The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-01-20 00:00:00

A STRANGE FORECAST.

•
-Under the above heading, the following appeared in
TueKday'o Times:—
The following extract from the Life of Rkhard Parson
written by the unhappy man who now lies under sentence
of death for the murder of his wife, will, I feel sure, be re.
garded with great interest at the present moment, casting
as it seems to do, a spark of light which cannot be considered
as otherwise than significant upon the depths of obscurity in
which the origin of this tragedy is involved.
Referring to a description by Dr. Johnson of Parson's
visit to Dr. Parr, at Hatton, which WAS abruptly terminated
by an insult offered to him by Mrs. Parr, Mr. Watson says
at page 02:—

"As Dr. Johnson does not choose to describe Mrs. Pan's
Insult we may suppose that ill was of every gross charac-
ter. She may. indeed, have fancied that she had reason
for offering such an Insult. But there are women who
Imagine that they may say, 'Without censure, the most
disagreeable things to any man, however great or good, of
whom they conceive a dislike or wish to he rid. As they
are safe from personal chastisement they venture to utter
all the bitterness that may arise in their minds. Nothing is
more disgraceful to the female sex than these cowardly
attacks on men, often of great ability and merit, whom they
know to be restrained by good sense and gentlemanly for-
bearance towards the sex from retaliation. No man can
know who has not experienced how much mischief may be
produced by the impertinent intrusion of a wife between
her husband and his friends. Mrs. Parr was a woman of
violent and overbearing temper, presumptuous and incon-
siderate, and having little respect or kindness for any human
being."
If we may regard the above passage as in any degree cor-
rectly representing the real sentiments of the author, it may
afford us some clue, however slight, to the elucidation of the
horrible enigma, "Why did the Rev. John Selby Watson
kill his wife?" At any rate the expressions above quoted
convey the idea of being the reflection of the genuine con-
victions of the writer founded upon personal experience of
feminine character. The theory set up for the defence is
supported by very respectable authority, and it scarcely re-
quired the evidence of eminent medical men to tell us at
great length what Horace has laid down as a self-evident
proposition in four words, " Ira furor firerois est." Yet it
ought not to escape notice that the passage I have quoted
from the work of Mr. Watson was penned as long ago as
tool--Your obedient servant,
Temple. 11. CROFT.

The following communication has also been sent to
The Times for publication :--

More than once in the numerous comments on this sad
occurrence I have seen it remarked as a strange circum-
stance that no one who was intimately acquainted with Mr.
Watson has come forward to give evidence respecting the
ways and habits of his domestic life. I was In a position to
do this, and Informed his advisers that I was willing to
appear at any time and place where my testimony in his
favour could be heard. For more than 11 years he and his
wife were members of my congregation at Bt. flarnabas,
South Lambeth, and he often helped me there In
the services of the Church. Perhaps I was more frequently
in his house and more intimate with him than any person in
the neighbourhood and I can confidently Ray, an the result
of our long and always friendly intercourse, that I never
met with a simpler or more kind-hearted and unworldly
mall. Precise and old-fashioned in his manners, he was al-
ways gentle and considerate, especially to the poor and the
dependent. I bad the deepestrespect forhim. Norhas this feel-
ing been at ell changed by the sad event, for I have good reason
to feel certain that, in his depressed, melancholy state, he re-
ceived from his wife some outrageous provocation which de-
prived him of his habitual self ,mastery, and made him for the
time quite irresponsible. She was always fretful, and often
violent in temper. Some years ago he came to town in
the middle of his summer vacation to ask for my advice
and sympathy on this account, as he said her then fre-
quent paroxysms of rage made It almost impossible to
live with her. Knowing how severely he was thus tried.
I never, in my frequent after-visits, left the house without
marvelling at the remarkable self-control and gentleness
which he Invariably manifested In his demeanour towards
her. She always sat with him In his study while he was at
work, he hardly eVer walked out without her, and in all
their intercourse he bore himself towards her with the
most admirable patience until that fatal moment when,
through some outrageous provocation on her part, as I Can-
not doubt, he gave way to literally ungovernable rage.

I hoped until the last day of the trial that I should have
had an opportunity to make this statement in court, and
thus show the nature of an influence which was ever so
dangerously near and ready to work on the morbid suscepti-
bility of the nnhappy man. Now, having also forwarded
this testimony to the Home Semetary, I take the only
course which remains open to help in reselling my unfortu-
nate friend from his melancholy doom, and to clear from in-
famy the name of one of the most considerate, kindly, and
honourable men I have ever known.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
' G. So DREW, Rector of Arington, Hants.