The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-20 00:00:00

COMMISSION OF LUNACY.

On Friday a commission of lunacy was opened at the
Swan-inn, Old Brompton, before the Chief Commis—
sioner, Mr. Phillimore, and Commissioners Winslow and:
West, to inquire into the state of mind of William Au—
gustus Newton, Esq., a solicitor, formerly of South-•
square, Gray's-inn, and Amersham, Bucks, and now an.
inmate of Messrs. Elliot's lunatic asylum, Cowper-house„
Old Brompton.
Mr. Wakefield, Queen's Counsel, of the Chancery bar,
attended in support of the commission ; and Mr.
Heaton, of the Queen's Bench, on behalf of Mr. Newton.

The Learned CHIEF COMMISSIONER having directed
the attention of the Jury to' the points for their con-
sideration,
Mr. Wakefield observed that he attended on this me-
lancholy occasion on behalf of the wife of Mr. Newton,
at whose instance the commission had betin sued out, :and
it would be most satisfactory to that lady's feelings if the
result of this inquiry should be the establishment of her
husband's sanity.
Mr. Cyrus Alexander Elliot examined—l knew Wil-
liam Augustus Newton. I first became acquainted with
him on the 12th of November, 1839. He was then in
a very excited state, and I saw him in his garden, at
Amersham, Bucks,, running up and down without his
coat. He had then two attendants with him; he was
removed to our establishment, Cowper-house, upon the
certificate of Dr. Ramsey, and he has remained under our
care ever since. I have conversed with him daily, and
he has told me that he formerly belonged to the
navy, and had served under Nelson at the battle
of Trafalgar. He has stated that he was on
hoard the Euryalus, a flag frigate, employed to
carry signals round the fleet, when the vesse,s were:
at a distance. While so engaged, he boarded a French:
vessel, ran up the mast, and taking down the
colours, he wrapped them round his body. He then re
turned to his own ship, but received three wounds in his
gallant enterprise; one he described in his forehead,,
where he certainly has got a scar ; another on his finges,
where he also has a scar ; and the third he told me was:
made by a boarding-pike being thrust through him,.
which entered his naval and came an inch and a half out.
of his back. I examined his back, and finding no sear
there, I mentioned it to him, and he said that the wound.
had healed ; he added, that he was promoted to a lien-
tenancy in consideration of his gallantry. I remarked.
that he must have been a very young lieutenant, as he.
liiiicsaritlelenietorsubalairdinlahlasenhdilciahl
could not have been above ten or twelve years of age,_
.odukgbi
hlel
tee been
dt
eeortghseei:re
upontitl-ee.
oahtiiddcer mar him, and in falling the latter knocked hinr
Johnraaclti
sotnrisuiecka- litretel;
down. After giving other instances of the patient's state
of mind, witness said in conclusion he was decidedly of
opinion that l!e was incapable of governing himself and
his affairs.

Drs. Munro, Southey, and Sutherland, and a number
of other witnesses were examined, from whose testinio,n.r
it appeared that Mr. Newton laboured under the delu-
sion that he obtained a medal at Oxford, that he went,
to the battle of Waterloo to make officers' wills, thatNl:_e
had been engaged on board the Asia and Sparrowbak
in cutting out vessels in the Channel, and he entered.ix
of
the San Josef at Plymouth, and that he had h. 1 ,
his keepers in 1839. Proof was also adduced°
stated
had never been in the navy, and his disease was
nrnlysie.
to be of a permanent nature, as it arose fromwlrio is of Upon the introduction of Mr. Newton,
asked his
di-
minutive stature, the Chief Commissioner,,,,,,, which he
that no
if he was aware what he came there for r '
replied, " To be dischargvd." state wlien
interroga-
tion, lie said that lie was in a verys,
3n9e,
but that he was
he went to Messrs. Elliot's, . 1
in f the nature of the pro-
now quite well. He was awaret:
answer any question.
seeding, and had no objectiono sep
Upon frtlirotilliser
te.-nber, 1795, at Taun-
ton, in Somerset, in Bedford-
row, and after-
He was articled to C
arda
ean'd was solicitor to the trea-
surer became a partner,
and hiss was a coal-merchant.
Gray's. Inn.k If he bad his liberty
.es of
reside at ./ mersharo, and come up
as usual.
sthoteirteoro,,in should
tdo
The Chief Commissioner then questioned .him about
detailed in evidence ; upon which Mr.
bcceol nlnactrnil inebuie r s .
ohnishited his insanity by his incoherent Hod in-
consistent answers. He insisted that he was a member
ofte United Service Club, end said he was introduced
Ntheewtdoeilluesxi
by Sir Hussey Vivian, who was his client. Upon leaving
the room he thanked the Jury for their kindness.
Mr. Heaton said he had been instructed to watch the
case on the part of Mr. Newton, and having satisfied his
own mind of the unfortunate gentleman's insanity, he did
not feel justified in troubling the Jury with any remarks.
The Jury, without hesitation, returned a verdict, find-
ing Mr. Newton of unsound mind since the 12th Novem-
ber, 1839.

SHOCKING ACCIDENT TO A LADy.—Be-
twecn eight and nine o'clock on Saturday morning, as a
lady, named Purdon, residing at No. 18, Beaufort-street,
Che Lea, was returning home, after taking equestrian
exercise in Hyde Park, the horse on which she was
riding took fright, when opposite to St. George's Hos-
pital, at the smacking of a carter's whip, and set off at
a furious rate of speed along Grosvenor-place. After
proceeding for about two hundred yards, the animal
stumbled, and came downon its side with fearful violence,
throwing Mrs. Purdon forwards to the distance of be-
tween five and aix yards. The unfortunate lady struck
her forehead violently against the ground, and when
raised up was found %to be insensible. She was. also
bleeding profusely from a severe extensive leceratton:of
the right cheek. It is feared she has sustained a conscn-
-1 sion of the brain.