The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-07-25 00:00:00

LAMENTABLE DOWNFALL OF A
CLERGYMAN.

At the Middlesex Sessions, Stanley Leigh Powell,
aged thirty-eight, a peren of respectable exteriu
said to be a clerk in holy ordere, wee kelieted for
obtaining by tido I retencea bon. Henry 'hunker the
sum of 2111105., with intent te cheat and defraud by
in, ens of a cheque. The lamentable pottier) in
which be, a man of education, respectable connection,
and a cheer) Mall, Wan placed, is, it appoure, acoerding
to a to itten stattment of his own, attributable to
drutukennese When the case was heard. Mr.
Warner Sleigh, on the primmer's behalf, said he was
of the ( burch tnt Englaiud, and his present re usitien
was attributable to the unconquerable love of drink.
He was about to he married to a very licit lady,
but upon the night previous to the ceremony he got so
intoxicated that he woo not able to appear. When in
prison upon this charge he attennuted to commit
tunicide by strangling himself with line clocking. 1k was
t mean by the name of the "mad captain "of Soho.
Ile haul written a statement of his career, which the
learned conoel mould hand to the court if it wished.
The following ice cep.- of it:—" AD. 1860. The be.
ginning of tiny downfall vies thus. Being MI a visit to
bnuther cl rgy,tinan in Lancashire. I became engaged
to a ban-biter's widow of great wealth. Everything.
even to the license, ring, and the 'day,' wee settl.d,
but, yielding to temptatien, I became intoxicated, and
failed to be tie re AS appoin• eul, co, ~f the ch
was lun 'kent if. I wino mulch vexed, and rushed head.
long lobe drink and say lay cuntpany, until I wee quite
tool. I mom all the matey (nearly £lOOl I had pro-
vided for the nu:urine menses. I. sine staying for a
few days at a very fast le toe, and was intoxnated the
whole time. One eveuing I di-apposed, putting in
my pocket two toddy ladle., not ei vet-, moth Is. each.
Thence I went to sup with a eel-roman, a little out
of Live peed, he being rather a free-liver. Iliad more
drink—c 1 irita - end ati his huttee was fell, went to the
village inn, turd eet up uith the landlorul till ently
still drihkiug. Weld up tubed at the simnel line,
his ro &keg test to wive. In the morning I amid
into his mem and not finding hint tee, e put on his
coat and yeti, watch and chain valued at Ilfi or V) and
went down te the bar, Fettled my bill, and walked
about for acme time. Then I went out fur a walk
for about two or three hours, feturned ui h the
things still on, havitug left mine in his bed.
room. Sat in the pubic room with Lim and
his friends f..r a long time, when a policeman took me
into custody on both cherges I woe tiled at the
a,Mta and sentenced to tines month.' inir rieumment.
I 'Mu rttinate'y I declined to pied, as I WU urged le
eve, rune, 'Temporary hueetif y,' 1. ming its out .
aequenoes of 'Her I.laju sty 'al pleasure,' aml not
dresunitig the emceed than, would be erefored. how.
ever, ete one offence Nits in the I orough end the °the,
in the county, it hen my sentence in the former was
expired I was arrested for the county. This no ex-
operated my friends that they Insieted on my pleading
' Not guilty.' and proved overwhelmingly that
I was not in a sane state of wind thfeugh drink,
and the jury returned a verdict of • Net Guilty'
lon the ground of temporary insanity. 1.-rut
,S. anley was chairman. I wa.e sent to Betide-
' hem, and liberated after hine menthe, I think. e ft.r
this I became assistantseeretary to a clerical
society, and curate of a parish in Surrey. The mourn.
bent's wife, in whose !anew I lived, became jealcelus of
some ladies, quarrelled with me, and I left. Some
six or nine months after Ude I hed two cheques sent me,
one for her and one for myself —for s.:rl each. After
keeping hers fore longtime, I end reed ut in her name
and got it cashed. I was apprehended, and nestle, Imo-
ceetled in committing stueide." [Front inf rn
obtained it appears that while in the lon of
Detention Inc SUCCIO dent in secreinug a small tuenife
from the obuservittion of the wardere, with which be
neatly severed his windpipe. ant was fund weltering
in his blued. After being in the infirmary about seven
weeks, he recovered, and explained to the chaplain
how Le had seoeted the penknife.] Another helm and
I should h see bid to death. Watt tiled he- uorgery
at the Central Criminal (*.met, and the previous situ
victim being preyed, eentenced to eighteen menthe`
imprisonment. I was then living in a state of
intoxication, end got the cheque oohed at a
tavern. I think title WM February, 1861. We have
now arrived at this point. Sitice beginning a
new career I have good testimonials from each
place. For some time I abstained from intoxicatieg
liquors, but unfortunately again gave way. I haul the
highest possible teentrionittle on going to the Look
HoeintaL Went on well until about a fortnield before
leaving. Mr. Kinnaird noticed me queer on one or
two mornineut and roe men.:..„, I ten-aired a note from
one of my referees asking me to resign at once. I got
drinking, never returned to dinner, no all that night,
and was ashamed to nppear at the board meeting ; and
after stopping away for several days, beard that a sue-
ceased hid been appointed. Was then ashamed to re-
turn, and left my books with mauy sums for petty
cash unentered, and consequently was a defaulter.
I now went on drinking., and trying and hoping
to kill myself. until I beard the `police were on
my track,' mid even then kept on drinking, never
seeing bed for three nights together. My mode
of living every day woe never going to led before
daylight, and when I aweke hail Litter beer
and brandy, and after tinnier, the only meal,
kept drinkiug all kinds of Inixtuees till Miulei.tht,
Doubtless I appeared sill tight to etrangete—r leaeant,
quiet, chatty, and agreeable—though not reepousible
bur tiny actions." lie further detailed hie uliseulute
habits and the present wetter with a Lich he stool
clitezed.
The Amid arde.Tudge said the crcnmseanrecevpdneni
were an aggravation of the ptioner's case, and he
haul hoped it WWI Lot true Le wee a clergyman.
Jones, 62 X, said Inc had brought a gentleman to the
court whom the prieener heel ale., defrauded ; beeides
which there were a lot of vuther canes against him, but
the patties refused to attoul—Sentence, five year.'
penal eervitude.
The prisoner, who pei wed to feel hie position acutely,
was then removed to the c'elht