The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-10 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD CIRCUIT. --RIATIOED, Die. 9.
(Before Mr. Justice Oromptos.)
THI 11IIYDX1 OT TWO CHILDREN AT WHIT BROMWICH.
Benjamin Holding was indicted for the murder of his
two childree, Jane Holding and Joe. Benjamin Holding.
Mr. M'Mahoe, with Mr. Staveley Hill, prosecuted; while
Mr. Motteram, with Mr. A. Young, defended.
The prisoner, • man in the prime of life, was • bundles at
an ironworks, and lived at Hall End, near West Bromwich,
in the black country between Wolverhampton and Birming-
ham. He was monied and had two childree—one a little
girl of four and • half years, and the other an infant boy of
only fourteen months. To them, as to his wife, he
ever behaved with the greatest tenderness and
affection. He bought for them • little perambulator,
and in this it was his delight to take them about the lanes
and roads around his dwelling every erasing after returning
from his work. One of his favourite haunts on them ma-
dam was • neighbouring cemetery. He was also • religious
man. He led a good moral life, read his bible of in,
attended regularly at church, and was • &Way echool
teacher. In the summer and autumn of the present year
he became afflicted with tiodoloreux, and suffered moth
from pains in his bead, accompanied by sleeplessness. On
the morning of the 22nd of September la.t he went to
hi work as usual. He returned at one o'clock, and took his
dinner. Daring the afternoon he remained at home, and was
left there by his wife at about four o'clock. Hi. wife went to
the house of the prisoner's mother. In a short time she
was alarmed by seeing her husband come in with wild,
staring eyes, and in • most excited state. He remarked,
" My little obildrea are gone to heaven," and the two
women at once ran to his house. There, on the hearth-
rug, in front of the lie, they saw the little girl lying
with her throat cut from ear to ear, sod quite dead. On
the sofa lay the lifeless and similarly mangled body of the
infant boy. On the table was the carving-knife with which
the frightful deed had been committed. The neighbours
rushed in, and to them the prisoner remarked that his
time was short and he wished his children to go
before him. The motive thus given by the mur-
derer himself was the only one foe the *lmolai°
of the crime whiohcould now be adduced on the part of the
tioa. For the defence • plea of insanity was ad up.
V:ellecmnother stated that her paternal aunt and niece bad
died mad, and that she still had a cousin who was also in-
sane. The doctor said that madness among the poor was
largely due to an hereditary taint, sod that there existed an
insanity known as homicidal mania, by which a man was im-
pelled to commit crime even when he was free from delusion.
In answer to • direct question heals° said that assuming the
facts of the cam as given by the withesees to be true, he
should think it probable that the prisoner was and when
he killed his children. It was also shown that on • Sunday,
six weeks before the murder, Holding, while in church,
during the time when the coagreption was standing up,
soddenly eat down, folded his arms and looked wildly
around him. On the morning of the oocurrence he
was observed by • fellow-workman to be unusually silent.
Darius the trial yesterday be appeared to be in the deepest
distress. His tears for nearly three boon were profuse and
ceaseless. The jury aequitted him on the ground of
inaanity.