The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-17 00:00:00

THE su.N.:LoNnoN. rvioNY, AUGUST 17 Isio

wrong with him. 11.3 had written to his friends to as-
sist him ; his application met with a cold refusal ; he
was pressed by his creditors whom he could not pay;
he was goaded to madness by the starving crtcs of his
children, whose mouths he could not fill ; he bad only
one resource b4urc him—a Poor-law union—to place
himself, his wife, and children in that prison—to live,
not together, but as if estranged from each other, sepa-
rate, and apart—to this, death seemed far preferable,
despait took firm possession of his mind, and brought
him to that bar where ho now stood charged with
being the murderer of his own offspring. The whole
scene was distressing beyond what any description
can convey.
From the evidence it appeared that Mr. Hill, the
surgeon,
was called into the prisoner's house on the
03d of June. He found the prisoner lying on a bed in
a state of stupor. Mr. Hill asked him what he had
taken. He said he had taken laudanum, and had
given half a bottle to his two children ; that the bottle
was on a shelf down stairs. The bottle was found, and
it contained the remainder of some laudanum. Mr.
Hill asked him what could be his motive for commit-
ting such an act. He said his circumstances were so
embarrassed that he could not live, and he felt that his
life was not safe. Mr. Hill administered emetics to
the prisoner and to his two children, but no effect was
produced on the younger child, and it died about ten
o'clock that night. The prisoner and the elder child
recovered. Mr. Hill had signed a certificate that the
prisoner was not a sound mind, and was incapable
of taking care of himself ; but when asked his reasons
for having done so, he could give no explanation.
After the prisoner was in custody he wrote the
following letter to his sister :—" Dear sister—l know not
whether any one has written to you tolet you know where
I am, or whether you have seen in the paper an ac-
count of it. You know I made application to you for
a few pounds, but in vain. If my own flesh and blood
would not help me, where am Ito go for aid'? My
children have gone to bed crying for feod, which I
could not give them, and my creditors were pressing
me, and I could not pay them. All these things came
pressing upon me and drove me to distraction. I at-
tempted my own life and those of my children. The
youngest is dead, poor little soul. To-morrow I ex-
pect I shall be sent to prison ; but I have one favour
to ask of you—pray for my own dying soul—your un-
happy brother. The Coroner's Jury returned a ver-
dict of Temporary Insanity. Excuse the writing. I
hardly know what lam doing. Pray for me."
The prisoner had always been a good father, was
exceedingly fond of his children, and was a quiet in-
!offensive man. His house exhibited marks of desti-
tution.

Mr. STONE having addressed the Jury for the pri-
soner,

Mr. Justice COLERIDGE summed up, and the Jury
having consulted together for fifteen minutes, returned
a verdict of Guilty, but recommended the prisoner to
mercy on account of the distressed state of his mind.
The Learned JUDGE then put on the black cap, and
addressed the prisoner in the following words :—Ed•
ward Garrett, you have been found guilty, after a very
full consideration of your case by the Jury, who have
recommended you to mercy, of having been the means
of putting out of existence one of your own children.
There are so many circumstances of the most painful
nature in this case that I cannot trust myself to enter
upon it ; and, as far as regards you, I hope and trust
it is necessary for me to say but little. The Jury,
who in the discharge of their most painful duty have
felt themselves bound to declare you guilty, have re-
commended you to mercy. lam not at liberty myself to
yield to that recommendation ; all that I can do—and
I am bound to do that—is to take care that their re-
commendation shall be transmitted to the quarter
which can alone give it proper effect ; but for my-
self, I feel that I should not do what I
am bound to do, if I were to take upon myself
other than to sentence you to the last painful pe-
nalty of the law. You have committed this
crime undoubtedly not in the ordinary way—
not under the impulse of strong and excited
passion—not under the feelings of anything malignant
or hateful towards that unfortunate chil, for that
child no doubt you tenderly loved ; but it is perhaps that
very circumstance that makes your crime a most dange-
rous one to pass over, for if it was once supposed that a
person under any circumstances of distress, however
great, could with impunity lay hands upon the life of
any human being, or if, by attempting his own at the
same time, supposed he presented therefore a more mi-
tigated case to the consideration of a Jury, I am afraid
to consider what dangerous consequences might arise. I
hold out no hopes to you that your life will be spared. I
shall be the means of transmitting the recommendation of
the Jury, but, for myself, I hold out to you no hope. I
exhort you, most earnestly to repent of what you have
done. I can't believe you can have the consolation of think-
ing that at the time you did the act you did not know its
nature, and if that be so, I desire you to coasider
of what heavy crimes you were guilty when you dared
to attempt :your own life, and when you further ven-
tured upon the lives of your own children. Whether
your life be now spared, or whether it is shortly to be
terminated by a public execution—be your days many
or few—depend upon it you have not a moment too
long to spend in supplication and prayer. To the ad-
vice of the clergyman who will attend you, but above
all, to the mercy of your Redeemer, I commit you for the
time to come. It remains only now that I desire you
to consider no longer the affairs of this life ; wholly awl
solely direct your attention to Heaven ; throw yourself
upon the mercy of your Redeemer ; study that good
hook which I am delighted to find you asked for, and
prepare yourself for that end that awaits you. The
Learned Judge then passed upon the prisoner the
awful sentence of the law.

During this address the prisoner appeared to be ab-
sorbed in grief, and was taken from the bar in a most
pitiable state.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

and Knight, the magistrates, held a special Petit Ses-
sionUNJUST SCALES AND WEIG ElTS.—Messrs. Warner
to inquire into a number of charges brought for-
ward by Mr. Childe, the Inspector of weights and
measures, against different tradesmen for alleged frauds.
The proceedings occasioned much interest. The first
summons heard was against Jennies Perkins, cheese•
monger, of Exmouth-street, Clerkenwell.
Mr. Turner, who was in company of Mr. Childe
when that gentleman examined defendant's weights and
scales, said that he discovered affixed on the defend-
ant's scales a halfpenny piece, which gave a draught of
half an ounce against the purchaser.'
He was fined 20s. and costs.
Richard Pert Let, coal and potatoe-dealer, in Hollo-
way-row, Islington, was complained of for having his
weighing machine with a balance of three quarters of
a pound deficient.
Mr. Childe informed the Bench that he thought the
deficiency was the result of negligence.
The Court said that intimation was much in his
favour, but they could not look over the offence, and
they fined him ss. and costs.
Charles Faulkner, 26, Eyre-street-hill, Hatton. garden,
marine-store-dealer, was also charged with havin false
weights. Mr. Turner said he found two weights—one
purporting to be a pound, just seven ounces over that
quantity. This was a weight which defendant used
when he was making purchases from poor people ;
the other weight was light eight drachms.—Fined lOs.
and costs.

iriManz Menet., cheesernonger, of Whiteerozs-itreat,
was charged with having underneath his weighing
scale a halfpenny piece.— He was ordered to piiy '2os.
and costs.

Thomas Mager, cheesenionger, Whitecross-street,
was next heard. Mr. Turner said that he also disco-
vered under the defendant's scale a halfpenny piece.
This was the second tima that he had been detected in
a similar fraud. Mr. Warner said it was a very bad
case, and as the first penalty had not checked the de-
fendant in his fraudulent transactions, they would in
this case make him pay 503. and costs.
James Hutton, 133, Golden-lane, cheesemonger, was
likewise charged with having false weights. Mr.
Turner produced one half-pound weight short an
ounce, which the defendant was using in his trade ; the
beam and scale was also unjust. A fine of 40s. and
costs was inflicted.
Richard Marks, Duke of York, Liquorpond-street,
Leather-lane, was complained of for having in use a
quart pot deficient more than half a gill, and a pint
measure short half a gill.
The other pots were correct.
Fined 20s. and costs.
Henry Dean, marine-store dealer, of St. Helena-
place, Clerkenwell, appeared to answer a similar sum-
mons. In this case the scale had a " Jerry, weigh-
ing seven ounces, hanging upon
Fined 20s. and costs.
John Alyburt, tea-dealer, Back-bill, Hatton-garden,
was charged with having a false weighing-machine, and
fined 10s. and costs.
Richard Nurse, grocer and tea-dealer, Margaret-
street, Cletkenwell was summoned for having two
scales of '4' false balance. Mr. 'Turner produced two
wiiiLy he found affixed to each scale, which
caused their, t.o be against the purchaser a quarter of
an ounce. le wa ordered to
pay 20s. and costs.
Thomas . binso'., 40, Exmouth-street, Clerkenwell,
baker, was lase summoned by Mr. Childe. Turner
said that on the Ist of August he discovered on defen-
dant's counter one pound weight light half an ounce.
A witness for the defendant said that it was not in
use. Fined 10s. and costs.
Ann Lamb, butcher. Lower-street, Islington, was
gt on,
charged with having a he' ok, weighing three-quarters of
an "nee, attached to her weighing-machine. Ordered
to pay 10s. and costs.
The next charge was against James Richards, 12,
High-street, Islin
was ten drachms against the buyer. e was fined 20s.
and costs. checsemonger. Defendant's scale H

.111 r. Benjamin Riley, cheesemonger, High-street,
Clerkenwell, plcade.l guilty to a charge of havinv two
beams and scales with an unjust balance, caused by a
penny piece being affixed to each.
Mr. Knight said that was the worst case they had