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Suicide of Mr John Miller, farmer, of Morfa Mawr

Source: http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3344191/3344195/11/       Date: 1874
Copyright:       Type: Newspaper
Description: Report on the inquest held on the death of Mr John Miller, farmer, of Morfa Mawr from
The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard
27th November 1874

Transcript:
LLANON. DISTRESSING SUICIDE. On Saturday, November 21st, an inquest was held on the body of Mr John Miller, farmer, of Morfa Mawr, in the parish of Llanddewi Aberarth, who committed suicide by shooting himself while in a state of temporary insanity, on Thursday, the 19th November, at the Plough Cottage, where he lived. The coroner was John Rowland, Esq., of The Garth, and the foreman of the jury, Mr Barrett Price, of Aberayron. Sarah Evans was the first witness called. She said-I live at the Plough Cottage, in the parish of Llanddewi Aberarth. I have known the deceased John Miller for the last two years. I have been his housekeeper. Since July last I noticed that deceased at times was very strange in his manner. Up to that time he was in very good spirits. Since July last he was in the habit of having his breakfast in bed. He often said, when I took it up to him, that he was out of his mind, and that he ought to be in a mad- house. At other times he said that he felt all right. Last Friday week, the 13th November, he was in a very desponding state of mind. On Saturday morning I asked him what was the matter, when he said that his teeth troubled him, and he had not slept from Thursday until the Tuesday night following. On Thursday, the 19th instant, he got up about nine a m,, having taken his breakfast in bed. I know he was very bad that day, and I am sure he did not know what he was doing. About two o'clock he took dinner as usual; about half-past two he came out to the kitchen and said that he felt very unwell. At three o'clock he again came to the kitchen and asked me to give a letter to the postman. Directly on his return to the parlour I heard a noise, and I went into the parlour and saw deceased covered with blood, sitting in the easy chair. I ran for assistance. The gun had been in the room for the last week or so. It was not loaded the day before the accident. He had the gun there in order to have it at hand for the purpose of shooting crows. Evan Davies, blacksmith, said I live at Llannon, in the parish of Llansaintffraid. On Thursday, the 19th November, I remember that Miss Evans, The Plough, ran to me in a frightened state and asked me to come to their house at once. When I went there I saw deceased sitting in a chair. There was a large wound in his head and a gun on the table. The gun was about two feet from the deceased who was dead when I went in. The gun was on the table with the muzzle towards deceased.
William Hughes said-1 live at Morfa Mawr, in the parish of Llansaintffraid. On Thursday, the 19th instant John Evans, jun., Penlan, ran down to Morfa and said that Mr Miller had met with an accident. I went up to the Plough immediately. When I entered the parlour I saw the deceased sitting in a chair, blood flowing from his head to the floor. Since July last often noticed the deceased to be m a very queer state of mind; at times he was quite mad. I saw deceased about dinner time the day of the accident. He then looked very wild. When I went into the parlour the gun was so far from deceased at that time that he could not reach the trigger with his hand. There was nothing to be seen about the table that could interfere with the gun. One barrel was loaded, the other empty. I recognize the deceased as the late John Miller, of Morfa Mawr.
Dr. Edward Williams deposed as follows - I am a duly qualified medical practitioner, living at Aberayron. I have this day examined the body of deceased at The Plough, and found considerable injury had been done to his head. The greater part of the skull had been shattered. Almost all the cerebrum had been taken away. It was a gunshot wound the contents of the gun must have entered at the back of the right external ear, and carried away the parietal, parts of the occipital, temporal, and frontal bones. I have known the deceased for the last year and a half. I consider that he was suffering from hallucinations. The Coroner having summed up, the Jury returned a verdict, That the deceased shot himself whilst in a state of temporary insanity."


Notes:
Linked to
Llanddewi Aberarth (p)/Llanddewi Aber-arth (p)
Plough Inn , Pont Morfa,, Llanddewi Aberarth (p)

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