Year: 1877

Jones lived on a small farm two miles from the town of Dolgelly, in North Wales. The deceased woman, who was thirty-seven years of age, and very strong having been accustomed to work in the felds-was last seen alive on the night of June 4, at place called the Ship Mill, going ill the direction of her own home. A little further along the road towards Brethdir, where she lived, were paths leading up to Pare farm, the pris- oner's residence. Six weeks later, on. July 16, weaver, employed in the fac tory near Dolgelly, found part of wo- mans body in the little rlver Arran, which runs close to the town. Higher up the stream he found black cloth jacket and striped red and white petti- coats. A thorough search wss at once instituted, and discovered legs, arms, feet, and hands were found at different spots in the river, over space of half m1le. These remains were subsequently, identified as those of the missing woman. Early that morning the accused had been seen with rod and line, apparently fish ing, but dipped the end of the rod into the river, at the very place where later in the day the woman's head and one of her feet were found. The prosecution maintained that he must have been try ing then to dislodge some of the pieces of the body.

 When the police were searching the prisoners house he said to the inspector in Walsh, "You need not trouble your self any more I am desirous of telling you that did it." The inspector, hay ing first cautioned him as to the impor- tance of his avowal, asked him, Do you mean to tell me that it was you who killed Sarah Hughes ?" to which the young man answered, "I do; I did it, and nobody else. That is the truth, and nothing but the truth" He then went with the officers to small patch of ground known as the garden, which was covered with newly cut branches. The accused said, "Here everything was." Under the branches in one spot the ground had evidently been disturbed, and there 8 piece of flesh was picked up-a piece of hand which fitted in with part of the remains found in the river. The loose earth, which seemed bloody, was re- moved, and grave about six feet long, three feet deep, and two feet broad was disclosed. One of the officers palled up two buttons in this garden precisely similar to the buttons on the jacket taken from the river.

 On the trial two surgeons, who had made the post-morten1 examination of the remains in July last, testified that the woman's death had been caused by fracture of the skull, seven of the bones of the skull being broken, and that in their opinion the fracture was produced by blow from heavy blunt instrument. The body was cut up some time after death but they could not say exactly how long. A hedge hook was found lying on bench in front of the prisoners house and the handle of this hedge hook was picked up near the grave in the garden.

 The only witnesses called for the de- fence were as to character, and they all spoke of the accused as kind, well-dis- posed and well-conducted young man. The counsel for the prisoner, MT. Swe- tenham, was obliged to admit that the woman had been killed by his client, but he asked the jury to bring in verdict of manslaughter. The deceased had not been immaculate. She had had two ille- gitimate children and was at the time of her death, although unmarried, again to become mother. His counsel said that it was not suggested that there had been in fact any intimacy between the prison CT and deceased but his theory was that she went to the prisoners house that night for the purpose of extorting money from him, under threats of bringing charges against him. She knew that he was man of timid disposition recently married, whose future happiness she could blast with word. His theory was that the prisoner, upon her still insist ing on presenting herself before his young wife, in spite of his entreaties, took up a stone and dashed it at her head, inhicting the fatal injury.

 1AO CAo1 SC OA OA1C O IlN$SO~-4AAs O hSuAN0 Manistry of the Queens bench-was far and impartial He, told the jury that, regardless of consequences, they should come to the consideration of the case without their feelings being impressed at all by the sad, narrowing details after should take the evidence as to the char acter of the prisoner in conjunction with the other evidence, and then, whenever there was doubt give the prisoner the benefit of that doubt. There was no doubt-he instructed them-that the fact of the prisoner being, according to the evidence of many witnesses, a hu- mane man, kind and peaceable man, would have bearing upon what must have occurred when the deceased met with her death.

 The jury, after an absence of half an hour, found the prisoner guilty of mur- der. As he was 1mable-in common with most of the witnesses-to speak English, the interpreter informed him what the verdict of the jury was, and sentence of death was pronounced.

 The peculiar circumstances of the case attracted general attention in Wales, and much sympathy was expressed for the young farmer. The Welsh newspapers ) advocated his cause, and petition signed l by ten thousand persons in favor of a , respite or communication, on the ground of absence of reconciliation on his part, 1 was presented to the Home Secretary. MT. Cross, however, declined to inter. , fere, and the man was executed on Fri,