were also alight, and witness, ut aid, extinguished the flames with water, as unable to ascend to the rooms above owing dense volumes of awoke. When the smoke d, witness went upstairs, and found the ed on his knees with his clothes on fire. He d him downstairs, and placed him on a ass and sent for a doctor. Deceased was ..ous, and a stream of greenish matter ing from his mouth. Witness asked deceased his things became ignited, but he vouchsafed no y. Witness had known him for 25 years an steady and industrious man. —Dr T. es, surgeon, Aberkeufig, stated that he d his assistant (Dr Twist) went to see the deceased on Tuesday morning, and lie (witness) saw lan again beta ten nine and ten on the following (Wednesday) oruing. Except for his hurried reatliing he was quite LlllCOnsclolls. Dr Twist told im that deceased was very violent on Tuesday, ad imagined that he had cancer in the nose and in the stomach, and had been labouriug under that hallucination for the last two or three years. On a post-niorteat examination being wane, no external marka 01 violence were found on decease"'s liody, and there was no evidence °tang organic disease The brain, though a little soft, aas otherwise health). Tat cause of death was pneumonia, death being accelerated by the smoke inhaled by deceased, Had deceased remained two or three minutes longer in the smoke, death would have been instantaneous. —The jui y found that deceased committed suicide whilst teuipwarily iiislue.—The burial took place on Saturday, at Penyfai.