The Press. — London, England, 1856-02-09 00:00:00

FEBRUARY 9, 1856. proposing to institute should be formed in England, Miss Nightingale had prepared herself, by careful study in Ger- man y, fur the task which she had proposed to herself, even in her youth—a life of usefulness, following, at a humble distance, as far as human frailty would permit, the example of Him who went about doing good, and healing the sick. At an early age she proceeded to Germany, and in the Pro testant institutions of Prussia acquired the instruction in attendance on the sick which at that time there were no means of acquiring in England. I feel satisfied of this, that Miss Nightingale is herself too settled in her reli gious opinions, too firm and too earnest in her purpose, to permit her efforts, which are intended forthe welfare of her species and the service of her God, to be narrowed and de graded to any sectarian or party purpose whatever. I may say that, in all the conversations I have had with Miss Nightingale—and they have been many—l have never yet heard her propose or suggest anything which, if practicable, was not desirable ; and I have never heard a vain or thoughtless proposal from her, but, on the contrary, her mind appears to me to be distinguished by a strong prac tical sense, which regulates all she does. Ma. LOWE'S PROPOSED MEASURE for the aboliti tion of passing tolls and corporation dues upon shipping has created a perfect panic of indignation at Liverpool. At the monthly meeting of the Town Council, on Wednesday, the subject was brought under the notice of the members by Mr. l'icton moving a resolution to the effect that the mayor be requested to convene at once a public meeting to consider the question. Mr. ricton characterised the bill as an attack upon the rights, privileges, and property of Liverpool : - - The inhabitants of Liverpool, he felt assured, would not sit still and tamely see the property which had been ac quired and transmitted to them by their predecessors wrested from them and given up as plunder to the audacity of their assailants. Mr. Picton further maintained that the charges brought against the corporation were unfounded. The resolution was adopted unanimously. THE CONVOCATION OF YORK was opened on Friday ast with the usual ceremonies, and prorogued, in the name of the Archbishop, till the 12th of August next. The Rev. Canon Trevor handed in a com munication from the clergy of the archdeaconry, ex postulating against the prerogative of Convocation, and imploring the Archbishop and Bishop of the diocese se to regulate the proceedings that the mem bers of Convocation may be allowed to treat and de liberate, according to their privilege, upon all such subjects as appertain to them by law. -. / Nain anb Vita. THE MURDER IN THE MINORIES. THE TRIAL OF THOMAS CORRIGAN, for the murder of his wife, on the 20th of December last, was pro ceeded with at the Central Criminal Court, on Wed nesday. The evidence of Mrs. Fearon, and of Mrs. and Mr. Burton, who were in the house at the time of the occurrence, did not in any point vary from that which they had given before the coroner and magistrate in December last. The prisoner, from the evidence of these witnesses, was drunk on the morning of the murder, appeared to have been given to drinking, and to have suffered an attack of delirium tremens a few months previous. He had been drinking hard during the Christmas week. Mr. Cook, the surgeon, with respect to the influence of delirium tremens upon the mind, stated that at such a time the sufferer was subject to every kind of de. lusiou, and would unconsciously commit the most violent and extravagant actions. An attack was generally prefaced by peculiar symptoms some hours before. The circumstances of the murder are too fresh in the memory of our readers to need repetition. Two contrite letters, written by the prisoner while in prison, were read in court, and an able defence made by Mr. Ballantine, who endeavoured to prove, from the rationality of the prisoner's conduct up to the moment of the murder, that the act had been com mitted under some uncontrollable impulse, induced by a sudden attack of delirium tremens. Mr. Justice Wightman summed up with great care, and pointed out to the jury that the question was whether he was in such a state of mind as would render him responsible for his actions : It was his duty to tell them that, before they could come to the conclusion that the prisoner was not responsible on the ground of insanity, they must be satisfied that at the time the act was committed the prisoner was labouring under such a defect of reason as not to know the nature and quality of the act he was committing, and also that he was not aware he was doing wrong ; and it appeared to him that there was no evidence in this case that would justify the jury in coming to either of these conclusions. The prisoner appeared to have acted in a perfectly rational manner up to the very moment of the fatal occurrence ; and, although it was extremely probable that the act was committed under some sudden feeling of excitement, pos- sibly aggravated by the drink he had taken, it would be calculated to lead to very, dangerous consequences indeed if a man under such circumstances was not to be held re sponsible for his acts. The jury retired at half•past three o'clock, and re turned into court in about a quarter of au bow, With a verdict of Wilful murder. THE PRESS. Sentence of death was then passed in the usual form. THE MURDER IN BEDFORD-ROW. CHARLES BROLDFOOT WESTRON was on Thursday last tried at the Central Criminal Court for the wilful murder of Mr. Waugh. Mr. Clarkson conducted the prosecution, Mr. Bal lantine the defence. The circumstances of the case are of too recent a date to need any detailed account. The evidence of the different witnessed examined at the police-court and before the coroner was again heard. The fact of the murder was undisputed by the counsel for the defence. A letter (10th Oct., 1855) from the late Mr. Waugh to the prisoner, complaining of the pri soner's insulting conduct, and one in reply of the 11th October from the prisoner to Mr. Waugh, in which the following sentence occurs : I shall have nothing further to say to you but simply this—that it is my intention to see your son, as I promise he will be placed in your shoes before long, and I should like for him to know how he will be situated with me when such an event occurs, as there seems more truth than you, perhaps, fancy in the remarks made by Mr. Ellis at Tiver- ton, when he observed that my "life hangs on a thread;" and had he completed the sentence, it would have been— " and this gentleman's on my right hangs on a puff of smoke." Mr. Ballantine, for the defence, did not dispute the facts of the case, of which there could be no doubt, but he held that it was established, from the decisions given in various cases, that a man, though sane upon every other subject, may nevertheless be thoroughly insane upon one particular point, and while under that delusion irresponsible for his actions. Witnesses were then examined to prove the eccen tricity of the prisoner's general conduct. Several lodging house keepers, with whom the prisoner had lived from March, 1854, spoke to his peculiar habits and manners. Mrs. Aybourne stated that he was frequently much excited, at other times reserved. He talked much to himself day and night. It was her opinion that be was not in his right mind. Elizabeth Williams had heard him say that he wanted some spirits to make a fire to burn the devil, who was always walking after and annoying him. On one occasion he asked her to lend him the flat iron, that be might see whether it would frighten the devil. The prisoner also said he should like to get some bullets to shoot the devil with. She con sidered him deranged. Mr. W. Essex said, when the prisoner lodged in his house in July, 1854, he asked to run up and down stairs about two or three in the morning. He did not consider him a madman, but the prisoner's conduct was so strange that he (Mr. Essex) ordered him to quit in a week. Several other witnesses gave evidence of a similar description. It also appeared that on two occasions he had tied a handkerchief round his throat so tightly as almost to strangle himself. Evidence was also given that the prisoner's uncle and aunt were both confirmed lunatics. Mr. Flower, surgeon, of Somersetshire, had attended the prisoner three years ago:— At that time ho was evidently suffering under mental disturbance, but it was difficult to ascertain the exact nature of his malady, because no rational answer could be obtained to any question that was put to him. He had heard all the evidence that had been adduced, and in his opinion at the time the prisoner shot Mr. Waugh he was incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong. Dr. Synnott had an interview with the prisoner, and was of opinion that lie was labouring under a great deficiency of mind : In all such cases it was very important to ascertain whether there was any taint of insanity in the family, and the evidence lie had heard upon that point, and the other facts in the case, led him to come to the conclusion that the prisoner, at the time he committed this act, was Inca• pable of distinguishing between right and wrong. From all that occurred, he was of opinion that the prisoner was of unsound mind. Mr. Clarkson, in reply, urged that the case had failed on the part of the defence, and nothing had been shown to justify the jury in coming to the con clusion that, at the time he committed this dreadful act, ho was not perfectly aware what he was doing, and not, therefore, fully responsible. The learned judge then proceeded to sum up. He went through the whole of the evidence very care• fully, and said that there could be no doubt upon the facts, and the only question the jury had to decide was, whether the prisoner was proved to have been in such a state of mind at the time the act was committed, as not to know the distinction between right and wrong; and if that was not made out to their full satisfaction, they had only one duty to perform, and however painful it might be to them to do so, they were bound to return a verdict of wilful murder. The jury, after deliberating for some time in the box, retired, and were in deliberation about three quarters of an hour, when they returned a verdict of 131 " Guilty of Wilful Murder," but recommended the prisoner to mercy on account of his strong predis position to insanity. Mr. Justice Wightman, after conferring for some time with Mr. Justice Willes, addressed the prisoner, and said that, " under these circumstances be should abstain from passing sentence of death, and nerely order judgment of death to be recorded." The prisoner, upon this, stepped in front of the dock and said—" I never made any defence. I never gave orders for any. What they have done they have done for themselves. I have been per jured away." He then turned round and walked from the bar. A HORRIBLE MURDER WaS committed last Sunday at 4, Portland-street, Wardour-street. About seven o'clock on Sunday morning, a man, wounded and bleeding, presented himself at the Bow-street Police station, and informed the coustables that he had murdered his wife and family. There was no ap pearance of insanity about him, and, with the excep tion of a little excitement of manner, he seemed tolerably cool and collected. He was immediately secured and searched, and the inspector, accompa nied by a constable, proceeded. at once in a cab to the direction given by the prisoner. On reaching the house in Portland-street, the front door was opened with a latch-key found on the prisoner, and the back parlour door being broken in, the dead body of the wife, with those of two children of eight months and four years were found lying on the same bed, while that of a third child, seven years of age, was on a second bed. The mother was lying on her back with her throat cut, and five deep incisions in her arms ; the three children had simple incisions in the neck, the baby alone having its throat cut. A. surgeon was instantly sent for, who pronounced all four to have been dead some hours. A sharp chisel and broken razor were found in the room. On Tuesday the prisoner, William Bousfield, was brought before Mr. Hardwicke, at Marlborough-street, and a preliminary examination entered upon. The evidence of the police inspector and constable was heard; they merely detailed the fact of the prisoner surrendering himself', and the discovery of the bodies. The evidence of the father of the poor woman, John Jones, carpenter, who lives on the first floor of the same house, was also heard. He stated that the prisoner was constantly out of work, and did little to support his family. He lived unhappily with his wife, and was unreasonably jealous of her. The prisoner, in reply, having stated that he had nothing to say in explanation, was fully committed. From the various statements of the neighbours it appears that Bousfield was brought up as a lawyer's clerk, but, having displeased his employer by an imprudent marriage, lost his situation, and since then en deavoured to obtain a living by French polishing. Employment, however, was so uncertain that he at length sought and got occupation at the theatres, and at the time of the murder had a subordinate stage engagement at five shillings a week in the panto mime at Covent Garden. He was temperate, but very jealous of his wife, who was set up in a cigar-shop by her father, and consequently brought much in con tact with young men. Latterly be and his wife lived very unhappily together : she is said to have constantly upbraided him for not getting more work and helping to sustain her and his family. FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE. Tuesday, Feb. 5. WIGHTWICK, Town Mailing, Kent, . builder—J. WHITE, Northampton, draper—H. HUNTING, Slid ton, Staffordshire, veneer cutter—G. T. Csawnia, Wolver hampton, pumpmaker—G. BARKER, 13urslem, Staffordshire, veneer cutter—J. Tours, Sheffield, wine merchant—J. N. BLAKE, Egremont, Cheshire, commission agent—R. COOPER, Oldham, I.ancashire, wholesale grocer—T. WArson, Carlisle, currier. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS.—H. WALLACE, Glasgow, lacefall manufacturer—HlLL, BROTHERS, Glasgow, New York, and Dublin, merchants. Friday, Feb. 8. BANKRUPTS.—Gmomos NVATants, Cowley-road, Uxbridge, builder—WlLLiam SHENK, Royal Exchange-buildings, merchant —JAMES LEA, Dartford, Kent, tailor—C. A. CAMINADA and Co., Broad - street - buildings, bill broker—Josiam COULTHURST GASKELL and THOMAS GARSTANO, Blackburn, machine makers .---SAMUEL MASSEY GILBERT, Stamford, milliner—Davin WIL• Llama, Abersycham, Monmouth, builder Wm. Sassmarr, Crewe, Cheshire, innkeeper—FßED. WM. EMERSON, Treriefe Chemical Works, near Penzance, Cornwall, manufacturing chemist—Ass BRADBURY, Oldham, cotton spinner —HENRY FRED. BUDGE, Manchester, fustian manufacturer—Wm. OATES, Ashton•under-Lyne, innkeeper. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS.—THomas WATSON, Glasgow, wright—JACOß CHRISTIANSEN and Co., Leith. merchant—Wm BAIRD, Glasgow, corn merchant. THE HON. AND RIGHT REV. Huon PERCY, D.D., LORD Bisnor OF CARLISLE, expired on Tuesday night at Rose Castle, Cumberland. The deceased prelate, who was born in 1784, was the third son of the late and brother of the present Earl of Beverley. He was educated at St. John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1805, was consecrated Bishop of Rochester in June, 1827, and was translated to the see of Carlisle in September in the following year. Ho was also Chancellor of Salisbury and prebendary of St. h'aul's.