The Sun.
London, England, 1841-11-15 00:00:00

COMMISSION OF LUNACY.

Oa Saturday afternoon a commission of lunacy was
opened in the Sheriffs' Court, Red Lion-square, before
Mr. Commissioner Blount, to inquire into the Nancy of
Miss Elizabeth Fisher, niece of the late John Silvester,
Esq., of Kensington-square, who died in the early part
of last year in the possession of 20,000/. The commis-
sion was sued at the instance of Miss Fisher's sister.
Ellen Tubb, one of the nurses of St. Luke's Hospital,
stated that Miss Fisher was admitted a patient on the
23d of October, 1840. She was brought there in a
strait-waistcoat, and it was repeatedly necessary to
restrain her violence. She imagined that some of the
female patients were men, and had acted indecently
towards her, and she often destroyed her clothes and
ill treated the nurses and the other patients. She la-
boured under the delusion that she was on terms
of intimacy with the King and the Queen of
England and an extensive circle of the nobility, and
frequently held incoherent conversations with imagi-
nary beings. At times she made use of very im-
proper language, and at other times would sing most
boisterously. She was removed from St. Luke's last
October to Dr. Phillips's lunatic asylum, at Kensington,
as the regulations of the hospital would not permit her
to remain there longer than a year.
Elizabeth Powell, a nurse in Dr. Phillip's establish-
ment, gave substantially similar testimony as to the
conduct of Miss Fisher. After several other wit-
nesses had spoken to the same effeet, Miss Fisher
was brought into the room, and, on being questioned by
the Learned Commissioner, she said that she had been
placed in• St. Luke's against her will, and complained of
hexing been grossly maltreated there. She was
stripped naked, and shower-baths were poured over
her ; her hair was closely cut, and she was handcuffed
awl chained down, and indecently treated by the
medical men. Some even were dressed up as " molly-
cots," which was against the laws of the country, and
they ought to be punished. Upon further interrogation
Miss Fisher insisted upon the reality of the delusions
spoken of, and worked herself up into a high pitch of
excitement against the Commissioners.
Mr. BLouNT—Well, Miss Fisher, you may trust to
us to do what we can for you.
Miss Fisher (vehemently)—No, Sir, I will trust to
nobody but to God ; I see you are a tyrant, by your
eyes; but I will not be tyrannised over by you, you
blackguard, although you have black whiskers. Tlie
unfortunate lady proceeded in a violent strain to insist
upon her right to have four meals a day, sherry, &c. ;
and the Jury, having intimated that they were satisfied,
she was conducted out of the Court, and the Jury re•
turned a verdict, dating her insanity from Oct. 23,1840.

ATTEMPTED MURDER. IN DE,
VONSIIIRE.
SOUTHMOLTON, FRIDAY NIGHT.--We have scarcely
.aped the late awful visitations of two angry elements
in. the shape of fire and water, when our peaceful vil-
lage is doomed to be the scene of bloodshed, and to
weaness the savage use of the assassin's knife, which of
late has unfortunately become so general in this land.
The melancholy circumstance alluded to occurred last
:Sunday. Oa that day a man, named Robert Hid,
et native of Rackenford (about ten miles from here),
'visited the parish of Knowstone (about eight miles
from hence, and not far from Knowstoce, both being
adjoining parishes). In the afternoon he went into
the Racham public house, where he ma and drank
with William Chapple, an old friend and com-
panion. Havieg drank for some time together, they
1 eft the public-house, and accompanied each other to
I imovistone. Ou their way they met two other.,
%ellen a quarrel ensued about a girl, to whom Hill
had been paying some attention. Hill and Chap-
p Je got so enraged with each other that they commencd
fighting, and were several times parted by the others,
Rho did all in their power to reconcile them. But it
was all in vain, as jealousy excited Chapple and Hill
to the highest pitch of rage. During one of the con-
flicts 11111 stabbed Chapple with a knife in the abdo-
men, and blood flowed in the most frightful profusion
'from the dreadful wound. Chapple fell insensible.
Surgical aid was immediately procured, when it was
!found that through the orifice 41 portion of the omenturn
sand intestine protruded. The wounded man was conveyed
Knowstone by Sharpcott, one of the two who tried to
:make peace ; Hill and the other fled to the Racism
public-house, but, much to the credit of the landlord, be
would not admit them. The constable immediately
vent in pursuit of Hdl, whom he arrested about two
t
o'clock on Monday morning in a labourer's cottage at
Racham, and brought him a prisoner to the TOSVani
the
of this place. In the afternoon he was
paittceer a strict
bar before a Bench of Magistrates,
and able examination by Mr. Karslakea,nodltivie
_etsoba,,w;eotneer
.of the County Magistrates, he was coromi
thadt
unfortu-
gaol. I may here, en passant, ois ereconamission of the
e
nately for this town we have lost
peace. I say unfortunately, as thethoewbno.clityall,cowrptothratae
new
rich, and we have a hands!..m.? T
built prison. Chapple and Hai are wrestlersformer
is first cousin to the noted Wiliam Chapple, of Bishops-
nympton, who played so manyl
times in London, about
four years ago, at I think the Eagle Tavern, or some
other similar place of amusement. William Chapple is
living, but very slight hopes were entertained of his re-
covery yesterday.

There are 818 paupers now within the walls 01
ere Nottingham Union gin The
out-pay is also exceed.
heavy.—Noitinglnint Review.