The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-07-29 00:00:00

THE CONVICT DOVE

We understand that Mr. Baron Bramwell has corn-
municated the expression of sympathy which the jury
appended to their verdict, to the Home Office; but, we
believe, we are right in stating that the learned judge
did not express to the Secretary of State his concurrence
in the recommendation, and that, on the contrary, he
considered and still considers that the conviction was
right—that the verdict of `• Guilty" was fully justified
by the evidence. It has been a matter of very earnest
enquiry as to how the verdict and recommendation of
the jury were arrived at. It is said that when the jury
retired, it was proposed by one cr more of them, that
they should engage in prayer to God to direct
them to a righteous conclusion. The rest of the
jury to whom the suggestion was made assented. The
jury did engage in prayer, after which they proceeded
to deliberate as to what should be their verdict. Ten
of' them were prepared to return an unqualified verdict
of " guilty," but two of them hesitated, which led to a
discussion whether the evidence would justify them in
returning a verdict of acquittal on the ground of ir sanity.
The majority could not accede to such a suggestion, and
eventually a compromise was effected, the minority
admitting that the prisoner ought to be found guilty,
and the majority consenting to accompAny that verdict
with a recommendation to mercy, " on the ground of
defective intellect." We hear that when the wretched
man was removed to the condemned cell on Saturday
night, he became very sensibly affected. He evinced con-
siderable excitement and anxiety of mind, which con-
tinued, more or less, during the night. On Sunday, Dove
was visited by one of the trustees under his father's will.
Dove was .•ecommended to prepare himself for the worst,
when he replied, it is said, " Well, if it is to be so, it
will he for my own good and the glory of God." On
Wednesday, the unhappy man was visited by the Rev.
W. M. Punshon, from Leeds, who had been specially
requested to see him. We understand that the rev.
gentleman succeeded in making an impression upon
Dov. 's mind, which had probably been somewhat pre.
pared for it by his having recently taken to reading
books suggestive of thoughts adapted to a man placed in
his fearful position. The effect produced upon his mind
seems, however, to have quickly passed away, as he
relapsed into his previous state of apparently callous
indifference. 't he execution, if the recommendation of
the jury be not attended to, will take place on Saturday,
the 9th of August.—Leeds Mercury.

THE BTJRNOPFIELD MURDER.—At the Durham Assizes,
the trial of Rayne and Cam, the two men charged with the
brutal murder of Mr. Sterling, the young surgeon, in the
month of November last, came on before Mr. Justice Willes.
After a patient investigation, which occupied the court two
days, the jury after an absence cf nearly three hours,
returned into court with a verdict in blth cases of 4` not
'!he verdict was not the unanimous decision of
the jury. After an absence of some two hours and a half,
they returned, stiting that eleven of their number decided
for the acquittal of both prisoners, but that one juryman
obstinately refused to how to the conviction of the majority.
His lordship then directed that a verdict of " not guilty"
should be given.

SOUTH EASTERN RAlLWAY.—Consternation has been
excited by the discovery of a large defalcation on the part
of the chief officer at the Canterbury station, where he had
been acting since the opening of the line. These frequent
depredations on railway property call for some measures of
punishment, and some surprise is felt at no reward for the
arrest of such delinquents being offered. Surely the interest
of the public, as well as the protection of the honest
employe deserve such an expose of rascality, and reflection
on the lax system of maragemeut which leads to such
misconduct. Railway managers seem to be very deficient
in checks on temptation, but if they were held responsible
for deficiencies, the whole establishment would take care to
watch and prevent them.