The Press.
London, England, 1856-02-09 00:00:00

Nain anb Vita.

THE MURDER IN THE MINORIES.
THE TRIAL OF THOMAS CORRIGAN, for the murder
of his wife, on the 20th of December last, was pro-
ceeded with at the Central Criminal Court, on Wed-
nesday. The evidence of Mrs. Fearon, and of Mrs.
and Mr. Burton, who were in the house at the time
of the occurrence, did not in any point vary from
that which they had given before the coroner and
magistrate in December last. The prisoner, from
the evidence of these witnesses, was drunk on the
morning of the murder, appeared to have been
given to drinking, and to have suffered an attack of
delirium tremens a few months previous. He had
been drinking hard during the Christmas week.
Mr. Cook, the surgeon, with respect to the influence
of delirium tremens upon the mind, stated that at such
a time the sufferer was subject to every kind of de.
lusiou, and would unconsciously commit the most
violent and extravagant actions. An attack was
generally prefaced by peculiar symptoms some hours
before.
The circumstances of the murder are too fresh in
the memory of our readers to need repetition. Two
contrite letters, written by the prisoner while in
prison, were read in court, and an able defence made
by Mr. Ballantine, who endeavoured to prove, from
the rationality of the prisoner's conduct up to the
moment of the murder, that the act had been com-
mitted under some uncontrollable impulse, induced
by a sudden attack of delirium tremens.
Mr. Justice Wightman summed up with great care,
and pointed out to the jury that the question was
whether he was in such a state of mind as would
render him responsible for his actions :

It was his duty to tell them that, before they could come
to the conclusion that the prisoner was not responsible on
the ground of insanity, they must be satisfied that at the
time the act was committed the prisoner was labouring
under such a defect of reason as not to know the nature
and quality of the act he was committing, and also that
he was not aware he was doing wrong ; and it appeared to
him that there was no evidence in this case that would
justify the jury in coming to either of these conclusions.
The prisoner appeared to have acted in a perfectly rational
manner up to the very moment of the fatal occurrence ;
and, although it was extremely probable that the act was
committed under some sudden feeling of excitement, pos-
sibly aggravated by the drink he had taken, it would be
calculated to lead to very, dangerous consequences indeed
if a man under such circumstances was not to be held re-
sponsible for his acts.

The jury retired at half•past three o'clock, and re-
turned into court in about a quarter of au bow, With
a verdict of Wilful murder.

THE PRESS.

Sentence of death was then passed in the usual
form.

THE MURDER IN BEDFORD-ROW.
CHARLES BROLDFOOT WESTRON was on Thursday last
tried at the Central Criminal Court for the wilful
murder of Mr. Waugh.
Mr. Clarkson conducted the prosecution, Mr. Bal-
lantine the defence.

The circumstances of the case are of too recent a
date to need any detailed account. The evidence of
the different witnessed examined at the police-court
and before the coroner was again heard. The fact
of the murder was undisputed by the counsel for the
defence. A letter (10th Oct., 1855) from the late
Mr. Waugh to the prisoner, complaining of the pri-
soner's insulting conduct, and one in reply of the
11th October from the prisoner to Mr. Waugh, in
which the following sentence occurs :
I shall have nothing further to say to you but simply
this—that it is my intention to see your son, as I promise
he will be placed in your shoes before long, and I should
like for him to know how he will be situated with me when
such an event occurs, as there seems more truth than you,
perhaps, fancy in the remarks made by Mr. Ellis at Tiver-
ton, when he observed that my "life hangs on a thread;"
and had he completed the sentence, it would have been—
" and this gentleman's on my right hangs on a puff of
smoke."

Mr. Ballantine, for the defence, did not dispute
the facts of the case, of which there could be no
doubt, but he held that it was established, from the
decisions given in various cases, that a man, though
sane upon every other subject, may nevertheless be
thoroughly insane upon one particular point, and
while under that delusion irresponsible for his
actions.

Witnesses were then examined to prove the eccen-
tricity of the prisoner's general conduct. Several
lodging house keepers, with whom the prisoner had
lived from March, 1854, spoke to his peculiar habits
and manners.

Mrs. Aybourne stated that he was frequently much
excited, at other times reserved. He talked much
to himself day and night. It was her opinion that
be was not in his right mind.
Elizabeth Williams had heard him say that he
wanted some spirits to make a fire to burn the devil,
who was always walking after and annoying him.
On one occasion he asked her to lend him the flat-
iron, that be might see whether it would frighten
the devil. The prisoner also said he should like to
get some bullets to shoot the devil with. She con-
sidered him deranged.

Mr. W. Essex said, when the prisoner lodged in
his house in July, 1854, he asked to run up and
down stairs about two or three in the morning. He
did not consider him a madman, but the prisoner's
conduct was so strange that he (Mr. Essex) ordered
him to quit in a week.
Several other witnesses gave evidence of a similar
description. It also appeared that on two occasions
he had tied a handkerchief round his throat so tightly
as almost to strangle himself.
Evidence was also given that the prisoner's uncle
and aunt were both confirmed lunatics. Mr. Flower,
surgeon, of Somersetshire, had attended the prisoner
three years ago:—

At that time ho was evidently suffering under mental
disturbance, but it was difficult to ascertain the exact
nature of his malady, because no rational answer could be
obtained to any question that was put to him. He had
heard all the evidence that had been adduced, and in his
opinion at the time the prisoner shot Mr. Waugh he was
incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong.
Dr. Synnott had an interview with the prisoner, and
was of opinion that lie was labouring under a great
deficiency of mind :
In all such cases it was very important to ascertain
whether there was any taint of insanity in the family, and
the evidence lie had heard upon that point, and the other
facts in the case, led him to come to the conclusion that
the prisoner, at the time he committed this act, was Inca•
pable of distinguishing between right and wrong. From
all that occurred, he was of opinion that the prisoner was
of unsound mind.

Mr. Clarkson, in reply, urged that the case had
failed on the part of the defence, and nothing had
been shown to justify the jury in coming to the con-
clusion that, at the time he committed this dreadful
act, ho was not perfectly aware what he was doing,
and not, therefore, fully responsible.
The learned judge then proceeded to sum up. He
went through the whole of the evidence very care•
fully, and said that there could be no doubt upon the
facts, and the only question the jury had to decide
was, whether the prisoner was proved to have been
in such a state of mind at the time the act was
committed, as not to know the distinction between right
and wrong; and if that was not made out to their
full satisfaction, they had only one duty to perform,
and however painful it might be to them to do so,
they were bound to return a verdict of wilful
murder.

The jury, after deliberating for some time in the
box, retired, and were in deliberation about three
quarters of an hour, when they returned a verdict of

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" Guilty of Wilful Murder," but recommended the
prisoner to mercy on account of his strong predis-
position to insanity.
Mr. Justice Wightman, after conferring for some
time with Mr. Justice Willes, addressed the prisoner,
and said that, " under these circumstances be should

abstain from passing sentence of death, and nerely
order judgment of death to be recorded."

The prisoner, upon this, stepped in front of the
dock and said—" I never made any defence. I
never gave orders for any. What they have done
they have done for themselves. I have been per-
jured away." He then turned round and walked
from the bar.

A HORRIBLE MURDER WaS committed last Sunday
at 4, Portland-street, Wardour-street. About seven
o'clock on Sunday morning, a man, wounded and
bleeding, presented himself at the Bow-street Police-
station, and informed the coustables that he had
murdered his wife and family. There was no ap-
pearance of insanity about him, and, with the excep-
tion of a little excitement of manner, he seemed
tolerably cool and collected. He was immediately
secured and searched, and the inspector, accompa-
nied by a constable, proceeded. at once in a cab to
the direction given by the prisoner. On reaching
the house in Portland-street, the front door was
opened with a latch-key found on the prisoner, and the
back parlour door being broken in, the dead body of
the wife, with those of two children of eight months
and four years were found lying on the same bed,
while that of a third child, seven years of age, was
on a second bed. The mother was lying on her
back with her throat cut, and five deep incisions in
her arms ; the three children had simple incisions in
the neck, the baby alone having its throat cut. A.
surgeon was instantly sent for, who pronounced all
four to have been dead some hours. A sharp chisel
and broken razor were found in the room. On
Tuesday the prisoner, William Bousfield, was brought
before Mr. Hardwicke, at Marlborough-street, and a
preliminary examination entered upon. The evidence
of the police inspector and constable was heard; they
merely detailed the fact of the prisoner surrendering
himself', and the discovery of the bodies. The
evidence of the father of the poor woman, John
Jones, carpenter, who lives on the first floor of the
same house, was also heard. He stated that the
prisoner was constantly out of work, and did little to
support his family. He lived unhappily with his
wife, and was unreasonably jealous of her. The
prisoner, in reply, having stated that he had nothing
to say in explanation, was fully committed. From
the various statements of the neighbours it appears
that Bousfield was brought up as a lawyer's clerk,
but, having displeased his employer by an imprudent
marriage, lost his situation, and since then en-
deavoured to obtain a living by French polishing.
Employment, however, was so uncertain that he at
length sought and got occupation at the theatres, and
at the time of the murder had a subordinate stage
engagement at five shillings a week in the panto-
mime at Covent Garden. He was temperate, but very
jealous of his wife, who was set up in a cigar-shop by
her father, and consequently brought much in con-
tact with young men. Latterly be and his wife lived
very unhappily together : she is said to have constantly
upbraided him for not getting more work and helping
to sustain her and his family.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE.
Tuesday, Feb. 5.

WIGHTWICK, Town Mailing, Kent,

.
builder—J. WHITE, Northampton, draper—H. HUNTING, Slid-
ton, Staffordshire, veneer cutter—G. T. Csawnia, Wolver-
hampton, pumpmaker—G. BARKER, 13urslem, Staffordshire,
veneer cutter—J. Tours, Sheffield, wine merchant—J. N. BLAKE,
Egremont, Cheshire, commission agent—R. COOPER, Oldham,
I.ancashire, wholesale grocer—T. WArson, Carlisle, currier.
SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS.—H. WALLACE, Glasgow,
lacefall manufacturer—HlLL, BROTHERS, Glasgow, New York,
and Dublin, merchants.
Friday, Feb. 8.

BANKRUPTS.—Gmomos NVATants, Cowley-road, Uxbridge,
builder—WlLLiam SHENK, Royal Exchange-buildings, merchant
—JAMES LEA, Dartford, Kent, tailor—C. A. CAMINADA and Co.,
Broad - street - buildings, bill broker—Josiam COULTHURST
GASKELL and THOMAS GARSTANO, Blackburn, machine makers
.---SAMUEL MASSEY GILBERT, Stamford, milliner—Davin WIL•
Llama, Abersycham, Monmouth, builder Wm. Sassmarr,
Crewe, Cheshire, innkeeper—FßED. WM. EMERSON, Treriefe
Chemical Works, near Penzance, Cornwall, manufacturing
chemist—Ass BRADBURY, Oldham, cotton spinner—HENRY
FRED. BUDGE, Manchester, fustian manufacturer—Wm. OATES,
Ashton•under-Lyne, innkeeper.
SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS.—THomas WATSON, Glasgow,
wright—JACOß CHRISTIANSEN and Co., Leith. merchant—Wm
BAIRD, Glasgow, corn merchant.

THE HON. AND RIGHT REV. Huon PERCY, D.D.,
LORD Bisnor OF CARLISLE, expired on Tuesday
night at Rose Castle, Cumberland. The deceased
prelate, who was born in 1784, was the third son of
the late and brother of the present Earl of Beverley.
He was educated at St. John's College, Cambridge,
where he graduated in 1805, was consecrated Bishop
of Rochester in June, 1827, and was translated to
the see of Carlisle in September in the following
year. Ho was also Chancellor of Salisbury and
prebendary of St. h'aul's.

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