The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-12-16 00:00:00

THE TRAGEDY AT GREAT CROSBY.

At the Liverpool Assizes, Agnes Martha Morris, 43 years of
age, has been charged with the wilful murder of two of her
children, Ada Gertrude Morris and Anna Katrina Morris, at
Great Crosby, on the 28th of September last. The prisoner
Was the widow of a teller in a bank in Liverpool. Her hus-
band died suddenly in November, 1875, leaving her-with five
children, and an income of between £3OO and £OOO per
annum. The prisoner, who was clad in deep mourning, seemed
in a depressed state, but preserved her calmness during the
whole of the lengthened trial—The evidence of the following
witness will give an outline of the case, showing how the
tragedy was perpetrated :
Miss liberty : I resided with the prisoner as governess
at West View, Great Crosby. I have been nearly
three years with her. Her husband died in November,
1875, very suddenly. There are five children, three
girls and two. boys, the eldest, Ada Gertrude, aged 13,
now deed. The second, Eden, was n; she is alive.
The third, Anna Katrina, aged nine, now dead. James
was eight, and Henry six; both those are alive. I
remember Monday, the 26th of September last. I saw
all five -children that night, Ellen slept in the same
'room with me. I 'islept on the-first floor, Mrs.
Morris's bedroom as on the same floor. There Was
a dressing-room off her room. The two girls, Ada nod
Anna, slept in their mother's room; the boys slept
on the floor above. Tney went to bed about 9. Ellen
and Anna also went at 9; Ala at IL 30. Mrs. Morris
went to bed at the same time as Ada. I did also.
Mrs. Morris and Ada had been at a concert in the vil-
lage that night. There was no servant in the houie at
this time. I saw Mrs. Morris in her bedroom. She
seemed in the same state as usual. She said "Good
night." All remained quiet during the night. I was
awakened about 5.30 or 6 on the Tuesday morning.
The sound hit's the cracking of biscuits awoke me. I
then saw Mrs. Morris going out of my room. She was
In her dressing-room. I did not get up at once: In a
little time after Mrs. Morris had gone out of my room
I heard the boys screaming. I ran upstairs to them.
I saw Henry covered with blood running from his neck.
He is the boy six years old. James was in the same
bed. I went down to Mrs. Morris's bedroom and '
went in; she was not in. I heard Mrs. Morris locking
the dressing-room door. I called her a coward, and she
said she knew she was. The two girls, Ada and Anna,
were in the room at the time in bed. When I observed
them Ads had blood running from her bead and
Anna was gurgling in her throat: they both seemed
unconscious. Toe two boys came downstairs on to the
lendieg. I took them into my room and locked them
in. I went upstairs to the boye'.bedroom. I saw Mrs.
Morris there; she was lying on the boys' bed. She
had a revolver in her hand. I took it from her. I
said, "We have had enough of this." I gave up the
revolverto Mr. Tunnicliffe. I heard a report of fire-
arms in the dressing-room before Mrs. Morris ran up-
stairs. I then went down to my room and put the
pistol in a drawer. Mrs, Morris was still upstairs. I
went to Mrs. Morris's room and earned Anna into my
room. I tried to remove Ada, but could not. I told
the boys to lock themselves in, and I went for Mr.
Tunnicliff a next door. One of Mr. Tunnichfle's
daughters cause to the door. I went back at once, and
Mies Tuueicliffe followed. I went back to my own
room; the boys let me in. I next saw Mrs. Morris in
the nursery, on the same floor as my room. When I was
in my room Mrs. Morris asked me for the pistol. Miss
Tunniclitfe and I got Mrs. Morris to sit down. She seemed
very wild; blood was running from her temple. She
asked me again for the pistol. She wanted to know if
the children were dead. I said "No." She said she
was sorry that they were not out of their misery; Mrs.
Tunnicliffe came in, and she and I then went into Mrs.
Morris's room, where Ada was lying. I felt faint,
and Mrs. Tannicliffe went for more assistance. I
thtnk I next saw Mr. Tunnicliffe. He came into my
room and I gave him the pistol. I had seen a little
pistol she had given the youngest boy to play with
Berne time before; I suppose it was a toy one. I saw
Dr. May. Ido not know what time he came. Up to
the, time of her husband's death she had been the same
as I always knew her to be. He died iuddenly. She
teeated the children very kindly. About March I
noticed Mrs. Morris seemed very much worried and
excited about money rnatterk—The witness also said
that she was sure the prisoner wanted taking care of.
She had complained of. Want of sleep for three months,
and also of fulness in the bead ; and was in the habit
of sitting and crying hysterically. She was apprehen-
sive herself that she was wrong in the head; She was
devotedly attached to her children to the end.

Other evidence having been heard, from which it
appeared that the prisoner had been labouring under
delusions on several subjects, and had made two at-
tempts to destroy herself,

Dr. W. Mitchell Banks, visiting surgeon at Kirk-
dale Prison, stated that, since her admission to the
hospital there, Mrs. Morris had been astonishingly
calm and quiet. That calmness he considered un-
natural. In his opinion she might at any moment lose
control over her mind, and it would be unsafe to allow
her to be at large. He considered that she committed
the dreadful act while in a state of temporary insanity.
Mr. Aspinall, Q.C., in addressing the jury for the
defence, said that these fearful acts were committed is
beyond all doubt; the only question is, was or was not
the prisoner at the moment in such a state of mind
that she can be made criminally responsible for her
acts? Had she or had she not sufficient control to
regulate her actions? Was it her act? Could she help
it? Did she know it was wrong? The learned counsel
then said, is there any person in this court at this
moment, and has heard the case, who can put his hand
upon his heart and say this is a murderess and deserves
to be treated as such? He then c Aumented on the
want of motive, and invited the jury to come to the
conclusion from tho evidence, even if tbid murder was
struck out of the case, that this woman was insane.

The Judge then summed up, saying that this was a
case of great difficulty, and one which must have ex-
cited in the minds of all the deepest sympathy for the
prisoner, ills duty was to explain to the jury the
lea applicable to this class of case. He said he should
not allude to the mode in which the children came by
their deaths. The principle of law was that in cases
of this nature every person isprima facie presumed to
be sane until the contrary is shown; and in order t 9
prove the plea of insanity a person must be
shown not ' to have known the nature and quality
of the act he was doing, or if he did know,
that he did not know he was doing wrong. What
makes a man irripponsible in law is a matter
which day by day was attracting attention more and
more; that it did not follow as a mere matter of fact
that because a person was classed by a scientific person
as insane, that he was therefore criminally irre-
pponsible for his acts. His Lordship then told the
jury that, unless the irresistible impulse was such as
to take away from a man the knowledge of the
character of toe act he was doing and the knowledge
th. 4 the act was wrong, he is responsible. Unless
the jury were satisfied that the prisoner was ignorant
Of. these • two things it was their duty to find her
guilty. The evidence as to the prisona's State of mind
was then call:Tully' gone -thrOtig h.. •
' The jp.ry,.. after five'
.n;iinntes' consultation, retnrned
verdiot of Not Guilty, on the ground of insanity.
The prisoner was then ordered .hr the Judge to be
detained in custody during Her Majesty's pleasure.
Miss Merry was warmly complimented by the
proseouting counsel for ths
,coßcage ar)d.vresence of
mind which alio,
,„,.played.—.gnaw sdi iasw

The Sussa Da?.ly NEWB repot e that the yacht Sun.
beam, in which Mr. and Mn. Thomas Brassy and family are
making a voyage round the world, arrived at Valparaiso on
the 21st ot October.