The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-12 00:00:00

THE SUN. LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 12, 1863.

ing, the 21st of Auguts, at 20 minutes to six, and asked for
Miss Goodwin. I showed him in, and Miss Goodwin met
him at the drawing-room door and theywent into the garden.
Half an hour after I went into the garden and found them
sitting on a seat a short distance from the house, I told Miss
Goodwin she was wanted, and she came to the house and
remained there till a quarter to seven, when she went out
again. I went out at a quarter past seven and found her again
sitting on the seat with the prisoner. I told her tea was
ready, and she said "I am coming directly." I left her,
but she never returned alive. I had seen him before. His
manner was like that of other people, and was not different
on the 21st from what it bad been at other times.

Thomas Biddulph—On the night of the 21st of August I
was coming up tho Wigwell-hill-lane, about half-past 8.
On getting to the top of the lane, where it opens into the
turnpike-road, I saw a matt and woman walking together
towards Wigwell-hall. The woman was Miss Goodwin.
After passing then I looked back, and saw she had turned
round in ftont of the gentleman with her back to the hall.

Reuben Conway—l work for Mr. Bowmer, who lives just
opposite the hall. On Friday night, between 8 and 9
o'clock, as I was going along the turnpike-road from the
hall towards the Wigwell-lane end I heard a moaning
noise, which appeared to come from the direction of the
Mill-lane end. I ran forward, and found Miss Goodwin
guiding herself by the wall and coming towards the hall.
Her face and the front of her dress were covered with blood.
She asked me to take her home, and said there was a
gentleman down there had been murdering her. I put
my arm round her and carried her about 20 yards. She
asked me whether I could see anyone, and on looking
down the road I saw the prisoner 60 or 80 yards below
towards the lane end, and nearer the lane end than the
place where the blood was afterwards found. He was cross-
ing the road, and then came towards me. When I first saw
him, he was about 40 yards from the hunting gate, As he
came up, I went towards him, and asked him who heel
been murdering Mine Goodwin, He said he had stabbed
her. I asked him to go and help me, and he took hold of
her head and 1 of her body, and we carried her towards
Wigwell. He called her " Poor Bessie" several times, and
said. "You should not have proved false to me." She said
nothing then. We laid her down near a gate, and prisoner
asked me for something to put round her neck to stop the
bleeding. I said I had nothing, and he asked me to go for
help. I asked him if he would stop with her, and he said he
would. I went to Mr. Bowmer's yard for help, leaving the
prisoner with Miss Goodwin, I was away about four or five
minutes, and on coming back found the prisoner holding
something round her neck. I asked if she was living, and
he said she was. She said, "Take me home." We then
carried her a short distance further until Mr. Seeds and his
brother came up. Mr. Seeds asked who had done it. The
prisoner said " I have done it." We then carried her further,
and met James Conway, who also asked who had done it.
The prisoner said, " I know, and he knows ; lam the man
who did it, and I shall be hanged for it." Miss Goodwin
then said she was dying. We carried her further, and met
Mr. Bowmer, who also wanted to know who had done it.
The prisoner said " I have done it, there is no question at
all about that." After going a little further he said he was
afraid she was dead, and bent down and kissed her. She
was dead. We met Captain Goodwin and Ann Poyser, the
housekeeper, just within the hall gates. Captain Goodwin
asked what we had amiss, and the prisoner answered, " It
is your granddaughter Betsy, murdered," Capt. Goodwin
wanted to know who had done it. The prisoner said, " I
have done it ;" and on the captain asking who he was, said
"My name is George Townley." The body was taken into
the kitchen and put on the floor. Captain Goodwin then
asked the prisoner what made him do it. He answered—
" She has deceived me ; and the woman that deceives me
must die." He then went into the drawing-room with
Captain Goodwin.
Ann Poyser, the housekeeper, corroborated the last part
of the preceding witness's evidence,
Dr. Newton Matt—l was eallod in to Wigwell-hall on
the Friday evening, and found Miss Goodwin dead, There
were three Wounds on the right side of the neck, one a stab
behind and below the right ear; the second a stab in front
of this, superficial ; the third wound still further in front,
three inchom long, and extending nearly to the chin. The
back part of this wound appeared to have been produced by
stab directed downwards and backwards. The external
carotid artery and the internal jugular vein were severed.
These were severed by the third wound. The first wound
was probably given from behind and was not mortal. I
should have thought that a person could not have walked
after receiving the third wound. The knife produced (an
ordinary clasp :knife, found on the prisoner) would have
caused the wounds. I saw the prisoner that night. He ap-
peared to be perfectly calm.
Croes-examined—l was with him 10 or 15 minutes in the
drawing room. There was much blood upon him.
Capt. Goodwin—(This witness, who is 84 years of age,
appeared to be somewhat infirm, but spoke with a strong
clear voice.) After stating what took place at the gate—
which has been already given—the witness, who was much
moved, continued—Atter saying that the woman who de-
ceived him must die, the prisoner said, " I told her I would
kill her, She knew my temper." Be also said, "I had the
means two months ago, and I have the means at the present
time." I observed he had money in his hand. I declined
to take anything. He then produced two packets of letters.
lie gave them to me and said, " Will you take care of
these ? You may read them, burn them, or do what you like
with them. I don't wish these to be brought into court."
I kept them for a few days, and then threw them all into
the fire. I did not read a line of them, but I believe them
to have been my granddaughter's letters. The prisoner was
staying at my house for a few days at Christmas time. I
did not see much, hardly anything of him. On the Friday
evening he behaved with the greatest indifference. I thought
I saw a little excitement about him just before he offered
me the things. He had been so perfectly.indifferent before
that I noticed the change.
Cross-examined--After the prisoner was remanded a
policeman, Parnhatu, asked me for ene of the letters pro-
duced in court (the last from Townley), and another police •
man, Burton, asked me for the packet of letters, and sus-
pecting he had some improper motive 1 burnt them, I
thought ho was pumping me, and, being annoyed at that,
I burnt the letters.
Charles Parnham—When I got to Wigwell on the Fri-
day evening the prisoner came towards me and said, " I
wish to give myself up for murdering the young lady." I
cautioned him and asked him if he was aware of the nature
of the charge ho was giving himself up for. He said "Yes,
quite so, and will go with you quietly, only let me see her
first." I then said to him, " What have you done with the
instrument or knife you committed the deed with ?" He
took the knife now produced out of his pocket and gave it
to me. It was wet with blood. I then took him into the
kitchen. He looked at the body stedfastly, but did not
speak. On the way to the lock-up he said "I am far hap-
pier now I have done it than I was before, and I trust she
is." I searched him and found two other knives (penknives)
upon him. Next morning I asked him if he knew anything
about a shawl. He said, " I saw one on the road and threw
it over the wall." This was Miss Goodwin's shawl. I
examined the road and found a small pool of blood at the
corner of Wigwell-mill-lane, At the hunting-gate, which
is about 200 yards from the lane and nearer the hall, I
found another large pool of blood. I did not notice any
between the two places.
Cross-examined—l did not say, "Are you aware of the
nature of the charge ?" because I doubted whether he was,
but because he seemed so anxious to give himself up. I
noticed marks of whitling on a gate opposite to the hunt-
ing gate. Three or four pieces had been cut off. The gate
has been completely pulled to pieces and carried away by
the persons who have visited the spot.
This closed the case for the prosecution, and it being now
half-past one o'clock the Court adjourned for half an hour.
On the reassembling of the Court Mr. Macaulay addressed
the jury on behalf of the prisoner, He strongly
hoped that
he should satisfy the jury beyond all doubt that by a mss"
talons dispensation of Providence the prisoner had been
deprived of his reason to sueh a degree as to render him not
amenable to the laws for the dreadful deed which undoubt-
edly he had committed. His fattv r was a man of good
dmeeeagnhs t ae
rn,det. position,w
h em
tahned had s teherre ew ce he itl
hd
er eenl,d
et we to. s oFnrseamn de
ha
pri
early age his behaviour had been somewhat peculiar. He
was perfectly well conducted, perfectly gentle, perfectly
quiet, perfectly well behaved, He was exceedingly accom-
plished, but he was found to have no aptitude or capacity
for the serious business of life. When very young he was
noted for his taste for music. At school he acquired lan-
guages with facility ; but when put into a merchant's count-
inghouse he could not learn the business. The learned
counsel then went into a detailed account of the evidence he
proposed to adduce, which from its importance we have
given as it fell from the lips of the witnesses.
At the close of Mr. Maeaulay's address his lordship ob-
served—Perhaps, Mr. Macaulay, you had better address to
me the questions you desire to have left to the jury.
Mr. Macaulay—l should prefer doing so after the evidence
has been heard.
Baron Martin--Of course. I have not sat here to try
this case without well considering what questions I should
leave to the jury, and I will now read to you what I have
written down, and what I propose to leave to the jury. I
shall tell them that if they believe that, although there
might have been disease in the mind to some extent, yet if
the prisoner knew that the act he was committing would
probably cause death, and that the doing it would subject
him to legal punishment, there was criminal responsibility.
Mr. Macaulay—Many men have been acquitted with
approval who must have been convicted under such a direcs
tion.

the .
Baron Martin—l have drawn that from a summing up of
Justice Le Blanc, which has been much approved of, and
from a decision of Lord Denman's, and another of Lord
LYnnhurst's, and I believe it to be a correct statement of
ruliulawg ot 4 IDA—, who tried Bellingham, because that
s
I have put aside from my consideration the
ruling has been objected to.
The following witnesses were then called—
ep. r i
sIo
nl aeard.
Emma Marsden—I am the prisoner's maternal aunt, and
have known him ill his life. lb is very affectionate and
:uranunfatt:earmedshMe adreystMroyaresdden,
herself,the
was supposed to be insane.
and Gilbert Ainsworih, a first
cousin once removed,
Bourne
for many years in a
lunatic asylum. Titus . , roy maternal uncle, had 10
of whom five were insane
• Two Were confined in
children,
sviesrtyerhoufmthane

an asylum. Another maternal uncle had six children, of
whom one has been insane. He is not now in an asylum.
Cross-examined--He was occasionally subject to fits of
ill-temper. He was not ill-tempered generally.
The Rev. Wm. Bourne Masters, the prisoner's maternal
uncle, corroborated the evidence of the last witness.
Mary Townley—l am the prisoner's mother. He had a
very poor capacity for business pursuits, and had no profes-
sion in August last. In March of this year I received a let-
ter from Miss Goodwin, expressing great affection for my
son. They were upon the most affectionate terms, and my
son's affection continued the saute as ever. On the 12th of
August he received a letter from Miss Goodwin, which I
saw. (The letter was one of those given by Townley to
Capt. Goodwin and burnt by him.) It spoke of a clergy-
man, the most delightful man she had ever seen in her life.
He had been staying at Wigwell, and her grandfather
thought he would just suit her, but that would not do. It
ended, " Yours affectionately." The usual conclusion was
"Your own darling," or something of that sort. I saw him
on the Saturday, three days after he received that letter.
There was another from Miss Goodwin to him on that day.
It said she had a good deal to say to him, and it had better
be said at once. Grandfather had found cut that they cor-
responded, and was wild that there was anything in the
way. " I want you to release me," the letter went on,
" that I may have it to say lam free, Don't take this too
hardly in pity foe me, I shall not marry if I can help it."
That was signed " Yours sincerely," That letter seemed
to have turned his brain. He was in such an excited, sup-
pressed state of feeling that I asked Mr. Arrowsmith to sit
up with him. The next morning I went to my son's room.
He was at the door, and appeared Very excited, but exter-
nally calm. He had hot been in bed. He took nothing but
tea and brandy for breakfast, and only very little for dinner,
That evening (Sunday, August 16), he wrote a letter to
Miss Goodwin (the letter dated Sunday, and given
above.) He took a long time to write it, and was nervous
and excited while doing so. He came down on Monday
morning and lay on the sofa. He appeared very restless.
His hands and feet were twitching nervously. I gave him
some morphia. He remained on the sofa till dinner time,
and took no dinner. After dinner he wrote another letter
to Miss Goodwin. (This letter is also given above, and is
dated Monday.) He had a little difficulty in finding words
now and then. He was so nervous that he spoilt several
envelopes in directing the letter of Sunday, and had to tear
them up. On Tuesday morning he took hardly any break-
fast, and appeared not to have had a night's rest. He then
went to Manchester to give a French lesson, and on coming
back he was in a perspiration, and said he hoped he was not
going to have an illness. That afternoon he went to Bolton,
to Mr. Arrowsmith's. On Thursday another letter came

from Miss Goodwin (that given above), and I telegraphed
to him to return home. On arriving he showed me a letter
he had received from Miss Goodwin at Bolton. The pur-
port of it was that if he wished to see her he was to go to
the Midland Hotel at Derby, where he would find a note
from her, but she did not wish to see him. There was a
postscript, " After all you had better come," and she men-
tioned the trains. 'We consulted on what was to be done at
the station, and fixed that he had better go to Derby. 'l he
letter I gave him from Miss Goodwin evidently distressed
him. I could see he was dreadfully upset, but he always
kept quiet. Shortly afterwards he left for Derby. His man
ner was generally reserved, but excited. I noticed an ex-
cited manner. That was his natural manner during the
whole course of his life. He was only excited on occasions.
I noticed a change after the receipt of Miss Goodwin's let-
ters. I should describe that change as a suppression of deep

feelings. 1 believe an objection was made to my marriage
with Mr. Townley on the ground of the insanity in my
family.
Cross-examined—The French lesson was given to the son
of a neighbour whom my son had been in the habit of teach-
ing from motives of kindness,

Catherine Townley, the prisoner's sister, confirmed the
evidence of her mother.
Washington Arrowsmith—l am a cotton-spinner at Bol-
ton. On the 12th of August I saw the prisoner before and
after he received Miss Goodwin's letter. He seemed much
depressed by it. He seemed more depressed after getting
the second letter. I sat up with him on the Saturday night,
the 15th. He waeshernately depressed and excited, and
wept for about four hours in the course of the night, not
continue usly. I assisted him in writing the letter of Sun-
day. He supplied the substance of the letter and I the
words. He seemed to have a difficulty in finding words.
He was with me at Bolton from Tuesday to Saturday, the
20th, and appeared to be suffering very severely in mind.
He received a letter from Miss Goodwin during that time,
which seemed to make him more despondent. I did not
see him again after he received the telegram of Mrs. Town-
ley. His mind and manner underwent a marked change
after he received the letters from Miss 'Goodwin. He
appeared to be lost in thought, and did not observe me
sometimes when I spoke to him. His natural disposition
was very kind, but very reserved.
Cross-examined—He was subject to passion like anybody
else. The letter from Giinow-mills he wrote himself. lam
not aware that he had any medical advice on the night I
sat up with him. He appeared to be very much distressed
and kept walking. That made me think it not safe to leave
him.

William Glover—l have been acquainted with the pri-
soner 4 years. He is extremely gentle and humane, and a
close and attached friend. He was very reserved to strangers.
I have seen him extremely impulsive and excitable at times-
He was a man with little hope, and looked despondingly at
inostth things. sometimes he would address me, and on my
continuing the conversation did not appear to notice me.
His mind appeared to be wandering on something else.
John Grew - I am waiter at the Midland Hotel, and re-
member the prisoner coming to the hotel on T uursday even-
ing, the 20th August, He asked for chops and tea, At first
there was nothing to attract my attention, but afterwards
he walked up and down the cot:fee-room. He took very
little indeed of his tea, and after writing a letter, asked
what time the mail went out,and on my replying 9 o'clock,
he went out !Apparently to post,the letter himself. The next
morning he asked if there were any letters for Townley.
Ho poured out a cup of tea and had some dry toast. Before
that he walked up and down, and muttered something
which I understood to mean soda and brandy. He had a
wild excited appearance about his eyes. After breakfasthe
walked up and down muttering to himself. I thought him
very eccentric. He asked the way to the smoking-room,
and when I told him he said, "I don't want to know the
way to the smoking-room. I know my way all over the
house." 1 came to the conclusion that he was not right in
his mind. inspector Davis and chief-constable Fox have
been to me, and I told them that, in my opinioa, the pri-
soner was not quite right in his mind.
Cross-examined—l do not recollect having told Davis on
the following Saturday that I noticed nothing about Town-
ley. I told him that Townley was very strange in his
manner.
The Rev. John Leighton Figgins, incumbent of St,
Clement's, Blanchester--I should set the prisoner down as
a person deficient in what I might call logical conclusion. I
have conversed with him since he has been in prison. Ido
because I never had similar conversa-
the difference between good
ntiootnssebeeatnorye.chalnigneo,t
knowing
and evil is a sign of derangement, I should say he is de-
ranged now.

Cross-examined—When I say that he does not know the
difference between right and wrong, I mean there are cer-
tain things which I consider sinful and which he does not.
He was rational in the sense of understanding what I said.
Dr. Forbes NV inslow—l have seen the prisoner twice in
the presence of Mr. Sims, the governor of the gaol. He was
not aware of my name or the object of my visit. His be-
haviour was quite natural and not assumed. I talked to
him largely on the subject of the crime. I was with him ,
nearly two hours on the first occasion and three-quarters of
an hour on the second. I think that at the present moment
he is a man of deranged intellect. He was deranged on the
18th November, and I thought still more so last night,
when I saw him the second him. If I had any doubt as to
his insanity on the 18th of November, I had none whatever
last night. 1 adverted to the conversation I had had with
him on the previous occasion, with a view of satisfying my
mind that I had lett him with an accurate impression of
what he had said. He repeated to me that he did not recog-
nise he had committed any crime at all, neither did he feel
any degree of pain, regret, contrition, or remorse for what
he had done. I endeavoured to impress on his mind on my
first visit the serious nature of the crime he had committed.
lie repudiated the idea of its being a crime either against
God or man, and in reply to some observation of
mine, attempted to justify the act, alleging that he con-
sidered Miss Goodwin as his own property—that she
had been illegally wrested from him by an act of violence
—that he viewed her in the light of his wife who had
committed an act of adultery, and that he had as perfect a
right to deal with her life as he had with any other descrip-
tion of property, as the money in his pocket, &c. I endea-
voured to prove to him the gross absurdity of the statement
and the enormity of his offence, and he replied, " Nothing
short of a miracle can alter my opinions." The expression
that Miss Goodwin was his property was frequently repeated.
He killed her to recover and repossess himself of property
which had been stolen from him. I could not disturb this,
as I thought,:very insane idea. I said, " Suppose any one
robbed you of a picture, what course would you take to re-
cover it ?" He said he would demand its restitution, and if
it were not granted, he would take the person's life without
compunction. I remarked that he had no right to take the
law into his own hands; he should have recourse to legal
measures to obtain restitution. He remarked that he recog-
nised the right of no man to sit in judgment upon him. Ile
was a free agent, and as he did not bring himself into the
world by any action of his own, he had perfect liberty to
think and act as he pleased, irrespective of any one else. I
regard these expressions as the evidence of a diseased intel-
lect. Last evening he said that he had been for some weeks
previously to Aug. 21 under the influence of a conspiracy.
There were six conspirators plotting against him, with a
N iew to destroy him, with a chief conspirator at their head.
This conspiracy was still going on while ho was in prison,
and he had no doubt that if he was at liberty they would
continue their operations against him, and in order to escape
their evil purposes he would have to leave the country. He
became much excited, and assumed a wild, maniacal aspect.
lam satisfied that aspect was not simulated. I could not
get from him the names of the conspirators.
Istr. Macaulay—lf the present state of mental derange-

ment existed on Aug. 21, would it be likely to lead to the
commission of the act then committed ?
Dr. Winslow—Most undoubtedly. Assuming him to have
been on Aug. 21 as he was on Nov. 18 and yesterday, I do
not believe that he was in a condition of mind to estimate,
like a sane man, the nature of his act and his legal liability.
Cross-examined—He referred to the conspiracy in general
terms on the 18th of November. 1 should class his case as one
of general derangement. He does not appear to have a sane
opinion on a moral point. I have no doubt he knows that
these opinions of his are contrary to those generally enter-
tained, and that if acted upon they would subject him to
punishment. I should think he would know that killing a
person was contrary to law and wrong in that sense. I
should thing that from his saying he should be hanged he
knew he had done wrong. His moral sense was more via_
ated than I ever saw that of any other human being. His
opinions were pretty much those of atheists, but he was
beyond atheism. He seemed incapable of reasoning cor-
rectly on any moral subject. He denied the existence of a
God and of a future world. He would suffer from his con-
finement, which would add to his excitement. It was more
remarkable last evening than on the 18th of November, and
might not have existed on the 21st of August. Ho said it
was a matter of perfect indifference whether he was dead or

Re-examined—He merely gave utterance to these opi-
nions dogmatically, and seemed incapable of arguing upon
them.

Dr. Gisborne, the surgeon of the Derbyshire Infirmary
and of the County Gaol, gave similar evidence, and added
that the prisoner's condition at this time was similar to his
condition when he was brought to the gaol in August. The
prisoner stated to him that he looked upon a woman en-
gaged to him in the same light as his wife, and that he
ought to have the same control over his wife as over any
portion of personal property,
On cross-examination this witness stated that the pri-
soner's language implied that he knew that what he had
done was pnnisbable, but that he (the witness) believed he
would repeat the offence to-morrow.
Mr, Sims, the governor of the gaol, gave similar evidence
as to the conduct and statements of the prisoner.
This concluded the case for the defence, and as it was now
6 o'clock,
Mr. Baron Martin suggested that it was not desirable to
go on with so important a case at so late an hour.
The Court adjourned till 9 o'clock to• morrow morning.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.--EXETER, DEC. 10.
(Before Mr. Baron Pigott.)
James Stevens, pugilist, and John Burke, labourer, were
indicted for the wilful murder of John Mears, jun., at
Teigngrace, on the 14th of August.
Mr, Holdsworth and Mr. Bere were counsel for the pro-
secution; Mr. Carter defended the prisoners.
Mr. Holdsworth having opened the case,
Various witnesses stated that deceased, a man aged 31,
employed at the Bovey Tracey potteries, had been at the
Newton Races on the 9th of August, dressed in a dark coat
and corduroy trousers, and had not subsequently been seen
by them.

After some evidence had been given,
The jury said they had heard enough.
The Judge said he had never in all his experience heard
so unreliable a case. There was not a trace of one drop of
blood having been found, and if the fight had taken place in
the high road, the blood must have been seen. Tha boy
remained silent until the offer of a reward was published,
He first pitched upon Finnerty, and he said Burke had given
him 6d. not to eay it was he, and he allowed Finnerty to be
taken off in custody, until the policeman suggested that his
description was more like Burke, and then he said it was
Burke. The man's body had got into the water, but how it
had got there no one could tell.
The jury returned a verdict of not guilty.