The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-15 00:00:00

THE MURDER IN LAMBETH.

FINAL EXA.MINATIOii OF THE MURDERER.
Yesterday afternoon, after a very heavy day's busi-
ness had been disposed of by the Hon. G. C. Norton,
at the Lambeth Police Court, Thomas Cathie Wheeler,
the unfortunate young man charged with the frightful
murder of his mother, was brought before that ma-
gistrate for final examination.

The prisoner on entering the court gazed round
anxiously, and surveyed the crowd present, as it to
observe if there were friends or acquaintances present,
but not appearing to discover any, he assumed a
thoughtful appearance. The unfortunate man seems
a good deal altered since Saturday, and has evidently
suffered from severe mental affliction.

During the reading of the depositions by the chie
clerk, the prisoner sighed audibly and wept bitterly,
and at that part where the witnesses described the
state in which they had found the body of the deceased,
the appearance of the head on the table, the finding of
the carving knife and hatchet covered with blood, his
features quivered, and large tears rolled down his
cheeks. In the depositions of the six witnesses who
had been examined on Saturday, and all of whom
were now present, there was nothing fresh ; and the
only additional witness examined was Mr. J. Cathie,
proprietor of the Lee Arms public-house, Brownlow-
road, Dalston, who was brother to the deceased, and
uncle to •the prisoner. This witness said that he
bad not seen the body of the deceased, nor had he
seen his sister (Elizabeth Wheeler) for a fortnight
before the present unfortunate occurrence, but he was
aware that she lived at No. 1, Durham-place, Ken-
nington-road, and had no doubt upon his mind that
the body described by the former witnesses was that
of the prisoner's mother. Witness was quite aware
of the prisoner's insanity, and had taken him himself
to Bethlehem Hospital in March, 1849 ; but nine
months afterwards he was discharged, though in an
uncured state, at the earnest entreaties of his mother.
After three or four months, however, he was obliged
to be sent to the Wandsworth Lunatic Asylum, and
there he remained until the Ist of February, 1851,
when, at the urgent entreaties and solicitations of his
mother, he was discharged from there. Before his
discharge, however, the committee of the institution
remonstrated with-his mother, and told her that if
anything happened she would have only herself to
blame, and that the act of discharge was solely her
own. His mother, notwithstanding this, persisted in
her entreaties, and on her signing the printed form
required by Act of Parliament the prisoner was dis-
charged. From that time up to the present unfortu-
nate calamity he lived with his mother, who always
evinced the greatest possible affection and solicitude
for him. He (Mr. Cathie) was in the habit of allow-
ing the prisoner a certain sum weekly, and for this he
came regularly to his house. Oa Tuesday week he
called as usual, when his conduct was so strange that
witness felt it necessary to send a message to his sis-
ter in reference to him, and requesting that she would
do something .with him.
Mr. NORTON---YOl,l say there was something
strange in his manner, will you be so good, Mr.
Catbie, as to describe what you observed ? Mr.
Cathie—Well, sir, on my leaving my house to go to
the butcher's on the morning in question, I found
him standing outside my door like a statue, and ad-
dressing him I said, "Halloo, Tom, how long have
you been here ?" He replied, " Oh, not long," though
I afterwards understood be had been there a consider-
able time. I asked him to go into the house, and he
said-he should presently ; but I found him in the
same position when I caine back from the butcher's.
I again asked him to come in, and he said, "Yes, I'll
now do so, but I prefer being in the sun ;" and then
he went into the yard, where the sun was shining,
and where he remained for a quarter of hour or
twenty minutes. During this time my daughters
went and spoke to him, but he did not appear to take
any notice of them. I then gave him the money I
was in the habit of allowing him, and also brought
him a coat from the bar which I promised him.
Having a bag under his arm, I asked him to put the
coat into it, but he refused to do so. I then offered
to make it up into a parcel, and took a newspaper for
the purpose, but he would not allow me to do so,
but said he should take it on his arm. He kept mat•
tering something to himself, upon which I said,
" Young man, I am sorry to see you in this state ;
you want somebody to control you properly." Upon
this he became much exeited—said he was an Eng-
lishman, that he should fight for his rights, and allow
nobody to control or oppress him. His conduct on
this occasion was altogether of so extraordinary a
character that I spoke to my wife on the subject,
and told her I feared that something dreadful would
happen.
.Mr. NORTON—Were you aware that the prisoner
had been in the habit of carrying a knife and a pistol
about him in this black bag ? Mr. Cathie—No, sir,
I was not ; and if this was the case, it would account
for his objection to put the coat into it.
The prisoner—" Oh, no ! I carried this bag for a
weight, and felt a pleasure in swinging it about by
my side, like a pendulum."
In conclusion, Mr. C athie said that his sister was
much too fond of and indulgent to the prisoner.
The prisoner had enlisted twice before he had been
first sent to Bethlehem, but was discharged, as being
unfit for the army. He also made his escape from
Wandsworth Lunatic Asylum, but was taken in an
hour afterwards at his mother's house by the keepers,
who had come in pursuit of him. The prisoner had
exhibited symptoms of insanity before going abroad,
one of which was, that he would leave excellent situa-
tions without the slightest cause.
This having concluded the evidence, the prisoner
was asked if he wished to put any questions to his
uncle, or to say anything to the charge, and he re.
plied, Nothing." The witnesses were then bound
over in the usual recognizances to appear and give'
evidence against the prisoner, at the ensuing es
at the Central Court, on a charge of wilful mitirsdi°erll,
and the unfortunate man was fully committed
re-
moved from the court. and
In the course of the proceedings Mr. Norton read
the following communication which he had received
relative to the accused, from Captain Robertson, chief
constable of the Herts constabulary :
" Sir,—l think it right to info - 3
:132II;
attifott, t
in
np g
t;lhs
et
last Thomas Wheeler now in custody for cats_
death of his mother, was Inspector
Dunn, brought to me be having
Dunn, of the Herts' Count Constabulary, he
threatened to shontata person in thee n two mike
from this town. I
awayonce pherceiist
and after takingwith which he was
perceived Wheeler was insane,
armed, I sect him to his mother, in Lambeth, and the
next day the accompanying letter was received by In-
gasetiot Du= potiiyafttei, ypil yorojr, by the
_