The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-05-19 00:00:00

MURDER BY A MANIAC.

A man tamed John Blackwell, s shoemaker living at
Wokingharn, has recently exhibited symptoms of aberration
of mind in the shape of violent religious delu'ions, and
the parish officers had determined to remove him to a lu-
natic asylum. On Wednesday night a man named Rance
was appointed to sleep with him to prevent mischief.
Renee ag-eed with tw t men occupying cottages on either
side of Blackwell's that if he required assistance in the
nie lit he should knock loudly on the walls. soon after
m'dnight one of the neighbours was awakened by a lo nd noise.
He went to Blackwell's cottage, and saw Blackwell standing
over Rance, who was lying on the floor quite dead. 86i,.g
frightened he went into his own cottage, and shut the
door, at which the maniac presently knocked, saying, " I
have killed the devil, and I am the King of kings."
Blackwell then went away, and was not found till
Thursday morning, when he was seen kneeling in the
street, and praying in an inc.dierent manner. Irons the
appearance of 1-lance's body it seemed as if he had been
first knocked down, and then had received several severe
cuts in the throat and hand. When Blackwell was told
by the police the nature of the charge, he said, " I could
kill you all, but I have clone enough." He was removed
to a cell, and when visited an hour or more afterwards by
the- superintendent, he said, " Sir, lam no murderer.
God has told me graciously, in answer to prayer, that when
I struck Rance I was not conscious at the time." At a
later part of the day the prisoner was taken before Mr.
Dailey, the chief magistrate of the town, an underwent an
examination. The evidence was a confirmation of the facts
above related. At the conclusion of the examination
of witnesses, Blackwell, who appeared very wild and
excited, said, "I am charged with wilful murder. I thank
my Lord, the liiog of king and founder of the world,
whom I have served, that He has freed my conscience from
any guilt. He (meanieg Rance) volunteered to sleep with
me as my protector, and wished me to sleep on. When I
had certain evidences in my mind that eternity was coming;
what, thought I, sleep on ! I got out of bed once or twice,
and he pulled me in. He said, ' Don't you feel warm ?'
I said, I don't feel everlastingly warm.' I got out of
bed, and could scarcely forbear striking hint. I said,
You Devil.' I had had that presentiment on my mind
that he was a devil on earth. I thought he was lying in
the presence of the Prince of Peace 'and the Son of
Righteou flese' —that is in Jeremiah. Well, I struck him
a blow which almost levelled him to the ground, and the
second did quite. I then gat a knife and ran after him,
and caught him just as he got open the back door, and I
then struck him in the neck. The knife did not cat, and
I managed to hag and jag away at it until I done the job."
The prisoner was committed for trial at the assizes.

A LEGAL Scrtimnett FOR PLACE.--Nearly all the leading
lawyers who sit on the Liberal side of the House of Com-
mons, and others who have not at present the honour of a
seat, are on the qui vine for the expected retirement of
Mr. Stuart Wortley frera the Solicitor-Generalship on
account of ill health. The clubs are full of rurnoins about
the chances of the respective candidates, those members
who a-e most freely mentioned being Mr. Keating, Mr.
Collier, •Mr. Atherton, and Seejeant Kinglake; while
amongst those "out of the house," and who are supposed
to have a chance are, Mr. Phinn (who has left the
Admiralty to become a candidate for lewl preferment), Mr.
Edwin James, and Mr. Montagu Chambers. The favourite
candidate in the house is Mr. Keating. The reason is
that he was returned unopposed at the last election for
Reading, and it is supposed the electors would confer a
similar favour upon him.,again, and the government, in
the present ticklish state of affairs, would . not like their
new solicitor to be turned out of Parliament in conse-
quence of his acceptance of office, especially as there are
Mr. Peel, Lord Monde, Admiral Berkeley, Mr. John Ball,
and other government hangu.s-on who are destitute of
parlismentary honours.
NEWS OF JANIEs SADLIER.—We read in the Freeman's
Journal:--" Mr. James Sadleir, after a long silence, has
treat,A the word to his locus in quo. He is in the gay
can't! .1, enjoying, with the Grano Duke Constantine, the
gaieties of that delightful city. But beyond that general
description, deponent sayeth riot. He does not enter into
particulars--whether he sojourneth at the Hotel Menrice
or the Banllene, whither have retired the distres;ed
operatives whose scant incomes suffice not for a more
central lodging. Jimes, however, we may be sure.
disports himself in a more sumptuous fashion. .He
retreated from too tardy justice, wits a large slice of the
plunder which he and his worthy brother extracted from a
too confiding public. !Ames is not `hare!-up'—not he.
His pockets are well lined with Napoleons, and the most
f ishionable cafes—say the Trois Preres—nightly abstract
a portion of the poor shareholders' or depositors' savings.
We wish the Boulevard rover had -particularised his
residence, but he was too cautious for such candorir,
because he was well aware of the consequences to his
liberty." The -Freeman's Journal prints the letter, which
is almost entirely devoted to assertirg that Mr. James
Scully was es deep:y-concerned in the bank as the writer
himself. He adds:---" I never owed the hank or any
bank a shilling,, but always had a considerable sum to in,
credit in the Tipperary Joint Stoc,A, Batik, and during the
,run .£5,000 due to which I might have drawn oat, or
even efer Mr. Jobn SaAeir's death. I never had any
cnoutimneercotilots; is,
speculations
noir
jeochtlny ,
Sal
r anya uoanr
se
been mixed up in, or any other speculaeions."
AN ILLEGITIMA.TB S "}N BOUND TO SUPPORT His
MoTtiEn.—ln the case of G.-ace Taylor V. pettiswoode,
which was an action brought .Beolland at the instance
of a mother again-t her illegitimate son, who, she al'egrde
had been brought up an .1 ma,ntained by her dur itg his
corchiling that he should be
dacernel to aliment le r, the being unable, through ill
tol,;etit:i!erantreity, yiazi so,tir toofhativlee
me t) secure a maintainanee to
pleading the.' us ho was illegitimate
hihY'ceoerauwsltetal:is;,not liable for the alirrn tit, Sheriff Handers .n pro-
nounced an ititerlocutor•to the eff.'et that an illegitimate
son was bound in law 'to suloort his indigent moJieree
This judgment was appeele,l against, but the Sheriff
(Logan), in art interlocutor, dated 5.11 May, adheres to it,
disrnisslug the app al. In a note which accompanies the
interlocitt )r, Sheriff Logan remarks that it i. 4 "an un-
doubted ruler law that bo'h the parents ot an illegitimate
child it re bound to tupport fetch child." . . , This
obligation has its source in a rule of the law r,f nature
sanctiortei an 1 enforced by the laws of socie'y, tea; chose
who have bzen instrumental in briuginginta the world a
liftman being are bonn-I to do :chat they 'CID to preserve
him in existence. The obligation, which in eir6ci is an
obligation for maintenance, is reciprocal, and is hinCiag
on children in regard to their parents equally as on
in regard to their children. Tins duty, as regards children,
rests, no doubt, on a somewhat different touadation froia
that os which it rests in case of Parents ;
-neverth
it is based on another rile of. the lavtr of nature eye:lily
authoritative with the other, namely, that a child, °wine;
hiS existence, as he does, to. his parents, is bound to pro'
vide for them when n '
o longqr able to provide fur them.
selves," parents

CITARGE OF FRAUD AG tiNsr AN ARTILLE3Y

°ITT C R.

At the Middlesex sessions, on SattFelky,
Pas'nley, Q C., assistant judge, Ernest Augustus Lloyd,
22, described as a military officer, was indicted for fraudu-
lently obtaining two pairs of boots from Daniel Roberts,
£5 from John Marsh, £8 from John Bangoug,h, and £5
from Joseph Wilson, by means of false pretences, with
intent to defraud. Mr. Metcalfe appeared for the prosecu-
tion, Mr. Worsley for the prisoner. Mr. John Beng mgh
stated that he was a partner in an outfitting firm in Tich-
hesneeitreet, and he knew prisoner as a customer. On the
16th of March he called and selected a partmanteau and
. rug, which came to £2 5s 63, and desired them to
be sent for him to the White Bear, in Piccadilly.
They were sent • and on the evening of the follow-
ing thy, he called again, and asked him if he would
have any objection to cash him a cheque for £5, Witness
said, "None whatever," handed hirn a ..E5 note, arid received
from him a cheque (now produced) on Cox and Green-
wood's. He then asked that the cheque might not be
Presented for a few days, and witness promised that it
should not. He called again subsequently, and ask-d if
the cheque might be made for £lO. Witness said it might.
but not having more than £3 at hand that moment, he said
he could make it £B, and the prisoner assented. The
Prisoner then wrote out a cheque for £B, and took the £5
cheque and the three sovereigns. When the cheque was
presented there were no effects. In cross examination the
witness stated that the prisoner told him at the time that
there was nothing to meet the cheque at that moment, but
he expected there would be by the fallowing Monday. Mr.
Roberts, bootmaker, 9, New Bond-street, said the poisoner
came into his shop and tried on a pair of boots., He went
away wth them upon his feet, and desired that the old
Pair might be sent to his lodging (giving an address) on
the following morning, and he would then piy for the new
ones. The. price was £1 ss. The old boots were accordingly
sent on the following morning, but no such person a 3 the
prisoner was known at the address given. Ab ut two
months afrerwards he came again and said "Mr. Roberts,
I owe you some money." Witness did not recognise him,
but he soon made himself known, and said he was going to
a Party, and selected a pair of boots to go in, as he said.
He had besides other boots, and the whole came to £4 7s,
for which sum he gave him a cheque, asking that it might
hot be presented for a few days. Witness said he would
keep it back if it was his particular wish. The prisoner
looked at him, and said, " I don't suppose you think I
would give you a cheque tha would not b paid." e re-
ferred to the Army List, and found his name as a
Lieutenant in the artillery, and so far he was satisfied
The cheque was dishonoured. Mr. Marsh, perfumer, of
175, Piccadilly, stated that the prisoner had been a
customer of his. Oae day he came into the shoe, and
aaid he had borrowed a sovereign of the shopwoman, and
if he would give him the difference, he would give him a
Cheque for £5. He had not got four sovereigns,
but gave him a £5 note, and the prisoner said he was
going somewhere, and would change the note and
bring the sovereign. He gave witness a£s cheque, which
Was paid into his bankers, but it was returned, as there
Were no effects. He knew the prisoner's name, by finding
it in his books. He owed him a debt before he went to
the„,, Crimea. He did not ask him not to present the cheque.
Mr. Wilson, a bootmaker, of 25, Jermyn street, sired
that the prisoner had been a customer of his since
January, 1854. In January last he applied to him for
his account, when he informer him that he could not pay
it then, but would accept a bill for the amount, £22 2e, if
he would draw upon him at two months, the bill to be
Payable at Cox and Greenwoods. Accordingly, he drew the
,111, and the prisoneraecepted it. Tne prisoner then asked
him to cash him a cheque for £5, as it was past banking
Ii He said he would, and gave him five sovereigns,
and had from him a cheque for £5.. On the following day
he se .t the cheque to Cox and Greenwood's, but it was re-
turned, there being no effects. Of course he only gave
him the five sovereigns upon the faith of the cheque. Mr.
Woollecott, clerk to Messrs.. Cox and Greenwood, deposed
that he had the superintendence of the accounts of Artillery
°fru! re. The prisoner had been an officer in that branch
of the service, but was not now. He had cease I to be so
since this charge had been preferred against him. He had
ben removed from the army. His pay was suspended in
aiecember last. Witness gave him notice that it was
stopped; he called, and then the fact was verbally corn-
saliunteated to him. No pay had accrued to his account
:nee the let of Dezember. There was at that time ( De-
emb
ser) a balance of some few pounds due to him. Some
Inns
aot had been lodged to his account by his mother, but
winain nothin nine months, probably. There had been
dews g to his account since December,' and witness
d him not to draw upon the firm. Cross-examined :
wag
was suspended, but some imes a suspension
.2. taken off, and the back pay would then become due.
prisoner was superseded for being absent wi hout
leave. The prisoner served with his corps at the siege of Sebastopol, and had the medal. Its would only receive
his pay through their house in London. In the Crimea
he had it through their again there. He had been
Sllawed to overdraw his account—officers occasionally
(lid 60, and a little liberality was shows to officers in
that respect. The prisoner's father died of cholera in the
Crimea, and his mo her died a short time since (The
Prisoner here seemed much affected.). Th 3 firm of course
would not permit a suspended officer to overdraw. The
prisoner's account was still' open, Sand money would be
received and placed to his credit if offered. If money had
been lodged on his account of course these cheques would
have been paid as far as it went. This was the case for
the prosecution ; and some discussion took place, as to
whether, in point of law, there was any case to go to the
itona Ultimately, the Assistant-Judge said he should
withdraw all the charges from the jury, except that of
Mr. Wilson ; upon that he must take their opinion. Mr.
Worsley then addressed the jury, and besought theta to
give the case the most serious consideration ere they
branded the prisoner—a brave and gallant soldier, who
had hitherto moved in superior circles of society, and had
been esteemed and loved by friends and relatives of
high position and character—with infamy and disgrace
for ever ; for, if found guilty on this charge, he could
be regarded as little less than a common thief, and
swindler. The learned counsel dwelt with a good deal of
feeling upon hie client's services in the trenches before
Sebastopol, and the misfortune that had befallen him in
the death of his father—a gallant officer who held several
important positions under the Government with great
honour, and who fell a victim to pestilential disease while
perfaming a duty specially entrusted to him in the Crimea,
and of his mother, who had rendered him pecuniary aid
alien he needed it, by placing money to his credit at
the agents. He contended that it was quite consistent
ath the prisoner's conduct, and the state of his
t,count at Cox and Greenwood's, that he gave
ess chsques as security for ultimate payment, and not
_with the intention of defrauding the prosecutors of their
nmeY, as he had reason to think that money would be
placed_li to his credit, by members of his family, and if his
speeseee had been taken off, his back pay would have
13.,een available to meet these demands It appeared from the evidence that cheques, which he had got cashed on
Previous occasions, had been duly met, and it was impos-
sible, he submitted, that the intention of actual fraud could
_,""el(Mputed to him as in the case of a man who dreg
Ch fues upon a bank, where he had no account at all, for
the Prisoner still had an open account at Cox and Green-
Wood's. Having called attention to the utter ruin which a
jverdict of guilty would bring upon the prisoner, who was
ust upon the dawn of manhood, and whose life had
begun with every hopeful prospect, the learned counsel
appeafed to the jury to return a verdict of not pats,.
The Assistant. Judge then summed up, 'and left it to the
jury to say whether, in the case of ear. Wilson, the prisoner
relly had the intention of swindling him out of his
rnoney. If the prisoner had given the cheque, knowing
that his account was overdrawn, but having reason to
expect that money would be lodged to his account by
Which the cheque would be met, bearing in mind that he
had an open account at the agent's, he was entitled to an
acquittal.
The jury, after a few moments' consultation,
oand the prisoner " Not guilty." The Assistant Judge,
baddressing the prisoner, said, upon the evidence, he had
in properly acquitted, but he thought it right to say
t his conduct had been such as merited the severest
reprobation. It was impossible to hope that the military
authorities would reinstate him in his position in the
tormy, and he would, therefore, earnestly advise him
get ilia friends together to render him help to leave
of life in so that ho might sever himself from teat course
London whichnt was too evident he bad plunged
into within the last few months, and by a new career
abroad wipe from off his name the stain he had brought
upon it. If, on the other hand, he returned to his former
practices, and should happen to bring himself within the
reach of the law, so that a jury cou'd convict him, he
might rely upon ;t his Punishment would be one of the
utmost severity. The prisoner tn`,..'wed politely and quitted
the dock.

At LEWIS & COMPANY'S, Ranelagh sheet
toys are CLOTHED from the A.,,,es of 6 to 20 YeArs.

PARIS, Sunday.—ln consequence of havin,, received
M intelligence of the serious illness of I. Vieillardb, the sena-
tor, one of his oldest friends, the Emperor, followed by
General de Montebelo, took the railway train for Paris,
then calling a hackney coach at the terminus his Majesty
hastened to the house of the sick man, whom he has
known from his childhood. The Emperor availed himself
of this visit to Paris to bid another adieu to the Grand
Duke Constantine.