The Sun.
London, England, 1838-09-20 00:00:00

BANK 017-ENtiLAND.-(Tfilf4 PAY.)

1
A Quarterly Genet at Catir! of Prit rietors of Bank Stock
was held this day for the purpose of dBidaFltig a dividend.
T. A. Curtis, Eiq., the Governor, in the chair.
. The tttlnutes of the last Court were read and confirmed.
The GovattNoa said, that from the state of their accounts
the Directors were of opinion that they might declare a
'dividend of four per cent. for the half year ending-in Oc-
tobi r next.
The dividend was declared accordingly.
Mr. WiLliamsoN inquired whether any part of the rest had
been taken to make up the dividend.
The OolitKNott replied there had been 34,0001. taken from
the rest for that purpose, which was lots by 10,000/. than the
amount required to make up the last half year's nitidend.
The GovanNott then announced that the dividend warrants
would be delivered and paid on Thursday the 11th of Oc-
tober next.
On the motion that the
.Court do adjourn,
Mr. FIELDER said it was usual for the Governor, Deputy`
G ivernor, and Directors, not to hold a greatef amount or
Bank Stock than was sufficient to qualify them to hold those
situations, from, as be understood, a -feeling of delicacy, and
a desire that it should not be supposed they wished to have too
great a sway over the Proprietors. He thought such a coule
calculated to throw a discredit on Bank Stock. He thought
the stock they held while in offic -, should be considered as a
kind of pet stock, and not reduced in amount when they
retired from office.
The CHAIRMAN said the Charter only required that a Direc-
tor should hold 2,0001. stock, and it 1 an arbitrA.y
proceeding on the part of the Pr,prietors to require him to
bold 4 0001. The Directors never held more than was suffi-
cient to qualify them, in order that it might not be supposed
that they were jobbers in that stock. The Deputy Governor
only held the exact amount required of him ; the Governor
increased his amount to 4.0001., and on his seceding from

tlie.,Chair, reduced himself to the level of the other Directors.
That they considered the safest course, as it showed to the
world thattheir only object was to do their duty.
The Court then adjourned.

CRIMINAL COURT-(THIS DAY).

OLD COURT.
THE TRIAL OF MYERS.

The trial of Myers being specially appointed to take plaCe
the first this morning, the Court was crowded et,,,nl
early hour. Immediately after the Learned Judges' taking
their sea's, Myers was placed at the 13ar-he bowed respect-
fully to the Court, and appeared perfectly composed. He is
a rather good-looking man, with light golden hair. Tice pri-
soner pleaded Not Guilty to the indictment charging him with
the wilful murder of Mr. Pow, in a firm voice.
Mr. PRENDERGAST and Mr. DOANE appeared for the prose-
cution ; and Mr. PHILLIPS and Mr. BODKIN were Counsel for

the prisoner.
Mr. PRENDIRGAST stated the-"case to the Jury on
behalf of the prosecution. The case he was about to
lay before the Jury was one which ins olved the quesl
tion of the mann r in which Mr. Pow came to his
death. The charge was ono of great importance to the pri-
soner and the public at large. Mr. Pow had been for some
time previous to the facts taking place which formei the sub.
ject of the present inquiry an inmate of the Westminster Hos-
pital, in consequence of his being /Acted with delirium tre-
mens, arising from excessive drinking. The treatment he had
received there was successful, and he left the hospital, accon;
panied by his wife and the prisoner. The prisoner was upon
terms of intimacy with Mr. Pow and his wife—indeed, with
the latter, he should show that the most improper intimacy
existed. During the time Mr. Pow was in the Westminster
Hospital, it would seem that the prisoner had expressed a
desire to have the controul of the property of Mr. Pow, and
one witness who would be called would prove that he had
been asked to witness a power of attorney, but that he had
refused to do so upon the prisoner stating to him that the
person whose property it was to affect was a madman, and in
a lunatic asylum. That the:prisoner had complete controul over
Mr. Pow, there could be no doubt. He had taken apartments
for him, and was constantly with him. When those apartments
were taken Mr. Pow was in a tolerable state of health, but
shortly afterwards he was taken ill, and a nurse was engaged
to attend him. He was seized with convulsions, and died in a
few days. He should show to the Jury that during the illness
of Mr, Pow very little was given to him except gin.* It would
also be shewn that the nurse had directions from the prisoner
to give the deceased that liquor. It was the practice he be-
lieved among medical men in cases of delirium tremens to give
stimulants, but not to the extent that had been given in the
present case. He would be able to show that on some occa-
sions Mr. Pow had taken more than a pint of gin in a day,
and in addition to that the prisoner bad administered to Mr.
Pow hyosciamus. There could be no doubt that some of the
medicines given by Myers to the deceased were of an ex-
tremely proper description ; but other medicines had been
given, especially a composing draught, which had had the
worst effect. What that draught was composed of they could
not tell, as the bottle which contained it could not be found.
Mr. Justice VALNIHAN asked whether hyosciamus was not
an extremely proper remedy to administer in a case of delirum

tremens 9
Mr. PRENDERGAST admitted that it was ; but the question
would be quantity administered, and, from the medical man he
should call, he thought he should be able to shew that the
quantities administered were excessive. After Mr. Pow had
taken that medicine, he was seized with convulsions, and what
was the course that was then adopted by the prisoner? Why,
when Mr. Pow was almost at the point of death, he took up-
wards of a pint of blood from him, although a brother medi-
cal man advised him not to do so, as Mr. Pow was dying.
Mr. Justice VAUGHAN enquired how soon Mr. Pow died after
another medical man was called in ?
Mr. PRENDERGAST said that he was called in on the Tuesday,
and Mr. Pow died on the Wednesday.
Mr. Justice VAUGHAN could not but think that every medi-
cal man would shake in his bed if, in a case like the present, he
was to be subject to a charge of murder.
Mr. PRENDERGAST submitted that where death was caused
by the improper treatment of a medical man, be was guilty of
murder. According to the statement of the prisoner himself,
the death of Mr. Pow was to be beneficial to him, for he had
been repeatedly heard to say that it would be a thousand
pounds in his pocket. It would be shown that the prisoner
had encouraged Mr. Pow in his habits of drunkenness. On
the Sunday previous to Mr. Pow's death, the prisoner drew
up a will for him, by which he gave the prisoner 1,0001., and
appointed hira trustee and executor. That the prisoner was on
terms of extreme intimacy with Mrs. Pow would be clearly
shown, and he should also be able to prove that he and Mrs.
Pow were seen to enter a brothel on the day on which Mr.
Pow expired.
Mr. Justice VAUGHAN inquired whether it did not appear
that Mr. Pow had been subject to delirium tremens before he
knew the prisoner:?
Mr. PHILLIPS.—Yes, for years.
Mr. PRENDERGAST said that was no excuse for the course
adopted by the prisoner, who had done all in his power to
cause Mr. Pow to recur to his old habit of drinking in
order to accelerate his death. It would be for the Jury to
say whether or not the prisoner had been the cause of the
death of Mr. Pow, and if they were of opinion that through
the means adopted by him the death of Mr. Pow had accrued,
they would be bound to find the prisoner guilty of the whole
offence ; but if they should feel inclined to look with a more
favourable eye upon the matter—if they should be of opinion
that he had acted unskilfully and through ignorance—then they
would find him guilty of manslaughter.
Mr. Baron ALDERsoN—What are the specific acts you
charge against the prisoner as the cause of death? Do you
say it is the administration of the hyosciamus, which you can.
not prove, or the giving of the gin? If you say it is the
latter, then you must prove that he placed no ri.striction upon
the nurse in its administration. It seems to me you are acting
upon conjecture, and upon that you cannot accuse a man of
murder.
Mr. PRENDERGAST observed that they attributed the cause
of death to all the acts of the prisoner. He should prove that
the prisoner had given directions to the nurse to give gin in
unlimited quantities.
Mr. Baron ALDERSON—You don't prove one specific
act that has been the cause of death. There is to be sure
the bleeding, after another medical man had said that it
would be of no use, as Mr. i Pow was dying.
. . . .

Mr. Justice VALIGHAN—There is no doubt that the adoption
of that course was injudiciou:, but, when a man was actually
dying, surely a medical man would be justified in making such
an experiment, in order, if he could, to save his life.
Mr. Baron ALDERSON- At the utmost, the case you put,
Mr. Prendergast, would only amount to manslaughter.
Mr. PREN DERGAST said that he had stated, he believed, all
the facts of the case, and he must leave the Cour: and Jury to
deal with it as they thought right.
Mr. Justice VAtionart said that the only difficulty he felt was
whether he ought not, in justice to the prisoner, to allow evi-
dence to be given. In his opinion the charge either of
murder or manslaughter was entirely out of the question.
The Jury, under the direction of the Learlied Judge, imme-
diately acquitted the prisoner.
Mr. PHILLIPS felt bound in justice to the prisoner to say
that all the property of the unfot tunate deceased was 601. a-
year, which he was prepared to prove went to his orphan.
daughter.
Myers on leaving the dock received the congratulations of
his friends.