The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-03-28 00:00:00

NOT GUILTY ON THE GROUND OF

INSANITY.

At York anOzer, Wlllism Brown Iv., charged with the
wilful murder of Lie 100, I .1011114 WilillW Brown, at Mid-
dlesbrough, on the Rad of Nov,mber last.
M.. gimp.. and Mr. Skidmore appeared for the prosecu-
tion; Mr. Varoon Black/nun for the dtfeuos.

It appeared that the deceneed was a little boy of
four mouthe. and the prisoner, Ms 'wirer, was an
iranatone pitman at Guisborougn. He had been
married about fourteen or fifteen monthit to a girl whose
father and mother lived at hiiddfifebtough. The
marriage wax unhappy, end on the 24th of October
the wife went to her father's honse, She then came
to Gulsborough to fetch her chili and saw the prieoner.
He wait unwilling to part with the child, hut his wife
threatened to call for the police, and he then allowed
her to take the chid. On Wednesday, the 29th of
October, the prisoner came to the father's house at
Guishorongh. He appeared anxious to get hoc wife
and child to come home with him. His father-in-law
would not allaw him t • stay in the house, but he took
his meal, there and inept in anadjoining house. On Sun-
day, the 2nd of November, he eaid he was going back
after dinner. and at half-past 11 he went to lie down in
an upstairs room, and he then called out to have the
child washtd and brought upstairs to sleep by him.
His wife brought the chiul upstairs and left it with him.
Soon after a little child of eight years of age went up
into the room and came bank alarmed, and dthedf
going into the room found the t'eceseefi with his throat
cat, and the prisoner with his throat cut too. Brandy
was given him, and he then maid to a witness named
George Hampshire, who lived next door, 'Oh, George,
I'm very sorry the knife was nut sharp enough. I
tried three timee and I could not du it, and 1 know 1
shall have to coffer for it." The main facts of the case
were not disputed, but the question was as t the
-tote of mind of the prisoner at the time of committing
the act.

Mrs. Onions, the prisoner's mother-invlaw, Paid,—
"He woo very fond of nis wife and child. I never
saw • man since I was born fonder of a child and of hie
wife too. He wed to take the child and nurse it, and
when he could not have it he seemed that bet to get
it that he would pretend to have it and whistle to it
when he had not got it at all. He had been drinking
hard during the week." This evidence was confirmed
by tile father-in law. A neighbour saw him orr the
Friday siitieg on a chair, quite drunk. He said he
had come twice for his wife and child and they would
not go with him, but he did not blame the wife,
he blamed the mother. He wont I kill the child
and cut its throat, and then he would cut his own,
and then they would both die together. Another
neighbour said he told her he was going to see
hie wife and child and she would never se, him
any more. She reilied, "Oh, George, that's whisky
that's talking now." He was then drunk. Ho Paid,
"If he found out they had christened the child a
Catholic he would murder the pair of them;" he said
so more than once. He and hie wife used to differ a
greot deal both when he was in liquor and when he wog
sober. He drank a great quantity of brandy, and
seemed very stupid and muttered about hi" wile and
child. When the police came, and found him lying
beside the dead child, be locked at it as it lay and sail,
"It's a had job I've kited the clad I. I'd have to
suffer for it. I wish the knife had Leen sharper ; I
tried three times to cut my own throat." Hs
"My mother in low is all to blase for this."
The eurgeon, Mr. Dickenson, slated that he found
the child's throat cut from ear to ear. The knife was
• large clasp knife, rhe prieoner'e throat had only
one wound on it, but that Lad a jagged appearance.
The drunken...l described by the 'Atheism would
have a very injurious effect on the brain, and if the
prisoner had teen for days and data without food,
and had sleepless nights, It would tend to produce
delirium Cream:us, under which people often did not
know what they were doing. If he had been drinking
from the 24th of October to the lit of November,
and had then enddenly abstained from drink,
that was • course most likely to produce delirium.
Being afraid to go to bed, fancying he was dancing
the crtild about, and rushing at the fire saying that
the child was burning to death, were also symptoms
of delirium tremens and of temporary insanity. He
had not obierved any symptoms of delirium whin he
saw the prisoner; he only appear d wild and excited.
I. ,vs of blood might have had toe effect of reducing
the delirinm.

Watnerses were called for the defence in order to
support the theories suggested by the queations put to
the surgeon. They described him am being constantly
drinking, unable to rest or go to bed, and fancying he
was dancing his baby, and on one occasion thinking it
was in the fire. The prisoner's brother elated that all
the members of the family had had epileptic fits, and
that a sister was still subject to them. The prisoner
did not get rid of the fits until he was in lent " teens."
The last tit occurred six years ago. The surgeon,
being recailid, maid that tipilepiy tended to weakea
the brain and was a serious thing if children did not
grow out of it early in life, especially if it was in
the family. Persons afflicted with this disorder were
more easily affected by ciink and ware more liable to
delusion..

Mr, Vernon Blackburn. iu a powerful adclragg, con-
tended that there was sufficient evidence to show that
the prisoner did not know the quality of the act he
wag doing....

Hi. Lordahip pummed pp the whole evidence with
great care and clearness.

The jury, after an aisence of abut three-quarters
of an hour, returned into court and said their verdict
was that the prisoner took his child'a life while in an
unsound etate of wind.

His Lordship : rust i verdict of Not Guilty on
the ground uf insanity. The prisoner will I), detained
during Her Ilsjest)'s plesawre.