The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-22 00:00:00

MEDICAL

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Arecnsoaame Hsu.—lbws of manses wits permed
Wit examisation in tha miaow sad practice of wodise,
sad rsorierd eartilleates to practi,e, es Thursday, Dor. 20,
11149 : Wltliaa Aethar, et. lee's, Huatiogica ; George
ThomasWldisa Magledes, Vita Ham ; ?oho Horror,
Lintels; William Janes Moore, Males Orris, ehrepahire ;
Winton' Pawed Nominates Swain, Westalothad ; Jobs
Hasapttry, Dsal, Kest ; Th•odore Edward Ladd, Moo-
diest.? ; Henry Cockerton, Rockford, L eels ; Jackson
Goodenough Zest, Hampton.

Rain fnterligence.

COURT OF QUEENS BENCH.—TurisDAY.
kennel et Na Pam el ChilLonsi.L..-11s0S1 Ma. Joann
Zan axe • Senctet. JUST.
HAYWARD e. COOKY —QVUTION Or Tan SANITY or
• PRISON ALLSOBD TO NAYS 11BOOTBD LBASZB AND
DIYASTID Stott AT was TIM or aim DOING 'VCR ACTS
Mr. Sajnat Wilkins, Mr. Bovill, Mr. Dearley, and Mr.
Mills appeend for the plaintiff; and Mr. Cockburn, Mr.
Wordsworth, and lb. Bramwell for the defendant.
Tots was an issue directed by the Court of Chancery. to
inquire whether Saville Godfrey was of sound mind at the
time of executing entaia under loam and purChallng cur
San stock between the 11th of January and the 25th of May,
1843.
It appeared by the tree foe the plaintiff that the question
mese between him (Mr. Hayward). and the Mondani,
Jams Lush Coe sibs, Amy Sarah Coombs, his wife, and
Sevilla James Coombs, their see, with regard to the execu-
tion of scream Inns, and the inns Sent of stock in favour
Joreph Lush Coombs. A dipole had arisen among his
Matins with regard to the property of Saville Godfrey, and
a suit in Chas eery was 'named, a d trio isms was i
&l end to be tried. Mr Godfrey was a partner in the firm of
Masers. Soule, the beat-builders. at Lamb th, and retired
from busbies in 1826, pt sensed of large property. Hs was
never serried, and his nearest re ladre was the father of the
resin plalatiff, Hayward, who was the brother of Amy
Sarah Coombe, ono of the defendants, who was married in
1826 to John Leah Coombs. In 1827 Godfrey went to
is,. with Mr. and Mrs. Zoombe, aid entirely supported
theta. He wee mach attacked to Mn. Coombe, out not
particolely so to Mr. Coombs. On the 18th of February,
1842, Godfrey made his will, by which 11. bequeathed to
Amy Sarah Coombs all his household furniture end the eerie
dse of his property was left is trust to three persons, who
were to pay the rents and profits of two-thirds of the pro-
perty to Amy Sash Coombs or to distribute th m by her
appointment for her life, and if her husband survived her,
he was to enjoy the rents and profits an long as he remained
single or did not att mpt to alienate the property, end if
there were any children by the marriage at his death the
prey city was to go to them dine and share alike. The
rents sad profits of the other third were left
to the plaintiff during his life, ad if his wife
survived tin the was to enjoy them as long as
eke remained inlet, sad if they had children
it was to descend to them share and share alike. If Mere
win so children of either marriage, the property was to go
oaths heirs absolutely after the ceasing of the life interests.
Som. slier tee execution of this will G dfrey began to is
bib,* signs of mental deny, became subject to delusion., and
having been always, not only very shrewd, but remarkably
tan and neat la his person and decent in bis conduct, be-
anie in those respects kat to all sense of decency. By the
year 1845 ha had b nose so completely tissue that a writ de
bui iceirquir.e do we issued against him, and an inquisi-
tion was helJ as FS Is June in that year, and the Jury re-
turned • 'sidle that he had bent of unwind mind
since April, 1846. It was nit lb n known that
any din eibution e his property bed been mot?. On 20:h
May, 1848, °wormy died, being then 74 years of ego. His
will was proved; no of the popery wee made
under it; bat it had never been revoked. According to the
direadant's account, us the 16th of April, 1843, Godfrey
Vented fear leases of property, pro.: acing • clear income of
3JOI. • year to John Lush Lomb.. not to Mrs. Coombs.
TM. was kept • 'scree by Coombs and Mr. Withal,
his attorney. and cheques for repairs and other
eapenses bad always been anon to the name of Godfrey
Between January and the 26tH of liar, 1843, as it was
alleged, he had invested about 1,001. in stock, in the joint
names of the defendants. They were aware us the 15th of
MR. , 1843, of the state of Godtrey's mind, as would appear
boa a letter written on that day by Saville Cambs, then at
school at • Mr Itobson'a, in answer to one east him
by 1 Its mother, which was to the following effect, " That
the c events of her letter of the week before had made a
in at impression on him, and Mr. Robson also, that gentle-
man taking as peat an interest in Mr. Oodtrey as any one ;
that he had asked if Mr. Godfrey had guested his will,
that if he had pest "don ought to be taken of it, as any will
he then made would be void." The letter went on to say,
That kis mother should remember that Godfrey's Watts
were only the workings of an agitated mind, and would do
so harm to any one, what ever his curious whims might he."
He isquird " whether Godfrey was anxious to leave'
Mount-gardm send go to Peckham." He Flake of Mr. God-
frey's unfortunate malady, and vest it was not in his mother's
power to drive his fancies out of his head, but she must com-
mit nig" to a higher than mortal power." Toe largest transfer
of stock was made 11 days atter this letter. Long before this
Mr and Mrs. Contain hod unlimited Control over Godlrey ;
they confined him to the house, he wee not allowed to go out
as be liked, and on two or three occasions when he escaped
the Renews were sent after hint to bring him back. ACceel
was demi, d t' him, and no one was allowed to roe him ex-
cept is the preseses of Mr. and Mrs. Coombs; they bad to
Mies him to sign eh quo, and bribe Pim like a child with
eak • bud wine to do so, and he expressed his delight exactly
like • child. His hand Ica guided when he signed eh. gull.,
and the servants were void that be was not in his right mint,
and was prone to give away large sums of money, and it he
gave any such sums to them they were to return them, fot if
they kept them it would bi a felony; nor wore they
'Booed to deliver letters to him. Oa one occasion
Mrs. Combo said that he had been so outrageous that she
must bet a keeper, and If that would not, do he must be con-
fined so an asylum. In 1843, he went to Peckham to lodge,
and wails there Mrs. Coombe wrote a letter to her lather. ,
informing him of the death of one. of her children and in
it she wrote " poor Mr. dirty is much as usual, sometimes
he understands • little, at others he knows nothing the: is
polar on." This was the case which would be proved for
the plaintiff by • number of disinterested witnesses who
would speak to his being influenced by delusion., and ti.at
he had tmin 1842 ...lowa symptoms of decided de rangemem
down to Vie time of his decease, with scarcely any lucid
uttered.
A great many witnesses were th •n called, wh ke to a
change in his manner in the year 1842, when he began to
exhibit delusions. which continued siterwar is. He &viw
that all the Muses in which he was were houses of ill-fame;
that a 'railroad was passing beicre his house ; that • caMrank
was d there, neither of will k was the ere ; that
men wen in the Radon ia the trees watching Ms; that the
chartists wen in a inspirit against him; and he used to
bar the dear, shut the windows, and have eßnolts to the day,
in order to keep them out ; that his cook was • chartist, and
intended to poison his food ; that he took •
poker a* • walking-stick; that he gun mosey
• to the servants to roteet him from the eh ortists ;
that he was viehat, and broke the windows; that
he dressed himself improperly, putting two' stockings on one
W, and his. shirt amide his other clothes ; and that he made
mistakes of newness kids, and was guilty of various seven-
tricitwa. Evidence was also given to show that Mr and
Mrs. Cocaine win aware of his weakness et mind. 13 .me
nosipts given to a Want of his, from 1839 to October 1842,
were all in his own hand, body and signature, exempt the
last, the body of which was written by Coombe, ad signed
by Godfrey ; and from May 1843 to 1845 the receipts were
all signed by Coombs for Godfrey.
Amour other instances of eacestrieity, he went on one
occasion to • shop opposite to tie &use be lived in,
without his Iva, and wished to buy ens, stating that he had
come irons • lone journe y and WV. goingi on another. He
also wanted to buy • bible, and offers his money and his
watch to induce the ahopknper (a draper) to sell him on..
Os two...aims he mistook his hat for a tuisal and used it
foe that purpose. It was stated among other things that
Mrs. Coombestated, in February, 1444. that a inimical con-
saltation had been held on Mr. Godfrey, and the opinions
were that hie herein had decayed and softened, and he would
become an idiot. She spoke also of hi habits having become
effenrively dirt aid that he had proposed mintage So
sus of they, meant& He was gait* umeemaalanal
of anything in Jaanary,lB44. He was sot allowed to Mee
sore Say ow glom of wise, as Ise Wm' latodostoiby
mere. On one oesadeaterbes he was *AN a he
wrote " Amy," Met Coombe's soma. siaW giro
*Mom, sad um his said was psMsd to alga saw loot '
was morn that this lability was ossild, =that bodily. It,
wise Weedy whin. the baskets wish tat pay it. The
Ovlelaill eta sidled ma who attends" Ms at Gramma
71:98Sari &as mg that Jay, lelwhoa he was at
ho was oh
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