A BRISTOL SENSATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19086, 4 February 1924, Page 7

A BRISTOL SENSATION

BODY FOUND UNDER FLOOR WIDOW AND SON ARRESTED. Proas Association —By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, February 1. Tiie disappearance m September last of a sexagenarian named ueurge Cooper, a pattern maker, tue tenant oi a villa in Drislingtou, a suourn of Bristol, had a sequel in the arrest of his wiuow and married son, who are still living in tne villa, with the latter's wile ana two infant children. ine police to-day dug up the floor and founu the decomposed buoy of the man. The widow and the sou were remanded. The latter is charged with murder, and the lormer with being an accessory alter Hie fact. Tiie body was buried sft below the flooring in the back sitting room. It was covered with lime ana tar, and clothed, except for trousers. The head was swatned in sacking.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

SGENE IN COURT.

DEFENCE UNDER PROVOCATION

LONDON, February 2. (Received Feb. 3, at 5.5 p.m.) A woman’s piercing shriek from the cells below startled the crowd assembled in the Keynsham Police Court to hear the sequel to the discovery of a man’s body under the floor of his house at Brislington, when George Cooper, aged 36 years, and his mother, aged 56, were charged' jointly with murdering George William Cooper about September 6 last. As the sobbing, dishevelled woman entered the dock she cried; “Have mercy on me oh God have mercy on me,” and women in the of the court began to weep. When the son was led into the dock he rushed forward and embraced his mother, saying “Cheer up, mother, don’t cry.” The most poignant scene was witnessed at the end of the hearing, when the woman was remanded to Cardiff Prison and the son was ordered to appear at the inquest on Saturday. The mother cried out: “Oh my boy, let me bear with him. It was all my fault.” The police evidence showed that when the son was charged at the police station he said: “I did it partly in my own defence, because I believed my father would have killed me.”

It is stated that Cooper killed his father with an axe. and his defence will be selfdefence under provocation.—A. and N.Z. Gable.