The Sun.
London, England, 1838-08-25 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH- STREET.

A MOST EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF ALLEGED LUNACY.—An
individual, of very gentlemanly appearance, in a state of ex-
citement, and bearing proofs of having been recently engaged
in a severe struggle, his arm being in a sling and his hat bent
together, entered the office yesterday, and inquired if he
could have an assault warrant against two persons, who had
suddenly entered his lodgings, 49, Haymarket, and violently
assaulted him. .He was desired to wait until the sitting Ma-
gistrate, Mr. Dyer, had disposed of the night charges.
Two persons soon afterwards came to the Magistrate, and
stated that they were in pursuit of the gentleman who applied
for the warrant. They were keepers attached to the Ham-
mersmith Lunatic Asylum, conducted by Mr. Finch, and
they were armed with the authority of a certificate, under the
hand of a medical gentleman named Paternoster, that the
party in question was insane. They had gone to the gentle-
man's lodgings in the Haymarket that morning, and on pro-
ceeding to put their orders into excution they were violently
attacked by the gentleman, and one of them had received a
severe blow on the head from a poker. The police were called
and on the gentleman appealing to the constables for protec-
tion, they had had gone away in order to obtain further in-
structions. While they were speaking the gentleman came
in, and on being called forward he said while he was in the
act of dressing himself that morning, about eight o'clock,
the two men before the bench burst into his room,
and without saying a word respecting their business,
proceeded to seize him in a rough manner. Not know-
ing at first what their purpose could possibly be, he made
resistance, and a violent and most determined struggle
ensued. One of them seized him by the throat, and thrust
his knuckles with such violence against the jugular vein that
he was all but strangled. He was forced down on the sofa,
and roughly handled, so that, by great exertion, having got
hold of the poker, he was obliged to use it in his own defence.
The disturbance and his cries caused an application to be made
to the police, and policeman Dudley, C 56, came into the
room. As soon as he saw the constable, he explained to him
the violent usag6 he bad suffered, and placed himself under
his protection. The men now for the first time declared their
r.-al character, and produced the certificate under which they
asserted they were authorized to seize his body, and place him
in the Hammersmith Lunatic Asylum. The policeman, when
appealed to by the keepers, did not choose to give him up,
and he (complainant) went to the station-house for redress.
What caused him to feel more warmth than otherwise he
should, was because he saw one of the men had a pair of
handcuffs for the purpose of putting them on him.
Mr. Finch, the master of the asylum,
handed the Magistrate
,
d by the gentleman s
twas
oldMseen
the certificate, which it appeared was signed
a
own father, Dr. Paternoster, of Norfolk-street.father
n
rn.
dPbeet
de r
ridden,Pate r naonsdn
t e [thec could
d
him for upwards of three months. The fact was the whole
proceedings arose out of money matters. lie had applied for
complainant)
eanthtlt said
he his
had
an advance of 6001. to enable him to get out of those embar-
rassments in which he was plunged, through a very limited in-
come, and some angry feeling had occurred. He had written
many saucy letters, lie admitted, to his brother-in-law, Mr.
Wing, an attorney, but he had used no personal threats.
This letter formed the ground of the present proceedings, as
Mr. Wing appeared to misconstrue the contents of the letter
into something of a threat of personal violence towards himself
and family. Now he disclaimed any such intention ; and, if
the fact were otherwise, Mr. Wing had his remedy by a peace
warrant.
Mr. Finch said he would bring two medical gentlemen
skilled in cases of lunacy, and then he should have no doubt
the
of satisfying the Magistrate on the propriety of the proceed-
ings of the keepers.
the police.
r bliegeglevdasMgru.itDey,aeirliting to suffer any
P. to
allowof
him be pro-
tection
re-
straint which a Magistrate might choose to impose, but he would
never allow himself quietly to be immured in a madhouse.
tectilorn
Mr. DYER intimated that he had no jurisdiction in the
matter.
About an hour after Mr. Finch had retired, Miss Scott, the
landlady's daughter, informed Mr. Paternoster that the two
keepers were in waiting to take him as soon as he came out of
the office.

Mr. Paternoster came forward and said, " Now, Sir, I ask
for the protection of the law. Those ruffians are lying in wait
to deprive me of my liberty. Is it legal to deprive the subject
of his 1 berty in this way, when nothing whatever can be urged
against him ? Let it, at least, be proved that I have assaulted
or threatened any one, or, in short. done one act which in the
slightest degree will serve to show that I am not in the full
possession of my reason."
Mr. DYER—You must recollect that the certificate is signed
by your own father.
Mr. Paternoster—l will make affidavit that my father has
never seen me for three months. My father is also bedridden,
and I ask you, as a magistrate and a gentleman, whether such
a cei tificate ought to be a sufficient authority to deprive even
the meanest person of his liberty ?
Mr. DYER—Your landlady, you know, has made some com-
plaints.
Mr. Paternoster—l deny it. Send for her, and if she says
anything which will implicate my sanity, I will submit to any-
thing. She has promised to conic here after she has called at
Mr. Twining's.
Mr. DYER—Do you know Mr. Twining ? Mr. Paternoster
—The Twining's of the Strand arc all my relations. Mr.
Twining, the tea dealer and banker, is my uncle. I have for-
merly been in the Madras Civil Service, and I now enjoy a
perision from the East India Company.
Mr. Finch, accompanied by Dr. Spurgin and some other
gentlemen, entered the office. Mr. Paternoster, without the
slightest hesitation, went into the private room, and held a
long conversation with the doctor. The substance of it did
not transpire, but the result was, as we were informed, that
Dr. Spurgin confirmed the existence of Mr. Paternoster's
lunacy.
Mr. Dunn, another doctor, called in, and saw Mr. Pater-
noster in the presence of Mr. Dyer. Mr. Dunn was also of
opinion that Mr. Paternoster was not sane, though upon what
he founded his opinion it was most difficult to discover, as the
replies to questions put to Mr. Paternoster indicated quite as
large a portion of rationality and infinitely more cleverness
than possessed by the querist.
Mrs. Scott, Mr. Paternoster's landlady, having made her
appearance; Mr. Paternoster appealed to her to state her opi-
nion of his mind.
Mrs. Scott said Mr. Paternoster had lived with her at in-
tervals for the last six years. She had never seen anything
indicating lunacy, and she should neither be afraid to trust
herself or ber daughter at any time with him. He was of an
irritable disposition, and was occasionally excited respecting
family matters; but as to being mad, he was no more mad
than she was.
3dr. Paternoster asked the Magistrate, after what he had
just heard, whether he would still refuse him the protection of
the police ?
Mr. DYER said the matter was out of his jurisdiction now.
There seas a certificate signed by his own father, and two me-
dical gentlemen had since seen and conversed with him.
Mr. Paternoster—And can you for a moment place the
opinion of two persons who have seen me but for five minutes
against the evidence of persons with whom, for the last six
years, I have been almost in daily communication? What
can any man pretend to know of the state of another's mind
by merely feeling his pulse and holding a short conversation
with him? Dr. Spurgin likewise saw me at a disadvantage.
I am, I own, of an irritable temper, and such brutal treatment
as I have received would have roused the most peaceable.
Two men suddenly burst into my room, seize me violently by
the throat, half strangle me, and bruise my arm so severely
that lam compelled to wear a sling. Would not such treat-
ment irritate any man? and all this has occurred through mat-
ters which I can explain, if allowed.
Mr. DYER-1 make it a rule to shut my ears always against
family disclosures.
Mr. Paternoster—l defy any man to bring proof that I have
threatened or used violence towards him. If Mr. Wing is
afraid of me let him send me to prison. I will go cheerfully ;
but I now say, knowing as I do, that the keepers are waiting
outside, that I will not be taken without using resistance. I
beg of you to protect me—l beg you to send me to prison.
Mr. DYER—I cannot do that.
Dr. Monro came into the office and held some conversation
with Mr. Paternoster. The result was that the doctor also
expressed his belief in Mr. Paternoster's insanity.
Mr. Paternoster was let out at the back door, but the keep-
ers being in readiness he was pounced upon and soon secured
in a hackney-coach, whose destination was the Hammersmith
madhouse.
Mr. Paternoster certainly exhibited nothing whatever of an
unsound mind while at the office, but we are informed the
gentleman receives a pension from the India House on account
of insanity, and that certificates of the state of his mind have
been in existence for about six years.
On Thursday, Martha Davis, an Irishwoman, was charged
with havine, robbed her master, Mr. Russell, King-street,
Covent-garden,r of 24 sovereigns.
Mr. CHAMBERS asked the prisoner what she had to say in
defence. Prisoner—l don't know that I'll say any thing ;my
life is sworn away.
A countrywoman of the prisoner's came formard to give evi-
dence.

Prisoner—She ought not to be heard. She's an Irish.
woman, and no Irishwoman ever spoke the truth.
The prisoner persisted in saying that the money was her
own property, and the produce of savings from her wages.
She was fully committed.