The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-02-18 00:00:00

ocat ant istriect J. 1136,
THE ,OLDSWINFORD MURDER.

TitIAL OF THE ACCUSED.
EXTRAOIDINARYMEDICL EVIDENCE

At the Worcester Assizes, on Wednesday, George
Pearsall (79), nailer. was ini cted for wilfully
wurderiug his wife Harriet Pearsall, on the 6th
it., at Oldswinferd , Prisoner had to be helped
into the dock, and was greatly distressed.
Mr. Sim and Mr. Troghill prosecuted, and Mr.
P. knphlett and Mr; Crlnstoun (instructed by Mr.
J. Hinds, of Stourbridge) defended.
Mr Sim said that prisoner was in his 80th year,
ad the deceased was 76. Prieener's son left home
at half-past seven on the morning of the 6th and
saw hii father and mother asleep in bed. About
nine o'clock he came home to Lreakfnst and saw
his fa• her, who said, "1 have done my bit."
T. ere were bloodstains on his father. The son
found his mother in bed unconscious, and having a
,errible wound on her temple. The neighbours
flocked into ths house and the police being tent
cot, prisoner was apprehended. An iron shoe
eovered in blood was round und-r the bed. The
!note in the case were undisputed, and the witnesses
w-re cross-examined as to the mental condition of
the prisoner. They all admitted that the prisoner
had suffered frorn'delusions for the past five or six
months, and that be had groundless fears of beisg
removed to agunatie asylum.
Mr Richards, surgeon, said he believed the
prisoner at the time he e. mmitted the deed was
insane, and that he was'unable to resist a sudden
:.nd uncontrollable impulse.
Dr. Cooke, medical superintendent of the
Worcestershire Lunatic Asylum, who had recently
examined the prieloher, said. he ceeld find no
evidence of delusion. He was suffering from
eeneral mental feebleness. He considered the
~ase one of delusions of a changeable or transitory
character, with sudden impulses of a homicidal or
suicidal uature. The scion under such impulses
would be at times automatic or machine-like.
The effects of the act would bring to mind what
happencel. Prisoner might have antlered from
irresistible impulse
Mr. Hyde, the prison surgeon void he believed
prisoner unagined the greatest kindnese he co ald
do to his wife would be to kill her, and that he vra4
doing a good rind not a wrong action.
For the defence prisoner's daughter gave
evidence as to prisoner's delusions.
Mr. Amphlett said unless the jury were forced
by the defective state of the law they would not.
he was sure, find the prisoner guilty of wilful
murder. He did not suppose in the history of the
country there had been such a melancholy case
tried. Prisoner had been a kind and loving
nesband, aed he lived in a part of the country
where his exserpsa as a father and a husban.; might
be usefully f‘ llowed by mauy. He had brought up
ta family of 12.. A brother of the prisoner had died
in a lunatic asylum.
The Lod Chief Justice, in summing up, said,
thaugh to Berne extent toe law was uu-Wisfactory,
they were bound to apply it as they found it. It
was not pi etencled Oita there were ciecaos stances
which reduced the Crime from murder to man-
,lanlht.u.. His Loidship mentioned th several
verdicts which were open to the jury to rind. The
duty of proving he was not responsible was the
duty cast by the law upon the prisoner
The jury found the prisoner guilty of the act.
out that he was insane at the time he committed it.
The judge directed the prisoner to be kept iu
custody as a criminal lunatic during her Majesty's
pleasure.

37 and 38 years. On his solemn oath he did not
viol Ite his daughter that day, nor in any way in-
decently as4ault her, The first time he heard any-
thing:of the rase 1'7,13 wh?.n Inspector Herman came
to him at the shed. When he was charged he said
WAS not gailty of anything he was ash ktribd of.
When the Inspector told him who laid the inform—
ation, he sai I "If she says so it must be true, be -
cause she was in tne habit of telling lies." lie was
I•fres'l" when he came into the house.
Iu answer to Mr. Firmstoise, prisoner denied
emphitica ly that he had never had counictions
with his daughter.
Mr. Firmstone said they had given the case their
most ca.eftd,consideration and had come to the con-
clus!on to co.nmit him for trial at the next Worces-
ter A-sizes, bail lying accepted, prisoner in £5O,
and two sureties of £25 each.

DEUNNIENNEEIS.—At the Police .Court yest i y
before Messrs. H. 0. Firmstone and A. Free-,
the following persons were fined for being drunk
Fryer 2s 6d and coats ; William Jones,
58 an costs ; William Cottrell 28 6d ; fien,y Dunn
; d.

CI: Y.— Sohn Borraston Hill was charged
with e-• :city to a sheep, by causing it to be thiveii
whilst ia an unfit state on the 6th inst. Ordered
to pay cots.
Oils 0103 C rios.—Mgjor Hawkeswood as C arged
with cLuing Ai obstruction by leavi :g his h)rse
gnd tsp in Coventry Street on the 7th inst. Fined
5s and costa.

OnscENITY, Ann Salmon was charged with
using obscene language in Coventry Street, on the
14th inAt . Fined 113 6d and co,ts, or cue month._

Cluriort To BAKERS—John Winwood was charged
with selling bread without weighing it on the 14th
Withdrawn ou payment of cos'.
SCRO ,L BOARD PR"BECUTIONS rWO persons
named Green and Harris were summoned by In.
pector Baker for neglecting to scut their chi2reil
so school, and were fined.
t".Boa.au OP GIIIhMAX! —gr. P. Pa.-g ,ter pre
sided at the usual weekly meetivg or this Uo trd*
yesterday. Admitted into he to Ise during the
week 7„ discharged 10, renkaining in the house 501,
against 571 in the corresponding week last year.
Out-door relief r—Kingswinforn £5O 128 6 I, Stour-
bridge £4O lle 2d, Halesowen .233 15s 71-d, nod •
resident paupers £1 13s 6d, total £l2O 12s 90,
against Xll4 4s 10Ic1 last year.
A CAitD.—A
CLErIOIDIASwit se.i.t, free of o aTV
a prescription for the cure of all t-iose ) Roam. L•oin
the mon' and indiscretioss of youth, n.trvousi debility.
physical exhauition, alai early decay. 'V his grea renis.l
was discoveead by a missionary i.,01,1 MLexi:io ; aiv .1
him from a miserable existence and an early grave
end a self-aildr oisea, stamped envoi lie, to Rev. J sPu
HoLmEs, likomsbury Mansions, Bloonasbur yquare
Loudon, W.C. Mention this paper

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