The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-08-08 00:00:00

ACQUITTED ON THE GROUND OF

INSANITY.

At the assizes held at &Amin, John Stickland was
indicted for the wilful murder of Maria Bowden
Stickland, at the parish of Phillack, on the 4th of
May.
When the prisoner was called upon to plead and
say whether be was guilty or not guilty, he said, " I
don't know." Upon being told that he must say
guilty not guilty, he then said "Not guilty."
•••• •

Thins Wati a most painful and melancholy caae, an the
following outline will show :
Tire prisoner, who was in is respectable position in life,
was charged with the murder of his own child, a little girl
of only three years of age About four years ago the prisoner
married a widow skunked Miles, who bad some little property.
She bad two children by her first husband, and these accom-
panied their mother on het marriage to their new home.
On Friday, the Ist of May the prisoner's wife died, anti at
the time Of this murder, which was committed on Sunday
night, the 3rd of May, she was lying dead in her coffin in
one of the monis of the house. The little girl whose death
was the subject of this inquiry slept with the prisoner,
who was exceedingly fond ot her, It would seem that the
prisoner and his wife had lived extravagantly, and
all the money was spent, and the prisoner became
greatly distressed at this circumstance. On the night of
smulay, the ;led of May, the prisoner weld to bed, taking
his little child Mk him. The servant girl Matilda
Gilbert, then fastened the doors of the house and went to
bed, and 111 another room the two children of Mrs. Miles
slept, and these persons were the only inmates of the house.
No noise was beard during the night, and when the servant
Went down in the morning, everything was as she left it the
previous evening. on the next morning, about 9 o'clock,
one of the clkildien of Mrs. Miles was sent by her grand-
mother, who lived in some rooms of the prisonera house,
but which did not commuilcate with it, ti the prisoner's
room tin fetch something she wanted. The child upon going
into the room saw some blood on the filisoner's bed ; she
was ft ightenekl, anti went out and told the servant that the
primmer was dead, that there was a pool of blood and a
knife by his side. An alarm was given, and two or three
women went into the room, and a sad spectacle presented
itself. The prisoner was lying in the bed with his throat
cut, and Iklookl was flowing omit ausly froin the wound. There
was a raze lying on the pillow, covered with 1+ mil. Upon
looking further they found the little girl in the bed, dead
and quite cold, with her throat cut. Of course the theory of
the prosecution was that the prisoner had cut the throat of
the child anti then his own.

It was shown by the evidence that the prisoner's wife had
died ins decline, and that the prisoner awl his wife had
lived very happily together. The prisoner was evtremely
low and depressed upon the death of his wife. Ile had talked
on the Sunday about the funeral of his rife, which he wished
should be on the Monday. The misoner was not a strong
man, and frequently bled at the nose. Ile was a man of
few words. There was no money left, only the furniture and
a cow and pig. The prisoner was a boiler builder. When
the prisoner was told that the child was dead he said,
"Lord have mercy, what have I done?" Between seven and
eight in the evening of the 3rd of May the prisoner seemed
very nmelt distressed, and a max said to him, " Ilow are you,
The prisoner replied, " I am very bad ; my poor
wife is dead, and I have no money to bury tier; and my
friends have all left me, mid Pin a wan ruined Mr ever." The
man tab!, "John, you've plenty of money somewhere.' 1 he
pris..ner seid he could not find any. 'the man said, "Where's
your batik h" The prisoner said he could not Bad it. The man
said, " Where's your gold watch ? " The prisoner said it was
goue. The man said, Where is your gold stick?" Ile said
it was wit there. The man said, " Where's the deed of your
house ?" Prisoner said that was gone. The man asked if
he had signed anythieg in the shape il a mortgage ? The
prisoner said " No." The man asked him if he knew what
money his wife had administered to after the death of her
husband ? The prisoner replied that he did not : he be-
lieved his wife's family were combined bigether to take what
ought to come to him. the said he heard Ids wife had made
a will, and that the first husband's children were to have all
that was left, awl that there was nothing for his child but
LW ill debt, and he should never be able to pay it ; he was
rallied The inan told him he would call all his friends to-
gether and take the benefit id their advice. The prisoner
said his friends had all deserted him, and would not come
near him. His wife's mother was sa bad • rogue as any.
The man then told him to go to the minister, who was a
gentleman by birth, and he would speak] plainly, and tell
him how to bury his wife. The prisoner sail he did bid
know what fashion lie was. Ile coold not speak. The man said
he wo add go with him, but it would put hint in au awkward
position with Ids family. The 111011 saw him afterwards,
and told him he knew a man who would buy his cow. The
prisoner was low and depressed, and said be could wit- tell
what anyone was saying two minutes together The neigh-
bours tried to cheer the prisoner, but could not succeed ;
they thought it likely he would hang himself before
the morning, and that lie was not right in his mind. The
prisoner's uncle died in an asylum. Ills grandmother
was deranged ; she Was described by the witness as not
" wicked mad," halt " easy mad," and required watching.
In times past they were a wealthy family. There were
three ineisiona in the prisoner's throat resulting in one
wound. The prisoner had licen under medical treatment ;
he was naturally of a h,w and desponding state of mind, and
the liver and stomach were disindered ; he was melancholy
In April, bathe appeared to know what he was doing, and
his answers were rational. After the funeral of his wife the
prisoner manifestly improved. the was in an exceedingly
dangerous state, and his life was despaired of after this
IIeeIIITOIICO. The surgeon said that from the state of his
mind, and his liver mid stomach, he would be prone to coal.
nut rash acts of any kind without any apparent motive.
Persons in that state were liable to commit rash acts upon
those they were most fond of, as well as upon themselves.
Mr. Folkard addressed the jury on behalf of the
prisoner, urging upon them that at the time he com-
mitted the act he was not in a state of mind to know
what he was doing.

The Jury acquitted the prisoner on the ground of
insanity, and he was ordered to be detained during
her Majesty's pleasure.