The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-07-22 00:00:00

MURDER versus INSANITY.

To the Editor of the nowt County Express and
Agricultural gazette.
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SIR —Another ease has been added to the long
roll of those who have been barbarously deprived of
life by parties judged to be insane. The may Lee,
tried at Winchester on Saturday for the wilful
murder of his wife at 'Waterloo, near Portsmouth,
has escaped the extreme penalty of the law on the
ground of insanity. I am not going to question the
professional knowledge or judgment of the medianl
gentleman who upon his oath declared this man
was insane ; but now that within so short a period
as a few months, three of the most revolting mar.
ders have been committed by parties judged to be
insane, it becomes s question whether juries are not
too often disposed to take such a view of oases
brought before them that they may shield them-
selves from the awful responsibility of condemning
a fellow-creature to death. It may be an act of
mercy to the degraded and miserable culprit to
assign him or her a place for life in a lunatic asylum,
where every comfort is provided, where there is no
more restraint than in many a union-house, and
where, if after-conduct is exemplary, he or she will
be allowed to withal@ and enjoy many pleasures the
poor and despised hanl-working man, who never
committed a crime, neither knows of or dreams
about ; but I much question if it Is an act of mercy
to society at large. It appears to me that such de-
cisions are
_productive of a y amount of
evil; and I much ljueitiontthetjier they do not
give a seeming encouragement to those who are the
unhappy pomessors of a violent and ungovernable
temper, to go on day by day without using their
utmost endeavours to check and subdue such. The
crime of murder, by its frequency, is, alas! too little
thought of; and it is much to be feared that many
more would have been deterred from committing
this crime, if they had not bad cases before their
minds where parties had escaped death through the
plea of insanity. Without a man has given proof in
his previous career of mental aberration, and that ins
decided way—known to all, and observed by all
with whom he has come in contest—it appears to
rue that this plea of insanity should not be enter-
tained. Almost every man has some peculiarities in
his character and conduct, and these ought not to
be taken as evidences of insanity. Because a man
has gone on from year to year cherishing an evil spirit
in his breast—of wrath, envy, jealousy, or revenge
—are we, when he oversteps the bounds and takes
the life of his fellow-man, to exempt him from the
punishment due to his crime, by alleging him
to be insane? Yet such appears to be the
opinion of some at the present day. There ap-
pears very grave reasons to doubt the insanity of
Mrs. Vyse ; certainly the evidence in support of the
plea of insanity was very feeble, and it appears pro-
bable that jealousy was the chief cause of that
melancholy tragedy. Yet now Mrs. Vyse will be
well taken care of. No law prevents her receiving
and enjoying all that money can procure. She is.
it is true, confined for life, but at the same timo she
will be permitted to have visits from her husband
and friends. To a man who has never enjoyed much
of the good things of this life, who has only from
day to day been enabled to obtain bread to eat, and
often it may be endured privations of every kind,
what punishment can there ho in such oonfinement ?
I was, some few years ago, acquainted with such a
case. The man was convicted of murder—a murder
committed in a passion—and being pronounced to be
of unsound mind when he committed the act, was
confined for life in a lunatic asylum. Though
Aridly kept, his case was one of comparative com-
fort, he had excellent and abundant food, 'did no
work, had books to read, and with an attendant
went out for a walk in the pleasure grounds an hour

every asp when the weather was fine. The case of
the mUrderet of dm unfortunate Dr. rookett is very
similar. He appears to have been a man Of On.
governable temper, idle, and addicted to poaching.
He had been, it is truv, afflicted with bmin fever,
but it does not appear that the nnfortnnate medical
gentleman who visited him considered hint of MP
'Mind mind through that cause, or he would see.
tainly have gone better prepared. And here I
cannot bet remark upon the antipathy shown by
this man to go the union—a feeling very generally
entertained by the Door and even shunned mare than
going to prison. There rivulet be a canoe for this,
but at the present time I shall °My rrotiee the feet.
With all parties, I sincerely trent that the tnurderer
of Dr. Puckett will have a fair and impartial trbd,
and more especially that great care will be taken
thoroughly to investigate tha grounds on which the
plea of insanity is based, so that another may not
be added to the ISM of those who have escaped the
extreme penalty of the law through alleged insanity.
—I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
Dorchester, duly JUBTICIA.

LATEST AMERICAS /two.
RUMOURED TOTAL DEFEAT OF
nrcLEttelt
The third edition of the Timtt dt Pridarimblished
the sensational announcement that ll'OeDiff's emny
before Richmond had been wholly defeated. The
Times published the report merely ur.qntrssg
confirmation, but remarked that its local agent
vouched for the receipt of it by the city of 0
steamer, which was delayed se Rout Kitt:re
on the sth July. The Telegram annonnefe?ltS
Gen M'Clellan bad offered to capitulate, NILO!.
Beauregard, who it seems had turned up in
mood, had refused anything but unconditional ear,
render, had taken refuge on board the
Galena gunboat, mid it was affirmed that the
Confederate Generals Lee and Price were between
the Federal. and Fortress Munroe. To crown all,
several Federal generals, it was announced,lted been
killed and taken prisoners. Additional itiformetien
respecting the same despatch was ftffnished
Lloyd's agent at Queenstown. be Glasgow, *ere,
informed by this scarce, had brought private intee.
mation, received two hoer. before sailing, and the
eat adds that from the source whence it was
he considers it to be reliable I The infer.
station is in all essential respecta the same at above.
Whalen, it is stated, after having prepaied con,
ditional surrender, had retreated on board the
Galena. Capitulation was refused by the Confehr,
rites on the terms offered. Lee and Jackson were
kid to be in the rear of the Federal., and General
Price opposite; two Federal generals, Gorman lad
Niel, had reached Fortress Moores wounded, and
two others, M'Call and Reynolds were takes pri-
sonem It is added that the atiteement is from flte
manoded General Gorman. The a &fetal Sttle, (the
mideuf course being father to the thouglitl,set,_dotrn
SR report as a baseless and base fabrication. It wild
Met credited by the leading American hour. iti
Leaden, but the fact that it was not believed timid
not render the intelligence unworthy of belief The
New York correspondent of the Morning Herald
(Manhattan) writing from Wee' York on the 4th
July says :—M!Clellmi went into hie last movement
with 150,000 men. He has been driven BO miles
from Richmond. The gunboats may mitre hien hetet
capture. His lose is not less than 60,000 td
wounded, and left on the field. ft WWI CM Millet
but a dense mob trying to save their lira A pest,
script is dated July sth,morning,saying there was no
additional bad news. Manhattan has gait* dropped
his boastful style, and writes in the gloomiest vide,
He does not think that M'Clellan is :cafe should the
•rebels continue to attack him. The Star'. New
York correspondent of the same date admits that
the series of battles have been, decided reverie to
the North, and that their lose may be estimated se
between 15,000 and 20,000. It was stated In well,
informed circles in London on Friday that AY,
Southern Confederacy have intimated to the Enlist
charge d'offaireB at Washington that any once of
mediation by England would meet with regestfet
attention.
ARRIVAL OR THR ARABIA. —The telegram*
brought by the Arabia, which left New York on the ,
13th of July, Boston on the Oth, and Halifax sfiiikrt,
11th, make no mention of BPClellan'a
Mete :—" Nothing new of importance from
mond. M'Clelhui bad another skirmish with daer
Confederates on the 4th, which moulted, it in said .
in the total defeat of the Confederates and the
capture of 1,000 men and three batteries. Gem*
events on James River are looked for. ; eon..
federate gunboat was captured there on 4th,
with valuable documents on board. MI New
York Times urges the raising of South:nit negro
regiments in the event of foreign intervention.
Burnside it reported to be moving towards Rich-
mond. It is repented. Agra are twn._Confederate
gunboats and one ram at Mobile, and that 10,000
Confederates were on Shell Road, below Mobile.
The inhabitants are confident that the city cannot
be taken. The Federale have evacuated Ifoilttovrti.
it ismeroured in Washington that Secretary Etimteer
must -either resign or be relieved. General Banks,:
itis held, will succeed him. Captain Wilkes hae
beet appointed to the command of the AMIN Riese
flotilla. The Confederates are reported falling beak
to Richmond. Bragg is stated to be it Lepel',
with 40,000 Confederates. The New York press
urge upon the Government more rapid and mere
extensive war preparations of every description let
lead and sea. The Mayor of New York las lamed,
:a proclamation saying that the country demeade tiff .
fizeicea of all loyal persons, not only to pet Ult
' Ilion, but also to reply with beceming
s first approach of foreign intervention Amur*
threatened, which cannot be admitted without
national disgrace. The Tariff Bill reported to the
Senate raises the duty on all spirits, except brandy,
to 500. per gallon. The duty on iron is also in-
creased Letter. from Haman say that the captain
of the British steamer Greyhound has seised the
Confederate steamer Ovieto. The cause was not
The steamer Cecile was wrecked neer
The Arabia brings 352,000 dollars in
."Pi;tl 165 pamengera. The Priam de Joinvine
hfrit'ilth Alio de Pans are among her paseenroa, ;
7 1
HOUSE OF LORDS.
ERIDAT.—Lord Camas-von called attention to the
vole:aid eetinietee, end &meted •particular attention W ig
the ease of Canada, with the loss of whisk we Wltr•
threatened by American resentment; sad
that the Canadian Legislature had only
raising of 10,000 native minas, one tern
recommended.-Be did not doubt its loyalty, re,.
gretted the determination of the Canadian Legislature,
end moved for the oorreriposidenos retain thereee.--.•
The Duke of Newcastle said the Horse Guards, War
Offiee, and Colonial Office were considering the best
plan of putting the colonies in • state of defence, end
would have their joint report ready in a few days. He
would grant the papers-, and regretted that the Casa-
dian Parliament separated without providing a better
military force than their act authorised- sebsequently
the motion was agreed to.
HOUSE OF COMMON&
FRIDAY. —Mr. Lindsay rote to move the lellevdelf
resolution i—" That in the opinion of this House
the States which have sanded from the Haim
of the Republic of the United States have so
long maintained themselves under • separate and
established Geverument, and bad given such proof
of their determination and ability to rapport
their independence, that the propriety of offering
mediation, with the view of terminating hennas's,
between the contending parties is worthy ef the 887101/1
and immediate attention of Her Majeety'• Genera-
ment"—Mr. W. Foster opposed the resolution, and
Mr. Whiteside and Mr. Gregory warmly eepported b.
—Lord Palmerston said: The question is one of sash
Importance and delicacy that I cannot think a post-
ponement will be at all beneficial, and I confess that I
regret very much that my hon. friend has thought it
to be his duty to bring, it under the notice of the
Hems in the present state of thine. Then can be
but one wish on the part of any man in this country
with respect to this war, sad that is that it eliadd end,
but I very muoh doubt whether the only cud whisk can
satisfactorily be looked for-namely, an oatisable
separation—is likely to be accelerated by angry dis-
cussion in this House, where the war has hem seeded
by GbanIIRORI of either side. It is tree that Emmy
things have been said gratifying to the hatiegasd
motia, and, on the other bead, in the- wenn& ef
debate, things likely to be offensive, and It is human
nature to think mote of that which Is ogsmive then of
that which is gratifying. I regret then*, debate has
been brout,hl forward, and I earnestly hope that the
House will leave the future in the bands if the Govern-
ment, costent, as I believe the OCIRROry is. with the
past. Ido not ask this as a matter of sonadeses in the
Government of the day, because I think that what-
ever party be in office a question of seek diffienity,
delicacy, and immense importance should be left in
the hands of the executive to deal with it, for it is
not one in which the Home, by a resolution pointing
out a spesifie cause, should take upon itself •
responsibility which properly belongs to the &worn-
went. The motion ',elate to two things—to we-
diation and to acknowledgment. The right honour-
able gentlemen opposite has ably laid down, and
I do not dispute it, that we stionffi be perfectly
justified if we saw fit to acknowledge the lids:pendency
of the Southern &atm, provided only that that inde-
pendante had been, in the words which be has used,
firmly and permanently established. I finite concur
that the fact of our acknowledging the independence
would give the Northern States no mum of offence
towards this country; but the ease of the South
American republics is very different to this. They
were not acknowledged until the lapse of 16 years after
they bad practically achieved their independents, and it
was quite clear that Spain could not re-estalffish her
&imolai' over them ; but Is this the ease spiv Only a
fortnight ago it was doubtlul whether Federal! or Con-
federates bad possession of ltiehmond. It was but a few
days ago that the whole course of the Mississippi was
believed to be in the hands of the Federal'. We knew
that New Orleans was, and that Charleston probably
might be captured, and I contend, whatever opinion we
hays of the recent battles and of the deterninenon of
the South to fight to the last for its independence, that
emetically the contest has not yet assumed a chunky
to justify this country in assuming that the ind
dean of the South is fully and perfectly estabtistied.
Some persons in this country imagined that the &anew.
ledgement of the South would establish a different
pontion between it and this country. The motion was
withdrawn.
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Printed and petals*, for idie.preprMter, by CHARLES
WErreseee idimaan, of Teen Rout, Pardingtee,
Dorchester, Printer, at the Office of The Dorset
Comity Alarms Church-street, Dyrehester, Ttmcp
day, July Ve 144'

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