The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-03-28 00:00:00

A VERDICT OF ACQUITTAL.

At Taunton aasizes Alexander Holmes has been
indicted for the wilful murder of John Wilkinson, at
Winscombe, on the 13th of March.
The person who was murdered was a young lad about
thirteen years of age. Ile was engaged in agriculture, and
last Friday week he was sent to work in a field at Banwell,
and at five o'clock that afternoon he was seen alive and well.
The prisoner is the son of Colonel Holmes, who in the year
1865 hail lived in the neighbourhood. In April of that year
an arrangement was made for the prisoner to live with a
person named Godfrey, a turf dealer, and with the exception
of four months he had continued to live there up to last
Friday week. In the meantime Colonel Holmes hail left this
country and had gone to reside in Ireland. Tne prisoner
hail conducted himself well and peaceably, but at times he
was seen to be labouring under a great depression of spirits,
and stimulants were occasionally given to him. On Friday,
March 13. the prisoner breakfasted about seven o'clock in
the morning. Ile then went out for the purpose of d.gging
potatoes in a field three miles off, taking his dinner with
him. Ile was afterwards seen at South Brent, about
six miles from the potatoe field, and appeared to he
wandering about. Ile had n large stick in his hand.
Ile then went on to WesttpsuPer-Mare, about six
miles further. About five o'clock he was seen at Bmwell,
which is six miles from Weston. Ile was noticed
as being a stranger; he still carried a stick. About six
o'clock the prisoner called at the house of Police-sergeant
Hancock, and told Mrs. Royland, in whose house Hancock
lived, that he wanted to give himself up. Mrs. Royland
asked him why he wanted to give himself up. He replied,
" For having killed a human being." Mrs. Royland said
she hoped he had not done so. Ile said, "Indeed, I have."
That he could not forbear that he was forced to dolt;
and that he had been tempted to kill two or three people
he had met on the road, but he had abstained. Ile was
much excited, and cried bitterly at the thought of what he
had done. Mrs. Ilityland gave him some tea and some
bread and butter. She asked him how he had done it. fie
said with his stick and his knife; it was a poor little boy in
a field. As Hancock was OUt, Mrs. Royland asked him
if
he would go and show some one. He said yes, he would go
with anyone. Ile did not seem like a man in bin right mind.
Mrs. Royland then fetched the parish constable, and the
prisoner took him to a field and showed him a stick in a
ditch, with which he BAH he had beaten the head of the
boy, and picked up a knife with which he said he had cut
the boys throat. The body of the poor boy was found near,
hut the prisoner could not look at it, but shrunk back and
said he could not look at the blmid. Upoi examination the
bead of the boy was found to be beaten to a pulp, and the
skull broken in pieces, mid the throat was out from ear to
ear, and the head was nearly severed from the body. The
prisoner told theconstable the same story he hail lief ailed to
Mrs. Anyland. The prizoner ainwEred rationally every qua.
thin that was put to him.
witnesws were called, who detailed in evidence the above
st Atement. When the prisoner persevered iu saying he had
killed the boy, the constable would not believe him, and said
he had no blood about him, The prisoner said hd had
washed it off. He said he a-as compelled to do it, and had
had it in his mind for a week. He said he had run back-
wards and forwards for an hour in a field that morning
before he left. He said he had had fits, and that he had
wandered about for a week at a time in two counties. The
impression on the mind of the constable from the demeanour
of the prisoner was that he was not sane. its had a wild,
disordered look. Ile said he was born in Ireland. Godfrey
had undertaken to find the prisoner in everything for 75. a
week fie was told by the prisoner's mother to keep hint em-
ployed. The prisoner often complained of pains in his head
and chest, but no medical man was consulted. Ile WU
at times very low and melancholy, and some pills

were given to him and a glass of wine He never
drank anything. No one feared his doing anything
wrong. Godfrey never knew him to have Ott lie was
a quiet, well-disposed young man_ He was twenty-eight
years of age. The prisoner's mother said it was desirable
that he should be out of doors and employed. He
hail once absented himself for four nimiths, and on his re-
turn he said he had been in • nursery garden in Wales. He
was often found in a deep study. Ile wanted once to be a
scripture-reader, and was very fond of reading the scrip-
tures, lie appeared very stupid at times. His father told
Godfrey that he was a harmless lunatic, lie did not do
much work, but would go wandering about Ile was not
supplied with any money, but his father sometimes sent him
some clothes. Godfrey had given the prisoner the knife
with which he said he had cut the throat of a boy. Ile was
not like sensible people he did just as he liked. The pri-
soner told one of the constables that he had done It he did
not know what for. He expected no mercy from man, but
he hoped God would forgive him. Ho said his father had
talked of sending him to a lunatic asylum two or three
years ago, and he wished he had done no and then he should
not have committed the murder. lie had been reading of
murders in the newspapers until he thought he must com-
mit one. Mr. Smith, a surgeon, was called in to zee the pri-
soner in the lock-up, and he stated that he believed the pri-
soner to be a man of weak intellect.
. ,

Mr. Edlin, on behalf of the prisoner, thought the jury
would consider that the prisoner was not responsible for his
conduct. The prisoner had been placed with Godfrey, and
was allowed to wander about according to his will. It was
clear he was treated as a person of weak intellect. The pri-
soner had been a pupil of a gentleman who was now the
chaplain of the gaol, but he could make but little of hint
Ile bad a disposition for gardening. and he had been placed
with several gardeners of eminence. but when his father was
about to proceed to Ireland in 18(35 he placed him with
Godfrey with a view of his being kept lathe open air and put
to do any cluldiah work of weeding and things of that sort.
On the IZith of March he had gone away early and monied to
be walking about without any object ; he went twenty miles
and then he called at Mrs. Royland's awl said he hail been
and killed a poor little boy keeping birds MY, and he was
forced to do it, and then he detailed all the circumstances
Ile was in a very excited state, crylig bitteily. There was
an entire absence of at motive or premeditation. There
was a clear indication of strong, uncontrollable impulse. It
was difficult to mark the precise line where sanity ended fool
Insanity einmenced. He should call medical gentlemen who
would give their opinion of the case, and he thought the Jury
would arrive at the conclusien that they must acquit the
prisoner on the ground of insanity.
The Rev. Frederick House some years ago had the prisoner
wider his care as a pupil. His parents were then in India
Isis father was captain in the 12th I.ancers, and hail nine
children. There was great want of mel.tal power its the
prisoner he was much excited at times—lost the power
of utterance. Endeavoured to teach him Latin, French,
and drawing, but could not succeed in his endeavours to
instruct Inni. Ile was very peculiar, very different from
the other boys ; scarcely associated with them; was solitary
In his habits. Ile suffered in his chest. Its appeared half-
, witted. His mind became weaker. The boys in the street
called after him. He was fond of gardeeing. Would plant
seeds and take them up the following day to see if they
! were growing.
1 Abraham Young, a gardener, formerly in the service of
Colonel Holmes, said the prisonerassisted him in the garden.
' Ilia conduct was not like that of a sane person..

—...- -
Jane Ryan said lv 1,64 she was employed as a needle.
woman at Colonel Holmes'. The prisoner complained of
pains in his chest and head. Ile went away once for three
or four days. When he returned he told her he had been
in Dorsetshlre to see a gentleman, but had not courage to
g°7:l“r: Parsons, a surgeon, was called in by Colonel Holmes
in 1665, to examine the prisoner. Ile was suffering from an
attack of melancholy. Ile was deficient in intellect, and
would he liable on any sudden impulse to commit a crime,
and would lie uncontrollable—incapable of resisting the im-
pulse. As he grew older, the tendency might hicresse.
Would not have been surprised if he had committed suicide.
Dr Crawford was consulted by the prisoner's father on the
state of his son's mind. Had met Dr. Fairborn in consulta-
tion upon the subject. Had seen the prisoner that morning.
Ile was a man of very weak intellect—au imperfect develop.
m.t of mind and body. He would be liable to he influenced
by sudden impulse. Ile would not have the power of reason-
ing, the impulse would be irresistible. lie said he did not wish
to kill the boy, but he could not resist it.
Dr. Woodford, proprietor of a lunatic asylum, examined
the prisoner on Saturday anal conversed with him. Con-
sidered him to be a man of weak intellect. Questioned him
upon this transaction ; he told witness everything. Ile said
he had no motive, but had read the account of the Todinorden
' murder, and that had induced him to commit this act. Ile
said his mind had been in a very giddy and confused state
the whole of the day, and that during his walk lie had more
than once fallen down in an unconscious state. Ile would
have no power to control the impulse. He said be knew he
wao doing wrong, but he had no power to resist. The
prisoner conversed rationally.
The Lord Chief Justice !turnings' up the case to the jury.
There were many cases which came before juries where
there was no doubt as to the motive actuating the persian
charged, but in this case there was 110 assignable motive, for
the boy was an absolute stranger to the prisoner. The facts
of the case had been clearly proved, and could leave no
doubt upon their minds, nor were they disputed by the
learned counsel who hail so ably conducted the def...
The main issue in the case would be what was the condition
of the mind of the unhappy man at the bar at the time he
committed the act. lu this case it did not altogether depend
upon the opinion of medical men called in to speculate upon
the inference to be drawn from particular facts, became
they had a very satisfactory account of the history of the
young nian from his earliest years up tar the time of the com-
mission of this act, for they had heard that daring the time
he was at school he was considered to be a boy of weak in-
tellect, and he was traced down to the present time, and all
the witnesses concurred in expressing their belief that the
prisoner was not in a state of 6011111 i mind, but they must
decide whether at the time he committed the offence he was
in such a state of mind as not to be responsible fair the act—
whether he knew he was doing wrong, whether he knew the
differenee between right mid wrong. The learned judge
vindicated the conduct of Colonel Holmes from all imputa-
tion that he had not taken proper care of Ms son, because
It had been proved that he had called in eminent medical
nien to consult upon the state of his son, and had acted
upon their advice. Ms Lordship then read over all the
evidence.
- -

The jury Acquitted the prisoner on the ground of
insanity, and he was ordered to be kept in custody
until her Majesty's pleasure should be known.