The Sun.
London, England, 1830-07-30 00:00:00

COMMISSION OF LUNACY.

Ott Tuesday afternoon .a Commission de hmatico
inquirendo was executed at the Red Lion, flillingdon,'
near Uxbridge, for the purpose of inquiring into the
state of mind of Lady Charlotte Sherard, sister of
Lord Harborough, who has for some time been an
inmate of a Lunatic Asylum in Hillingdon. The
CommisPioners were Mr. PIIILLISIORE, Mr. WIN-
SLOW, and Mr. BLUNT.
The first witness examined was Mr. James Stil-
well—He said, I keep a Lunatic Asylum in Hil-
lingdon, called Mooreroft House; Lady Charlotte
has been under my care since the sth of November
1825; I received her then from her trustee, and I
have seen her every day since, and frequently con-
versed with her ; when she first Came she was very
nervous—quite incompetent to guide heredf—and
would frequently break out into sudden gusts of
passion, and use violent and bad language ; at other
times she was very low, and would scarcely speak.
She called witness's father lest Sunday, and said to
him that she should like to give him a good drub-
bing. Afterwards she said she had been playing the
pianoforte, beeau.e she could not beat him. She.
1111(1 frequently broken the windows. She laboured
Under a variety of delusions ; site fancied she knew
a person's thoughts; that she had had secret cor-
respondence with those persons, that they knew her
thoughts, and she knew theirs; she mentioned one
person, a Mr. Donkin, and said that there was a
mutual agreement between them to be married ; the
thought of this person frequently disturbed her rest
at night, stud she used to awake, repeating this gen-
tleman's name ; she said that she and this gentLe-
man had settled in their own minds to be martied.

CHIEF COMMISSIONERIS that the only thing
that induces you to consider she labours under in-
sanity, is that the only delusion ? Witness--That
is the only thing she mentions, and you may con-
sider that in the light of a delusion.
CIIIEF COMMISSIONER—At other times will she talk
rationally ? Witness-- On ot her subjects she speaks
in the most rational manner. To her sisters she
enters into conversation and argument of the most
rational description, and her arguments aro very
good. The witness stated, however, that she was
wholly unable to take care of herself.
CHM COMMISSIONER—Why do you consider
she is unable to take cure of herself ? Witness—'
She is very inconsistent ; her mind is constantly
wavering from one thing to another. The other day
she wanted a harp, and her wants become very ex-
pensive. Yesterday I went up to the Chancellor
to ask permission for her to have the harp.
Can she play on the harp ?---She.Cllll play a little,
but with no judgment. The witness added, that
the lady in quegion was twenty-eight years of age,
and in his opinion was quite unable, from the ner-
vous affection under which she laboured, to take care
of her person and effects. She was aware of the
nervous state tinder which she laboured, and she had
oppressed her intention Of visiting certain places.
when she recovered. In speaking of her affairs, she
said that she had drawn a draft for money some
months since; that it had not been honoured; and
she expressed her hope that her property would be
taken care of. She was informed for what purpose
the Jury were to assemble, and she wished to know
whether a representation to them would forward her
marriage with Mr. Donkin ?
The witness was strictly cross-examined by the
Commissioners and Jury, but he could state nothing
more to establish the insanity of the lady.
Dr. Davis said he had visited Lady Charlotte oc-
casionally between the last five and six years; she
was then in a very desponding state; she would not
speak to any one, and for several days remained in
that desponding state. After she had been in town
about fuer months, she so far recovered as to be üble

-to walk out evens day. One day she escaped from
her guardians, and increased liberty was then given
to her. When she was brought to the house of the
first witness, she was very weak in her mind, an-I
intractable; he should certainly say that she was
not in a fit state to manage her person or effect-;
she wished to have her liberty to walk about, but
witness did not consider, that as she so extravagantly
disposed of money, it would be prudent to allow it
to her. Mr. Partington, her trustee, aware of this
improvident expenditure of money, desired her to
draw no more drafts on Messrs. Gosling; du►ing
the last seven or eight months, he considered her
mind had not been so perfect.
Can you mention, said Mr. Putt.i.tstonn, any
thing else in proof of her insanity? Witness—She
mentioned various places. where she was going to,
and said she intended to stop at my house for a
fortnight.

CHIEF COMMISSIONER—ReaIIy I tin not think
that that. is a proof of insanity. She showed her
sense.—(Laughter.)
For the purpose of showing the delusion under
which the lady laboured relative to Mr. Donkin,
some letters were put in and read. In several of
them she spoke of Mr. Donkin and Mr. Baptiste
Noel, expressing her affection for both, and gay.
instructions for pieces of music and various otter
articles to be conveyed to her. One of the letters,
which she addressed to Mr. Donkin, and enclosed to.
D:. Davis, was to the folowing effect :
" Dew William,—lt is through the interest of my friends
that I em induced to hope )ou will take up your pen.
This letter cannot assure you less than the framer, I stn
not still unhappy hire. Circumstances, I was in hope
when I wrote last, would, ere this, have altered the csse.
Alas ! that seems not likely, living under Mr. Stilwell'.
rare. Do not contradict my thought by saying you wi.nl.l
not have some people about you twenty miles off. As for-
hid to see you, I trust I sm still remembered, or how
shall I say to myself—forget? Your lock of hair is still
safe—,mention in your :answer to this if you c ire for one
of mine. Affectionately yours,
" CHARLOTTE SHERARD."
Addressed to Mr. Donkin.—Seal, " an Anchor."

On this letter having been read—
Dr. TATTERSAL, who was examined, confirmed
the opinion of Dr. Davis, that she was of unsound
mind.

Several other witnesses having been examined,
Lady Charlotte was introduced to the Jury. She
entered the room with composure, and took her seat
between two of. the Commissioners. The Chief
Commissioner asked her several questions about
Mr. Donkin and her property; and laughing in a
very simple manner, she said Mr. Donkin bud been
a patient in the same house with her, but was not
more attentive to her than to any of the other
patients. With respect to her property, she could
not nor would not give any account. When
further asked by the Chief Commissioner if she bad
been well treated by Mr. Stilwell, she replied that
he had uniformly acted with great kindness towards
her, more like a father than otherwise; and she
should be ungrateful if she said to the contrary.
The unhappy lady then left the room ; and the Jury
immediately returned a verdict—" That she was of
unsound mind, and had been so since the 31st.
cember, 1824."
A solicitor, who attended for the family, said
that there was a person named Donkin, who had
been introduced to Lady Charlotte ; but he never,
that he was aware, made an offer of marriage to
her. The statement that he was a patient in the
same house with her was without foundation. The
other gentleman, Mr. Baptiste Noel, has been married
upwards of twelve months.

SUMMER ASSIZES.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.--SALISBURY, Jut,r 28

Hannah Willis, the younger, waa put to the bar,
charged with the wilful murder of her illegitimate
child.

The first witness called for the pro,4centioll was
the mother of the prisoner. She deposed that on
the day laid in the indictment she observed some
symptoms of illness upon her daughter, who, after
some time, confessed that she had been recently de-
liVered of a child, and pointed out a box in which
she had placed the infant. The witness called some
other women to her assistance, and they took from
the box the body of the infant, which was quite
dead. The witness stated that she had slept with
her daughter for a long period previous to the day
in question, but had never observed the slightest in.
dication of pregnancy in her daughter.
On her cross-examination she admitted that the
appearance of the infant did not differ from what she
had observed upon children born dead. She added,
that her daughter was a girl of u most kind and in-
offensive disposition.

Tobias Ifarper Mitchell, surgeon, in examining
the infant, found some blood near the mouth, one
nostril, and the orifice of one ear. Above the latter
there was an indentation which might have been ef-
fected without much violenceos the indentation was
situated over a space between two bones, which
bones wore both very soft. On examining the brain
it was found to be full of extrnsasated blood. The
internal appearances were the result of the external
bruise, which could not have been inflicted by a
woman in the course of delivering herself, And even
could not have been inflicted by it human hand after
the birth of the child.

Cross-examined by Mr. BINGHAM—In his expe-
rience he has seen many instances where there could
not have been the smallest intention of doing vio-
lence to infants in parturition, but where, from the
malformation of the mother, or of the infant, vet),,
severe contusions and other injuries had been in-
flicted upon the child in the process of parturition,
and all these injuries would be increased by the in-,
experience of a first delivery, the mental confusion
and distress of a secret delivery, and the agony
which generally prevails in all deliveries.
The Jury found the prisoner Not Guilty of the
murder, but returned a verdict of Guilty of endea-
vouring to conceal the birth.
The Court sentenced the prisoner to be impri-
soned for 12 months, and kept to hard labour during
the time.

Richard Chip, aged 30, was put to the bar, upon
an indictment which charged him with having wil-
fully murdered Robert Coles.

the Jury found th; prisoner Guilty of Man-
slaughter.

'rhe COURT then sentenced him to be iminisoned
in the Rouse of Correction and kept to haul la-
bour for one year.

George Hood, Samuel flood, and John Hood
were placed at the bar upon an indictment charging
them with having unlawfully and maliciously, at the
hamlet of Bemerton, stabbed John Staple, whilst
aiding and assisting Edward Dowding in the execu-
tion of his office of tithing-man at Fuggleatone St.
Peter, in this county,
Francis Brown was a sheriff's officer t a warrant
had been entrusted to him for the purpose of arrest-
ing Hood, the father. The witness then stated
that in endeavouring to execute this warrant he had
been obstructed and assaulted by the prisoner
George Hood; that he, after the obstruction and
assault, obtained the assi►tance of a constable named
Dowding, and proceeded on the following day to
the arrest of the prisoner George Hood, upon u
warrant which he had obtained from a magistrate,
on information of the assault. Ile stated the cir-
cumstances connected with the second attempt ut
arrest to the following effect :—I knocked at the
door. George Hood and Mrs. Hnod appeared at
the window. I pointed him out to Dowding as the
person who had assaulted me. Dowding said that
if they did not open the door or surrender the
young man, he (Dowding) would break in the door.
They said it was all a trick; that there was no
warrant, Dowding had said that he had a warrant.
He had seen it out and read it on the green, whilst
Mrs. Hood and George Hood were at the window.
They could have heard it. Dowding, the constable,
was called at this time, and declared that he lost the
warrant in the fray.
Mr. ComattnGE cross-examined the Witness, who
stated that he had never gone to look for it after-

• .
wards. He had sent a strange boy to look for tt,
awl promised him threepence for his trouble. fit
had often also inquired for the warrant.
the
conAtTert.itsSoefrjtehae wantilroramnit,A s was
parole about
eviilce
by
)oMr. COLERIDGE submitted to the Court that did
Learned Serjeatit . was not in a condition to prove by
a to p, wrielen
Pro'e tea:lute:my the contents of the warrant, us [tee
diligence for its recovery had not been used.
After hearing Mr. FOLLETT in support of Mr.
COLERIDGE, and Mr. Serjeant BOSIPAS against the
objection, the Learned JUDGS admitted evidence to
1,,,,r0
be given of the moue and contents of the lost Wir.
rant. When this part of the case had been closed,h
Mr. COLERIDGE submitted -that the'warrant, sat
os it had been proved to be, was not in itself a lepl
authority fur the abridgement of the subject's Jibe*
ti,ist it was absolutely illegal, and that the resisionee
to it could therefore not be an offence Sigsinst the
laws. It had only sat out the surname of one d
the prisoneis--(tilus Hood), and did 101
therefore convey to the party aga;nst whom it 01
dirt vied that information which the law required to
be given to the individual to be arrested, in 10,
assure him bt yowl doubt that he was the intliviflot
poii4xtl at in the warrant.
After healing coait.cl on the opposite side, 14
Learned JUDGE observed that although tle melt's
[ion of his own judgment was in favour of the PA'
lion for which Mr,.-X.—MA:RIDGE contended, yet 004
question raised by the objection was of "4'oa"
importat.ce to the whole community," and as noel.
press decision had, us he believed, been ever coo'
ts, u:,5,0 the qtwstion, he should reserve, it for lf:
c.onideration ~,f the highest legal authoritr—llotnei'°
the twelve Judges.
hh : Johnfi,:l,l
lgni neiSdati
au
mugit ieleiy,dfetwi pi
liostohefoduw,
tat
water
rtouroinmeal ndttohe,er ipnt
ragocb
lt,eheciiieht.di,o :ire:cob
thet h throwe
rii,ga air
lit:
subirld.re.. IG-Itlietotedr:caeit:Hdimohpoi,adi s::v
went
You
not
uup J0hn,...1;, itri
r:s, ran into
witness followed him, and was stabbed by him in
have murdered me, and I hare a mind tom de:
you." I then threw him on his back, and Put„poi'nfi
of my knees upon his bowels, and the other
his arm. I retired after some time, and Os to
assistance of the constable, deposed as fined for three weeks in the Salisbury Itifirmarl,,
George Andrews, one of the men called to 7
neeses did to the fact, that when the door had bre,
partly forced open, he saw daggers and sworti6s
a three-pionged fork thrust through the '1
rn
by the ripening of the door.
The JUDGE, about two o'clock in the olou'illt
charged the Jury, who, after some deliberation, IL'il,
the prisoners Samuel Hood and John Hood ''''"
Guilty, and George Hood Guilty. e, 0 tiii
The prisoner will of course have the beilt.",(Ag
points which had been reserved in his favour i'u; it
the trial. The Court adjourned about duce oicL,'
in the morning, until which hour it continued to
;
completely filled in every part, so great was the'
siosity which the trial had excited.
HOME CIRCUIT—CHELMSFORD, Jurf °'
pl,il:leerea'bfloer KEY V. POTTER. €er St
tuber Wild
In this case the plaintiff, who is II farmer
it
Ashinton, in this' county, brought an &CIO "LI;
the defendant, who is also a farmer in the; - ct
loobssst
Irit.tacstisnugstaaiiwieudtebr
ychoiumrs.., by wh'jcgee'
ihi lands of the plaintiff were overflowed, 011 u
A verdict was given 'for the plaintitf,
ject6° "ilib'
1 to a reference.
shah t
trot'
In this cause there were no leo Na'"„ ...;„1 Jul
noises summoned on each side, and a-Sf-
of the most respectable gentlemen stVOrli in., et
mercy n 1
.1 o
John Stammers, aged 36, was found gouty' lets
1117141er, Alfred lrithey, 50 flint.'
btlee{
others, Tbe prisoners centence of death passed on him, for 6 "Lam, 01
offence, the Learned .Judge holding out no hope
John Wilks, Esq.,
n efrosr forced
were indicted for entering a wood 0811'd Pf°ni 'la
Wood, in the parish of Walton-Lofts, be'6ll-111/'
with intent to kill genie' „bed
deremcrolviainikiogn,is sperietilstearsir.i'cle„ol):,r
cember, 1828, seventeen of Whom 'in"
ready committed. 1 110 ad 114
im The Jury returned a verdict of (Iniri '' 11nen t oil
pv
were sentenced to twelve months'
hard labour in the county gaol. • It 1116
The trial of C NI • I srged wit ,
aptain oir, c i'at Son'
murder of the stiernian, William Malcolm, ljo
ford-le-Hope, is fixed for to-morrow morniiig id '
o'clock.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCL.

PLYMOUTH, JULY 20,—Extract of a letter ;0
Barbadoes, June Ist, 1830 :—Previous to die
lug of the Barbaro, a Court-Martial bad
ty bee," 1,0;
on board, in consuene of a disute
place at the mess.eq Mr.c John Luckpeotobes ;1304
s
V‘v‘Viv. Vea.aha, f
sentence
o:irbisvtest.eezetdd:::t tried eAbdselbssi):oni i;Caeirioduorsftl-r5l; haear Court-Martial h°floer; ef:7l
desertion, was taken nut yesterday to "miril.rol"
d
welcome:l%l:es. execution, but
an Sid-diene-tchillein111)11;:41e01
id' a reprieve. The shock was .10 WWI; 01
thetV
poor feilow fainted instantly on' the, °Pr°. 'g
continueda insensible for some time after '43.1"
~ oft

Cape of Good
yesterday, on her way from Portsmouth to
,' pi
meTnti,ev:thTicahlboist, 28, Capt. Dickinson, Ctlilb,
of Good Hope, to take on hoard a marble 0.00
toHhopee,pltaoeettlhien
rotheem
Commander Acland, who died in. comet ~
February, 183 ct :-...,
the Helicon sloop of war. h.. isle
Extract of a letter from Char.-- IS 1)
Sir he A
commanding the Bombay Marine, cleat' I tort-
ayes, is the best sea-hl3"t!°thetttl,h
by Captain II '
of all the Company's men-of-war. 'She ':; Ottlr
vessel that has made the direct tot'''. eog's'
passage on,
of Persia 'in the height of the south-west In pop tS
forFi dt
181 Ye
thole
I have no hesitation in saying that °heti'''.
_, The Seatlower, tender to the DWI')
-hole I think her by tar the finest vessel vfl-
The Tigress brig, e° 116 d oltt
now in existence." Roc":
or
Ito,
fsraommePploarciesmouth, and sailed :Ole
Aieino•
:r
FuTlinhoeutPliri;nacensds ECalizarrob
The Mesienger. steam v ssel 1-1014,rieni os'PL
rived on Sunday from Malta, last' from r°l"-cisir
In HAMOdze—Caledonia, Kant, Dryad, ii:4ef,
Skylark, Industry tender, and Messsogerjeijoit,
At the 1-Isnd—Britomart. Brambiet• `lo'
In the Sound—Talbot, Curlew.
~.r."......_,........ --......_ ------
netliitipesamek.evtessasellisdfolrligny,;)ll,,,,,,
BIRTHS.
of Sir
JOS.:Bltvlia:ekB2lictoirntt
the I*JY of G. G. Hill, Esq. of Goner-street'
On the 2:lth inst. at Gladswood, 13erwieki4b1,40!
she lAJJ
squire, of a son.
if
, the
Ott the 25th inst. at Ancrirn, Roxburgh"
oCryhtoilliorilloro
MARRIED. Or'
, , ki , oi
On the 29th inst. at St. Georges, S ut.)--41- . e'i
o rip
Seymour,late of S. t, h 1,
. eters..urg.., to Ab's to
Q( '
Gretimicli. la* WI
On the 26th ine. at Caterham, J. p• -",1 0
Inner Temple, Esq. to Mary Seymour, 1001" fig':
of T. Clark, El., of Caterhann r erantle cott`
On the 27th inst. at Hackney. T. l'• I.°- .1 4.
surgeon, eldest son of the Rev. John Hoinftgotrit-o, ft
Yarmouth, to Mary, eldest daughter of T. 01
sergeon, of Oawestry, Shropshire. fli'
DIED- sod :19.;00
On the 26th ini-t. at Rielonend, SorreP 1 iti
zalteth, the wife of General T. Grosvenor, °. . Lip
and of Grosvenor-street, Grosvenor-square' 013 d
On the 28th inst. George, the youull°l 100
ger, ty
Wilkinson, Eat'. of Peckham. ~f liiif • td
On the 2341 inst. at Fyhehl, Hants, PIO' stokea •
of the late J. lis •te Esq., of Winterboen
fl''
Hay ter, ~
pars
county of Wilts. ,frt, Diu
On the 26th inst: At tiaffiraersin'.-" W............„,..,/
~ )1
aged 86. ~..---4,,,,
irOii
inst,
- Bart. ir
talt oo
ffliarawekinw_ el
daughter. l 41.41 l'
B'l'lll'

PiCINTXD AND PutiLratlED rtY MVO 1090#'
rug Sux Onus, 112, SoAO: