Welsh Newspapers

Search 15 million Welsh newspaper articles

Hide Articles List

12 articles on this Page

MAESTEG TRAGEDY. |

News
Cite
Share

MAESTEG TRAGEDY. | ————— ——— Sensational Shooting Affair. Woman Dead: Alleged Assailant in Hospital. A sensational affair occurred at Mace- i teg at 9.30 on Wednesday morning. Mrs. Harriet Williams (10), the wife of 3Mr. W. II. Willisiris, of (5, TurberviH- •troet, was shot dead, the alleged assail- ant heinjj; George Ellis. a lodger in the Louse, who afterwards attempted euk-ide, Jbut only inflicted wounds on his face. Thoxilas Lllis, tic brother of Goorge Ellis (who also lodged in the house), Hieard two shots, and rushing into the loom whence the sound came saw Mrs. .Williams, on the couch and his brother holding a shot-gun. Mrs. Williams, it van found, had fweii shot through the right breast, and medi- cal opinion is that death mutt have been instaataufious. I It is not quite clear at present, whether the fatal shot was tired intentionally, or 1 -whether it was an accident, as at the time of the tragedy the deceased woman < and the miner, George Ellis, who is al- leged to have fired the shot, were in the middle room a lone. HUSBAND'S STATEMENT. The husband of the deceased woman, llr. William HMiryWHiiama. who is a laasoa employed at the coke ovens of the IacteK Decp Colliery, made the follow- iii,, sieteitietit to a Press representative:— We had lodging with us two miners. "who were brothers, Geo. Ellis and Tlios. ( Ellis, the former being nearly 0(1 years oi age. and the latter about 56. I The.v were in the house this morning when I left for work. At 20 minutes to 7, just before J left, end alOJ was having breakfast, George Ellis came downstairs and had a cupful of water in the back kitchell. JIe did not say anytll i ng to me, and I made no re- mark to him, but this wu6 not unusual (because lie WI: ratlH:r fkaf. and did not always hear A-h,-dt wc, to bii)i. He eeemed in his usual frame of mind and then left the btic- lifelien, and I under- stand that he had gone upstairs to bed again. His brother Tom was still up- ■taiii George Ellis and my w ife were al- ways on good terms. There was nothing against him except that some tune ago lie was rather given to drink, hut f the last six weeks he had given up drink al- together. George Ellis was rather fond of sport and shooting, and "t hero were £ hree gutl in the house. "I was called from my work about 10 o'clock, and on reaching home found jGeOrtre Ellis lying on his back in the back kitchen, and the police were there." George Ellis is now in hospital at Mae steg, so that his version of the affair is unavailable. Jt appears that Mrs. W illiams and George Ellis were in the middle room, a Jittle «itting-room. and the maidservant, Dorothv Jones, who was in the baek kitehon. heard a shot and ran out and rajse-d an alarm. Thomas Lllis alsr? heard the shot and rushed into thf' middle sitting-room. It is Moged that he there found his brother George with a gun in bis hands. BROTHER'S STORY. Further light has been thrown on the affair in a statement made by 1 horn as Ellis. He says that he and his brother George worked together at the International Colliery, [ilaenganv. They were at work on Tuesday and returned tfo heir lodgings about 3 o'clock and remained indoors that night, going to bed about A5 p.m. tig evening, Mrs. iWilliams told him that he and his brother would have to leave as her health would not permit her to keep lodgers any longer. .About midnight his brother got up and went downstairs. He followed Ilim 80me time aiM: as he did not return, and they sat together by the tire tot- about an hour. George had recently been morose. They again went to bed. but George got up and went down&iairs about 7 o'clock. Thomas Ellis got up about nine and went into the back kitchen. While1 lie was there lie HEARD A SHOT in the middle room and, rushing in. he found Mrs. Williams in a sitting possum on the couch, apparently dead. His brother George said, I have done ror her." He was standing with the gun in hand and seemed to be making iiis flioilgii to shoot Thomas.rushed at him and struggled with him to get the gun, but in the course of the struggle the gun went off and George was woudned in the face, and a number of small shot, evi- dently from a sporting cartridge, bored holes tlirough the ceiling, bringing down a piece of tiie plastering of the size of a -plate. The struggle continued, and some neighbours came in to help Thomas Ellis. DESPERATE STRUGGLE. The gun was got away from George, but the struggle continued in the pass- age, and out to the back kitchen before George could be overpowered. George then become unconscious. Thomas Ellis summoned the police, and Inspector Timothy Canton, who is in charge of the Maestog division .went to the house. He found Mrs. Williams still sitting upright, op the couch, hut dead, and George Ellis was lying uncouscious in the back kitchen. He had George Kllis removed to the Cottage Hospital, where he is being attended to by Dr. Sinclair, who states that the wounds in the head are only superficial, and that the -nan should Ke all right. In ahoilt a fortnight George and Thomas Ellis have ooen living at Maesteg for about 2(1 years, and lodging with Mr. and frs. Williams for about 15 years. They are both bachelors and have the reputation of being rjuiet. well-behaved men. They are natives oi Cole ford, in Gloucester*)) ire.

I U.S. AND TREATY.

==-=C,-,--I AMBUSHED. I

[No title]

I CIVILIAN DOLE. ' I -

TO-DAY S RACING.I

iPRUDENTIAL TRUST CO., LTD.…

'SECOND DAY. i-

SAMLET COLLIERY IDISPUTES.I

Advertising

Family Notices

Advertising