Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-08-15 00:00:00

the market place

I was, found out

away before-the policeman came, but I was
and theybrought me here. Let my wife know where lam
The officbr further stated that the prisoner appeared to I
very excited, Ile was formerly acquainted with the -

ner, from being on duty at Runcorn ; the prisoner was the]
a thrivingancfprosperous tradesman. On the day after th
apprehension of the prisoner, Mr. Steel, a surgeon, wa
sent for sby the superintendent. Mr. Steel said that h
found the ' prisoner in a very excited state, amounting t
insanity, and that this condition lasted the whole tim,
he was imprisoned at Warrington. The manager or thi
bank, and the clerk at the counter, stated that they saw no•
thing in the prisoner's appearance or conduct, at the tim(
he presented the cheque, to lead them to think that he was
insane. Captain Gibb, the governor of Kirkdale gaol,
stated that when the prisoner was brought there he was
labouring under great excitement. This state continued for
three or four days, and then got rapidly better. Mr. Hazle-
hurst stated that the cheque was neither drawn nor signed
by him, nor by his authority, and that the signature had
not the least resemblance of his writing. The balance of
account that he owed the prisoner at the time the cheque
was drawn was between £4 and £5.

Dr. Wheeler delivered a .powerful and eloquent address
for the defence, contending that, at the time the forgery was
committed, the prisoner was a madman, and, therefore, not
responsible for his actions. The prisonFfs father died mad,his sister died mad, and the prisoner himself had, at differ-
ent times; given evidence of temporary insanity. For some
time past the prisoner had been doing strange things, which
could only be accounted for on the supposition that he was
occasionally deranged. The prisoner kept fowls, and a short
time ago lie cut off the heads of sixteen laying hens, and
sent the fOwls as presents to various parties that themselves
kept fowls. He insisted on paying his men at twelve o'clock
at noon oa. Saturdays, and allowing them to leave off work
at that hour, instead of keeping them until four o'clock.
as was usual. Sometimes he wanted to overpay his work-
men. He would talk of making windows and doors of
unusual dimensions, and would insist on charging prices
that were ,opposed to his interest as a tradesman. He had
frequently complained of his head, and he had a delusion
that medicine would kill him. His Lordship, in summing
up, said the principal question for the jury was, whether
the prisoner waa a madman, or of sane mind,
at the time he forged and uttered the cheque. If
he was mad at the time, he was not responsible
in point of law. The law upon this subject, as given in a
judgment of the House of Lords, waa this : "It must be
clearly proved that, at the time of the committal of the act,
the party accused was labouring under such defective reason,
hdisease of mi.. d, as not to know the nature and quality of
e act he was doing, or if he did know it, that he did not
know the act was wrong." The jury found the prisoner not
guilty on the ground of insanity, and he was then ordered
11 his. Lordship to be imprisoned during her Majesty's
pleasure.

FORGING AN ORDER AT MANCHESTER FOR THE DELIVERY

OF BABY CLOTHING.
Edward Miller, and 36, was indicted for having forged
an order in the name of Mrs. Greer, the wife of a share-
broker residin& at Higher Broughton, for the purpose of
obtaining certa`t'in articles of baby apparel, value about £2O,
from Miss Grocott, baby-linen manufacther, St. Ann's-
place, Manchester. On the afternoon of Saturday, the 4th'
lune, several baby On
and christening caps were requested
to be sent by the Leal
that those not selece7 of the order, and it was intimated
ted would be returned on the following
Monday. The goods were
handed to the prisoner, and in a
few minutes he pledged them at a pawnshop in Rochdale-
found the Prisoner guilty. A pre-
road for £4. The jury
viola conviction was proved
against him. Sentence
Rochdale-
deferred
___.

BIGAMY AT Trialps4,-
Ralph Fletcher, between fifty and s'
indicted for bigamy. Mr. R. a jirxty years of age, was
prosecution, and Dr. Wheeler for the appeared for the
.an d in 1858, the first
In January, 1827, the prisoner was marriedrl at Bolton, to
Elizabeth Barlow. They subsequently pa
the primer married Sarah Hancock, at lasleY
wife being alive. •
A witness gave evidence that, about four years ago, he
was in company *i/th the prisoner and his first Wife In
public-house at Bolton.
Verdict, " Guilty." Sentence deferred.
The Court then adjourned until this (Monday) morning
•