The inquest on the two men shot by the soldiers
at Llanelly during the rioting on August 19th was held on Monday and Tuesday last. The principal witness was Major Brownlow Stuart, who was in command of a detachment of men of the Worcestershire Regiment on that day. He described the holding up of the train and the stone throwing of the mob, which was as bad as ever after the sounding of the bugle and the reading of the Riot Act. Finally, after repeated warnings and personal appeals, be called out that if they did not disperse within a minute fire would be opened. His orders being that in no circumstances whatever was he to allow trains to be held up, he held that he was justified in his action. Major Brownlow Stuart stated that the strike leaders with whom be had person- ally conferred promised their best efforts to avoid disturbance, but declined to hold themselves responsible for the crowd. There was no question as to the use of blank cartridge, which was against their orders. He explained that be had power to fire without waiting for instructions from the magistrate. The jury brought in a verdict of justifiable homicide, with the rider, " We think it would have been better if other means than the order to fire bad been adopted by Major Stuart for the purpose of dispersing the crowd." A verdict of justifiable homicide, without any rider, was brought in at Liverpool in the case of the man shot in the rioting on August 18th.
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