The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-19 00:00:00

TRIAL OF WILLIAM DOVE.
YORK, FRIDAY EVENING.
The following additional evidence was taken yesterday :
Mr. Morley, of Leeds, read the post mortem report made
by himself and Mr. Nunnelly, and also the report-of the
analysis of the contents of the stomach of Mrs. Doie. The
latter were submitted to several tests, and a sufficient quan-
tity of strychnine was found to account for death. Five
animals were poisoned with the etrychnine so obtained, the
animals exhibiting in every instance the known symptoms
of death by strychnine. Another series of experiments were
made upon animals with strychnine from the surgery of the
witness, and the effects on the animals were precisely
similar.
Examination in chief continued—l ain of opinion that
Mrs. Dore died from the effects of strychnine, and from no
other cause. I have not the least doubt that all the shocks
or spasms described by the veitnbeses'were produced by
strychnine. Some of the medicines prepared by me were
bitter. Before the analysis of the stomach was complete,
I had a conversation with the prisoner at his mother's house
on the subject of the analysis. Heaaked, "Have you
found poison ?" I said that we had not yet finished the
analysis, Elo that I could not inform him, but that there was
no natural cause of death discovered. He then asked what
would the jury say if poison were found? I told him that
would be:a very serious matter, and that, if poison were
found, she must either have taken it herself or it must have
been administered to her. He begged I would let him know
what we had found as soon as possible. I spoke to him about
the strychnine he had obtained at my surgery, and he said
he had only obtained it mice—that ite had placed it in his
razor-case—that he had told his wife that it was deadly
poison,. the same that Palmer used," and; that she must
be very careful and not touch it. Frseneeiejeat I have heard
of the symptoms of Mrs. Dove on Saturday night, I think
she must'have taken from two to three grains of strychnine.
One grain is a dose sufficient to kill. I never said to the pri-
soner, ' ' My dtir Mr. Dove, there shall be no postmortem ex-
amination—there is no necessity for it. ( Witness said he was
anxious to state, in reply to an assertion that the condensed
contents of the stomach of one aaimal might destroy the
life of another, that he had tried the experiment, but that
no injurious result whatever followed,) I examined the
body of the little 'dog, and found in the stomach a suffi-
cient quantity of strychnine to account for death.
Cross-examined by Mr. Bliss—l have attended the pri-
soner's father and his family for some years, but I knew
little of the prisoner until he came to live at Cardigan-
place. The prisoner on one occasion asked me whether I
suspected him, and whether I thought he could be so cruel.
I do not think the clot of blood described could have con-
tained sufficient strychnine to kill a dog. I found very
slight traces of strychnine in the intestines of Mrs. Dove.
The symptoms of hysteria are somewhat similar to almost
all kinds of disease, including tetanus. A desire to be
rubbed is not a symptom of strychnine, but is, neverthe-
less, consistent with strychnine.
To Mr. Overend—There are several cases known in which
persons suffering from strychnine have desired to have their
limbs rubbed.
The Foreman of the Jury—Would strychnine have dis-
coloured the medicine you sent to Mrs. Dove, or would it
have left any deposit in the bottles?
Witness—lt would not; but a slight powdery or gritty
appearance might remain on the side of the bottle.
Mr. Nunnelly examined—l am a yellow of the College
of Surgeons, and Lecturer on Chemistry at the Leeds School
of Medicine. I assisted at the post mortem examination
on the body of Mrs. Dove, and I agree with the last witness,
in all that ho his stated with reference to the chemical
analysis of the contents of the stomach. I have made
several experiments with strychnine on animals, but I
never saw a human being labouring under the disease,
though I have dissected the bodies of two persons who
died of that poison. It is my decided opinion that Mrs.
Dove died of the poison of strychnine, and nothing else.
The improvement in the condition of Mrs. Dove on the
morning of her death was not inconsistent with her having
taking strychnine a day or two before, although I should
not have expected it.
Cross-examined by Mr. Bliss—There was nothing in the
post-mortem appearance of Mrs. Dove inconsistent with the
administration of strychnine on Saturday night. I agree
with Mr. Morley that hysteria presents the features of almost
every other disease, including tetanus. If we had ex-
amined the intestines minutely, I have no doubt we should
have found it, and I have no doubt it is there now. We
did not examine the tissues of the body. Having found
the strychnine in the stomach, we did not go further. This
case and the one which was recently tried in London, has
done more, within the last three months, to assist in find-
ing strychnia in the tissues of the body than all the pre-
vious experience of the faculty.
By Mr. Bliss—l attribute the symptoms which Mrs. Dove
evinced previous to the Saturday of her death to strych-
nine. I know of no disease which could have caused such
symptoms.
Dr. Hobson examined—Early on the morning of the 2d
of March I accompanied Mr. Morley to the house of the
prisoner, and saw the body of Mrs. Dove. There was no-
thing particular about it which attracted my attention.
I think all the symptoms described as having occurred
prior to the Saturday night have been found in an aggra-
vated form of hysteria.
By Mr. Overend—l do not attribute Mrs. Dove's attacks
to hysteria.
Dr. Christison examined—l am Professor of Chemistry
at Edinburgh. I have heard the evidence given by Dr.
Morley and Dr. Nunnelly as to the earlier symptoms in
Mrs. Dove's case, and I attribute them to strychnine - but
it is just possible that among the varied forms of hysteria
they might have been caused by it. I never, however, saw
a case of the kind. Insensibility before death is not incon-
sistent with strychnine.
Cross-examined by Mr. Bliss --It is difficult to limit the
possible variety of hysteria, but I never saw a case such as
that of Mrs. Dove's. On the contrary, her symptoms were
quite consistent with cases of attacks caused by over-doses
of strychnine administered in medicine. I have not heard
enough of the evidence in this case to pronounce an opinion
as to the sanity or insanity of the prisoner.
Mr. T. Teale, surgeon to the Leeds Hospital, examined
—I have heard the symptoms described by the witnesses,
and I have no doubt they were caused by strychnine. I
have seen cases of over-doses of strychnine administered in
medicine, and they were quite consistent with those de-
scribed in this case. The symptoms of hysteria are some-
what similar to those of strychnia, but I never knew a case
where all the features of this case presented themselves in
hysteria. Ido not consider the improvement in Mrs.
Dove's condition on Saturday morning to have been incon-
sistent with the administration of strychnine on the Thurs-
day or Friday previously.
Cross-examined by Mr. Bliss—l do not deny the abso-
lute possibility that hysteria might not have caused Mrs.
Dove's earlier symptoms, but it is not my opinion.
A juror asked the witness whether, in his opinion, a man
who might not actually have delirium tremens might still
be in such a condition as to iutegine that he was sur-
rounded by spirits and devils?
The witness said it was quite possible that a man not la-
bouring under delirium tremens might in his drunken or
semi-drunken fits, imagine that he saw spirits and devils,
and yet be quite clear and sane when sober.
Mr. William Hey, surgeon of Leeds, deposed that he
attributed the attacks from which Mrs. Dove had suffered
to strychnia.
Cross-examined by Mr. Bliss—Had seen a good deal of
hysteria, but never saw a case similiar -to Mrs. Dove's.
Mr. R. Hey, surgeon and sheriff of York, gave similar
evidence.
Mr. Overend said that this was the case for the prosecu-
tion.
Mr. Bliss made an application that certain other wit-
nesses whose names on the back of the indictment, and
who had been examined by the grand jury, should be called
for the prosecution.
Mr. Baron Bramwell said the application was unreason-
able, and that as the modern practice, which was also in
his mind the most sensible, did not recognise such a course
as binding on the prosecution, he should not order the wit-
nesses (of whom he knew nothing) to be called.
The proceedings were then adjourned, and the jury were
escorted back to York Castle, an arrangement having been
made, on their representation, that one of the court-yards
should be devoted to their use for alt and exercise.
Mr. Baron Bramwell regretted that he could not sanction
the jury taking exercise on the roads or in the fields, as he
could not, consistently with a regard for the oath taken by
the sheriff, consider a road or a field to be " the private
and convenient place" in which the jury were to be " se.
eluded."
On the jury being sworn this morning, Mr. Bliss, Q.C.,
addressed them for the prisoner. The learned gentleman
remarked that the prosecution had lasted two days, and
that during that time all the skill, learning, and vigilance
of the Crown had been directed against the prisoner, with
the view of placing him beyond the pale of mercy, and
almost of hope. He was sure, however, that the jury would
not allow their minds to be influenced by the evidence
brought against the prisoner, except so far as it satisfied
their minds of his guilt. The case of the prisoner: had
been exaggerated and misrepresented, and there was not a
home in England in which his crime was not discussed and
no doubt believed. Moreover, there was a recent case which
had caused a panic in the pnblic mind, and had created an
impression that society was not safe, and that domestic ties
were only facilities for committing private and atrocious
crimes. The public, and the counsel for the prosecution
in this case, had assumed that a murder was committed,
and the very walls of the building in which they were now
assembled were actually covered with placards, inscribed
with the words " Trial of Dove, the Leeds Poisoner."
It seemed, too, that the terrible affliction of unsoundness
of mind was to be shut out as an element of defence in
this case, and that it was to be held as proven that the
prisoner had never
suffered `yam that greatest of all human
calamities—madness. He nced that if the jury
would view the facts of this extraordinary case as if
they had never heard them before, they could not ar-
rive at the conclusion that the prisoner was guilty of a foul
and deliberate murder. Let them for a moment look at
prisoner's household. There was an
the constitution of the
invalid wife, a drunken linsbs.nd, and a young and thought-
less female servant. The man tio doubt procured poison
to kill cats and mice, and consequently the prosecution
assumed murder, although there was no proof that murder
hail been committed at all. Neither was there any proof
that the prisoner had ever administered poison ; there
vete no admissions by the prisoner, who, on the contrary
always asserted his innocence; and there was no attempt
to escape.
The ease was one oftircumstantial evidence
alone, and to take life upon such evidence was an awful
responsibility. The conduct of the prisoner was wholly I
it-reconcileable with guilty complieity. The prisoner might I
if he pleased have destroyed his wife's life by other and
secret means ; but it was contended that, with the malig-
nity of a fiend, ho dosed her for a whole week—told his
friends and neighbours she was
ter abo
spiut
ritu to
le—calo led in
n a
strange clergymen to aminisati
and when he had tortured her body with strychnine,
kissed tho cold lips of his victim, and attempted to smo-
ther all inquiry into the circumstances of-her death. It
was, uo doubt,
a suspicions circumstance, that the pri-
soner's wife had died from the effects of the same descrip-
tion of poison which had been traced to the possession of
but, surely,
would
he had intended to kill his
the prisoner ;
wife with that poison, ho would not have proclaimed his
possession of it to his wife, his Servant, and other persons
with whom he associate 1. But it was said that the pri-
soner, before this had asked the witness 4airrison to get

him strychnine, and that the idea had been sugges'
the revelations in Palmer's case, which had at ed by. ,or lemon juice, that wi 11 not show it until it is held to the
-artle'd and fire. When you write, do not say, that you have heard from
horrified the world. Harrison was not, hoe., ' •
private for the poison. On the oontr-m,y, ever, asked in me, as I have bribed.e. person to bring this out of the prison.
f 'Harrison Do not say anything b t off •
a ,eu this letter, but say will I get o in
had read aloud in the public-Lone a
quest at Rugeley, the prisoner 'a
ter
the report of the in- July, and if so, tell me who will be my next wife. I will call
you for all ar •
inquired of Harrison whetleticu etrs.—Yours, W. DOVE.
wrotePa leek ai to the schoolmaster of the prison
any strychnine ?" Tho 'iocineirry the could
~a, theOnocoeultdurgnetedorrmouankde
himand upßonealso
case was not as follows :
of such an encourag'•
to follow in his wakes;arrited on
nthe.
-ng character es to induce a sane man
man asking for strychnine Dear Sir,—l am very uneasy about a rumour said to be
miscreant had hvery prevalent respect MI; me with the public at Leeds and its
been at once sufficient to evoke contrary, the crimefct ofa
sanethat
society, and the very a • ofldhave
insane. That same- t alk gives me great pain. I hope my.
neighbourhood, that -I :, William Dove, am, or pretend to be,
a suchonrt curiosity
ytiamoed
to its use. The prisoner, instead conduct while in this p risen will prove the contrary. I hope
sonar, instead of getting strychninewsnosliol suspicion as
in you can and will testie yas to my past eouduct. The talk of
some quarter where his person not would
went to rho very medical roan have been known, the Queen's pleasure, which is talked of, I cannot away with
who was in daily attendance it (cannot bear it), par ticularly so when I know that lam an
upon his wife, and openly asked for atryc • hma to kill cats
and innocent man, not guilty of the crime •
and
mice. He was told by the assistants in Mr. Morley's
he must be very care- Dear sir, what would z too advise ? I ask you as a friend
surgery that if he used strychnine
would you allow them to plead insanity I—Yours, W. Dove.
sal, as it was a deadly poison,and
mistaken for
one of his wife's powders. The prisoner said there was no Another commnni cation -was found on the prisoner.
fear of that, as his wife took no' powdets, and that he which would be now read ; and, after the jury had heard
always gave her her medicine himself. It was also shown it, he (the learned coy insel) would leave it to them to eay
in evidence that the prisoner had been assured by the as- whether the author oi'. such a communication was a man
sistants in the surgery that strychnine could be detected who ought to be tun g in York Castle for murder. The
ill organic matter, and that Mr. Morley himself had
was letter was found con icealed in the lining of the prisoner's
',covered it. The prisoner also knew that Mr. Morley was waistcoat. It was ad dressed to the devil, and was•written
a practitioner who always made post m,ortent, examinations, in the prisoner's bloc d.
and that if he refused him liberty to make it, in this Dear Devil,—lf you .will get me clear at the assizes, and
case, the refusal would be pregnant with suspicion of his let me have the enjoy) nent of life, health, wealth, tobacco,
guilt. Moreover, if the prisoner , had wished to destroy beer, more food and ' better, and my wishes granted, and let
his wife in private and escape detection, he would, no me live till lam GO, come te me to-night and tell me,—
.1
To the Devil. Your faithful subject, W. Dovs.
doubt, if sane, have given her One dose at once, in the
night, which would have killed her when no witnesses Witnesses were V ion called for the defence.
were present. But the course adopted by the prisoner The Rev. G. H. J'enkins, the brother of the prisoner's
was to summon the medical man and other persons to wit- wife, deposed that he resided in the Presidency of Madras,
ners the tortures of his wife, and to frustrate the attempts and had come home in consequence of, this trial. He
which he was making to destroy her. It was contended knew nothing of the prisoner before he married his sister,
by the prosecution that the dose of poison which killed the but was often disgust ed with his unaccountable conduct
deceased was administered on the Saturday evening with towards, his sister. lEs conduct Jowards her was some-
.
the medicine given to herby the prisoner. ' The remainder times intensely :and foolishly- affeetionate.. Theprisoner
of the medicine from wleich the dose was taken had since had often:told him weilcleram,bling, and extravagant stories
been analysed,, and no poison had been found in it. It was, about the; produce of his farm and other matters. Always
therefore, clear that if the prisoner poisoned' his wife, he considered the prisoner: to,be-,of unsoiled, mind, and not
must have put the poison, into her medicine while Mrs.• an accountable being.. -
Witham and Mrs. Wood were present, and the wife 1 Mr. Charles Hanmer'examined—lwas assistant teacher
watching all that. was passing ! The most superficial I at Mr. Hiley's school, at Leeds; in 1839,. The prisoner was
glance at the evidence would show that this was improb- six hours a day under my instruction, and I regarded him
able le almost impossible. The poison was kept in the :Isla youth of a low or 'der of intellect. •In addition to great
razor-case on the mantelshelf, and the prisoner could not imbecility of mind he evinced much want of moral power to
have opened the case, taken out the paper, and pat in the resist evil and immoral propensities. He had a pistol at •
strychnine without observation. Moreover, tb e wife, ac- school, which I took ;from him and brought to his father.
cording to the evidence of Elizabeth Fisleer, had sus- I was told that the prisoner intended to sheet his father
pected that she might be poisoned, arid she would the following morning as he came down to breakfast. Mr.
have naturally watched the movemanta of the prisoner Dove seemed greatly shocked, and said he would give the
with the most intense and suseecions vigilance. It boy a good flogging. My opinion is, that the boy was of
was said that washing out the 'glass in which the wife an unsound mind, and had decided tendency to insanity.
had taken the medicine was a proof of guilt ; but it He was always at the bottom of his class, and was very
must be remembered that tlee custom had always been to often corrected, but it had no effect upon him.
wash out the glass, and tha'. the medicine was so offensive Cross-examined—l did. not tell the prisoner's father that
in smell and taste that it was not pleasant to keep it in the he ought not to flog a boy that was out of his mind. He
room of an invalid. Th 3 prisoner had not attempted to re- was flogged at school for incapacity. (Laughter.) I never
move the water in w)eich he had washed the glass, and ordered him to be flogged that I remember. I never heard
which was left in th,e basin for the inspection of the medi- of the prisoner since he left our school until I saw his name
cal man or any °- t
'ner person who might have come into in the pepers.
the room. Age,in, it was said that the anxiety of the pri- Mr. R. Hiley examined—l keep a large boarding school
Seller to preve,nt, a post mortenz examination was conclusive at Thorp Asch, near York. I formerly kept a school at
proof of geit • but was it consistent with common sense Leeds, and the prisoner was one of my pupils. He was
that a mato who was poisoning his wife by slow degrees not a teachable boy, but was fond of mischief for mischief's
should l'ie running to the medical attendant while the wife sake. lat once formed the opinion that he was " not
was Y'et alive and saying, " Mind, there must be no post there" (a provincial expression for not right in his mind).
more examination ?" The thing was absolutely absurd, I often punished him, but he never took it well. He was
and he was sure it would have no weight with the jury. once charged with stealing and selling some of his sister's
A circumstance tending strongly to show the state of the drawings. He denied it, alleging that he had made the
'prisoner's mind was his visits to Harrison (the Wizard), drawings; himself. I found out that this was a falsehood by
whom he seemed, to consult upon all the important affairs asking him to copy one of the drawings. He was punished
•f his life. It was proved that after he had been informed for this offence, and I called on his father and told him it
by Mr. Morley's assistant, and by a reference to the Mate- was a case for expulsion, and he was expelled. I always
rta Maim that strychnine could be discovered in the body considered he laboured under an aberration of intellect.
of a deceased person, he went to Harrison, and asked him Cross-examined—l have no recollection of the number of
whether a grain or a grain and a half of strychnine could strokes which I used to give the prisoner, but I know he
be discovered. This showed that the prisoner was weak- was never punished beyond his deserts.
minded enough to believe that Harrison had supernatural By the Judge—There was a low cunning about the boy
powers, and could control the destinies of mortals. His characteristic of his mind. I think he would have done
conversation with the witness Rhodes, whom he met for his mischief openly if so minded.
the first time in his life in a public-house, was wholly incon- Rev. J. &Tanners, formerly principal of the Wesley Col-
sistent, with sanity. He told this man that his wife was lege, Leeds, examined—The prisoner was a pupil there
very ill—that he did not think she would live over the about a year in 1810 ;he was exceedingly foolish—more of
month, and that when she died he would have " a general the animal than the rational creature. He would put ou a
jollification." Why, the very fact of his telling this man vacant stare when he. was
punished, as though it was of
that he could not live without a woman, and that if heknew very little consequence. Witness's department was the
a woman who would suit him to bring her to his house, dis- mathematical and classical ; others attended to the spiri-
posed of the whole theory of the prosecution, that the pri- tual. The impression on witness's mind when Dove was
soner's object in getting rid of his wife was to marry his at the school was that there was something strange, unac-
neighbour, Mrs. Witham. To show that his mind wasrma countable, and different in him from other boys.
ning on Mrs. Witham, evidence had been given thathe told Cross-examined—At that time 150 pupils were at the
a charwoman, whom he never saw before, that he wasgoing school, perhaps; witness flogged him. He learnt some-
to,marry that lady, who had never given him the least en- thing of Latin, drawing, and perhaps chemistry.
couragement, or afforded him in any way the slightest Mr. Frankish, a farmer at Sherburn, near Scarborough--
grounds for supposing that his addresses would be accept- He took the prisoner when he was 15 years of age to teach
able. The time and place in which, according to the him farming. He was five years with witness. His opinion
theory of the prosecution, the last fatal dose was a;lminis- of witness, from what he knew of him then, was that Dove
tared, were both irreconcileable with guilt. If the prisoner at certain seasons was not of a sound state of mind. Dove
had wished to escape detectionhe wouldhave given his wife put oil of vitriol on witness's cows and calves, which he
the poison in the medicine administered at four o'clock on first denied and afterwards confessed to having done. One
the Saturday when he was quite alone with her, and not calf was not burnt. He said he did not do the same to it
have waited till eight o'clock, when Mrs. Witham and because it was a favourite with him. On one occasion the
Mrs. Wood were present. If he in his senses had caused servant came in frightened very much. Witness learnt that
the spasms from which the wife suffered, was it not un- prisoner had burnt the eyes of cats with vitriol. They had
accountable that he should summon his victim's mother escaped. When witness got into the kitchen some waggon
and friends to witness her tortures, and should go for a covers Were burnt by the prisoner, and in the water-trough
clergyman to administer the last consolations of religion ? the prisoner had put some vitriol, which he confessed to
All this conduct was far more consistent with innocence afterwards. He tied a rope to one cow's leg and hoisted up
than guilt. He repeated that the case for the Crown the leg of the cow over the beam. He also tied the tails
rested wholly upon the supposition that the prisoner ad- of two cows together. On one occasion the prisoner set
ministered poison to his wife in the medicine handed to fire to the grass and burnt a fence for about 50 yards.
her at eight o'clock on Saturday night. To convict the He left when 20 years of age. Saw after his return from
prisoner of the crime of murder, it must be proved that Canada, when he told me about a tribe of Red Indians
his was the hand which administered the fatal potion. anti a bear.' He said he had been in a prairie which was
There were two witnesses present at the time—witnesses on fire. He had gone on and lighted the part before by
fetched by the prisoner himself, and not aocomplices—and means of a heifer match, whereby the fire went on before
they had both sworn that they did not see the prisoner put him, he followed, and so escaped that behind. Prisoner
anything into the glass. If the case rested there, and Mrs. and his wife were at witness's house immediately after
Witham and Mrs. Wood had been called for the defence, their marriage. He asked his wife to play a tune. She did
the prisoner would be at once entitled to his acquittal. He not play, and he got out of temper and went upstairs and
(the learned counsel) denied that any murder whatever locked himself in, and he only eventually opened the door
had been committed. Might not the death of the deceased after an altercation. Next morning he apologised; and he
have been accidental? Had not prussic acid and strych- was soon seen having Mrs. Wood in his arms and very
nine been administered in hospitals by mistake, and ad- fondling. When learning farming, which he could not
ministered, too, by persons accustomed to the preparation learn, he associated with the servants and made them his
of drugs, and naturally careful in the manipulation of equals. On one occasion my wife chided him, and he took
them? - Had it not been shown that poison was lying out a knife to her, and said, " Mrs. Frankish, you may
about in the prisoner's house in the most careless manner think yourself well off you have a husband this morning ;"
—put upon meat thrown out, in the yard—put upon cheese and he said he had bought the knife to destroy witness.
left on the floor of the wife's bed-room— left on the sink in Cross-examined—He brought the oil of vitriol with him.
the kitchen—put on a candlestick—left on the mantelshelf Afterwards it was taken from him. This occurred in the
in the bed-room of the deceased, and, in fact, lying about first year. Dove said he was sorry for what he had done.
in all parts of the house? It was proved that jelly, potted It Was phosphorus ho put on the cats to make them look
beef, puddings, and other things were left in the bed-room bright, and then turned them into the kitchen to frighten
of the deceased, and it was quite possible that a portion of the maids. Prisoner smoked, but not in witness's presence.
this dusty powder (for such was strychnine) might have He grew more crafty and cunning after he came ; he was
got mixed by accident with the food of which the de- anything but a clover boy.
ceased had partaken. This supposition was rendered the Re-examined.—Spoke to Dove about burning the hedge.
more probable by the fact that a little dog which accom- lie did not deny that he had done it designedly. He knew
peeled the woman into the house some days after the sowing from reaping, ploughing from harrowing, but very
death of the deceased picked up something on the floor little more after his five years' residence.
of the bed-room, which killed it. Mr. Morley, who By the Judge.—He never could understand the succes-
analysed the contents of the dog's stomach, proved that sion of crops. He worked as a labouring man, or witness
strychnine was •present ; but he also gave his opinion could not have done with him.
that even if the dog had licked the clot of blood on By a Juryman.—lie made no reply when Mrs. Frankish
the floor the quantity of blood was too minute to contain told witness in prisoner's presence about using the knife.
sufficient strychnine to have killed the animal. This cir- James Rowell, a labourer with Mr. Southwell, a farmer,
cumstance went far to warrant the conclusion that thedog and formerly a servant to the late witness, recollected pri-
had picked up some particles of the poison on the floor of sonar telling witness he made a nick in the trough and let
the bed-room, and that other particles might have found the water out the wrong way. Dove came in on one occa-
their way into the food or medicine of the deceased. The sion with a pitchfork, with which he would have hit wit-
learned counsel then referred to the symptoms which Be' ness if witness had not got out of the way. One Thursday
conspanied the paroxysms, contending that there was no- he said his father was coming the next day. Witness said,
thing to show that the earlier attacks from which the de- " They are coming in the flour waggon. " Are they 1"
teased had suffered were not to be attributed to hysteria— Dove replied, "If I had a gun in my hand I would have
a disease to which it was known that Mrs. Dove was sub- shot you !"
ject. Ho submitted that the cause of death was to be Rev. William Lord, examined by Sergeant Wilkins.
traced to the administration of strychnine on the Satur- —ls governor of the Woodhouse-grove School at Leeds.
day, and that there was no evidence to prove that anypoi- Connected with the 'Wesleyan Methodists. Has known
son had been taken into the system before that day. It prisoner 14 years, and was very intimate with his father.
was necessary that the jury should know what was the Had Dove in witness's study to give him religious instruc-
spirit and meaning of the law with respect to insanityand tion ; could make no impression on him, and found that
mental delusions, as the principal element in the defence of he was not at all capable of appreciating what was said,
the prisoner would be that he was in a state of mind which and could get no rational answer from him. Gave Dove's
made him irresponsible for his actions, and that he had father advice about his son. At that time the prisoner
not the power of distinguishing between right and wrong. was not capable of disposing rationally of property. He
The insanity of the prisoner, as bearing on the probability should say that prisoner was not of sound mind.
of accidental poisoning, was most important, for if it could Cross-examined.—He knew Mr. Jenkins 12 months after
be shown that there was a sick wife, a change of servants, prisoner's marriage. Mr. Jenkins was an excellent man ;
and a drunken and insane husband, the chances of acci- he knew not of prisoner paying his addresses to his wife
dental poison were greatly increased. But he believed he until a few weeks after he had been accepted. Cautioned
could show that, putting aside accidental poisoning, there Mr. Jenkins that the character of Dove ought to beinquired
was abundant ground for believing that the prisoner was into. Cannot give any particular instance in which he was
not an accountable being. Mr. Bliss was about to read the irrational. He was not able to follow out a subject to its
opinions of Dr. Elliotson and others on mental sobers- results. His conduct was such that he could not visit us
times, when without mortifying us by his conversation and his poverty
Mr. Baron Bramwell reminded the learned gentleman of intellect. I talked with Dove after his return from
that he could not be allowed to read to thejury the opinions America.
of individual medical men on insanity. The case was to be Re-examined—On all topics he manifested a want of
decided by the evidence laid before the jury, and that only. reason.
By the Judge—Witness talked to Dove about his jour-
Mr. Bliss said he only wished to incorporate the opinions
C d W t t. fi •
d not ney to ana a. as no sa is ed with the account he
of medical jurists into his argument, and that he
woulddi no
Never told witness about the prairies, as he had beennever.
intend to present it to the jury as evidence. He
ew
d where they were. Prisoner knew Witness had been i
proceed to give a sketch of the prisoner's life, a d h
1 fit for a Canada. Found the same irrationality on hireturn h a as
show that from the nursery to manhood he was on y
that before ; rather more. Dove went out alone to Canada
lunatic asylum ; and it was a deplorable circumstance
of Matthew Cooper examined—l kno all b w a out the cats
the kindness of friends had not consigned him to one
e school was and other stories. Mrs. Frankish told him to take
those institutions. The prisoner, after leavinte
to America to shoot crows. I took it to him ; he said "eery a gun
apprenticed to a farmer; he afterwardswen
he took you can set it down there." I took the well ;
where he remained two years, and on his return gun, and fired it at
ated with some crows, and it burst. He had loaded •
a farm of his own. All those who were ass.oci it, and he said
11 he put t t't in •t
and at his farm, con t a s rong quan i y i . He never learned anything
him at school, at his apprenticeship,.
at the farm
eccentricity of his conduct—Lis
depose to the wildness and .
th that of a sensible Jonathan Gibson
whole character being inconsistent wi infel—l am a farmer at Heading-
M Frank
pp apprenticed to r.ish, hall. The prisonet's father re uest d to take after
and intelligent being.
While she
until rebbed the cows with sal- he left Mr. Frankish. He t q eme him after
a farmer, near Scarborough, he rus opped with me 12 months. I
rubbed two others did t think him • '
f two cats,
phuric acid, put out the eyes o
tab Mrs. Frankish with as a farmer—l tried to teach
with phosphorus, threatened to
with the
him. I was not so successful
instead of as I should
carving knife, and associated with servants like. I provided him with pocket-money at
awiththe family. After ho went to America the same corn- his father 'a expense—about 9d. a-week. He was then
Plaints of his absurdities reached his friends. On his retorts turned 21. On his return from America I took Whitwell
he was in the habit of walking about with fire-arms loaded, farm for him in his father's name. The prisoner entered
and committing a great number of extravagances, such as upon it. I managed it for him. The prisoner did not
puttin, the muzzle of a pistol in his mouth, firing at the farm it exactly as he ought.
fiance of a candle, leaving his bed to sleep in the hayloft, James Shaun examined—l am a farmer at Aberford. In
threatening to shoot his father, walking alone about the lete,2 I went to live with the prisoner at Whitwell as his
fields crying and muttering to himself, declaring that ho servant. Old Mr. Dove engaged me. I was there about 9
was worth 50,003., riding furiouslynp and down the roads, mouths. I remember a tramp coming there while the
veping green corn, and other absurdities. The bat e fact of family were at prayers. He said the door was to be opened
his believing that the witness Harrison hail supernatural and she was to come in, and she stopped while we were at
powers and could control devils was enough to show that he prayers. She stopped that night. Theprisoner went out,
was short time after his committal t) York
was a madman. and said there wet%) two men about theand ho
premises,
Castle he wrote a letter to the witness Harrison, and con- asked for the gun, and loaded it, ard went out. We saw
tided it to another prisoner whose term.of incarceration had no men. Ho said he would shoot them if ho saw them.
• 1 The letter was in the following terms :
expire, . The gun was cocked, and I was alarmed at his conduct.
fuelii e•myself '
Dear Sir,--I feel very muck pained at 1, in He repeatedly did the same thing on other occasions, carry-
York Castle a prisoner, particularly as you told me that I ing his gun cocked iu a careless manner. When Ann
should not go to prison, where I will have to remain until Gray, a charwoman, was there he put a cap on a pistol
the July trials. What is your opinion as to my case? Let and fired it off in her ear. On one occasion" Hein de
the jury bring it in whatever they please, lam not guilty out and came home at a gallop,
and I said.ts
Will you tell me distinctly by my nativity what will be the iuy mister coming more like a man out of hie mind
result of my case ? I have put entire confidence iu yen; than anything." He galloped right into a pen?. when the
final
you can do anything for Inks, you must. I have never said horse was all in a lather. I told him he st-
ould not do so.
ifnhing to any one about our conversations at any time. I He said it would do the horse "O harm, for it was
have rat
Sergeant Wilkins for my counsel, and Barrett warm and the water wee 00'1_, He got a bulldog and
People tell me that your evidence about fastened it to the deor-
for my lawyer. sneck ;and to the table foot. On an-
when I asked you whether one grain or a grain and a half of other occasion e
attempted to shoot a man who came into
J© u
could be detected in a body, is against me. Write his cra—'
strychninel I prevented him. I remember his marriage.
back, and give me all the information you can w e Ler " --ion, an;
... : • 11 II soot liewadding cards about after he was married, arid
i eis
shall get off or not. Do not write auythit_
about himself ; be gave one to the groom at the
g in ink that can gave them
be read by the officers of York Castle, as all the letters are stable and one to Mr. Markham, a magistrate, for himself.
read before they arc given to the prisoners. Whatever infer- He put some pegs into the plough shaft to put our thumbs
oration you call give sue relative to my uagyityl Write ill
milk in,
and ha
said
we
B,ao uld bold the obuitu bctter. It made

sound mind.
Cross-examined—Because he was careless with his gun,
pointing it at people—his conduct about the dog, and in
many things. On one occasion he pointed the gun at me.
I told him he should not do so, and he caught up tie cat ;
he held it against the wall in the kitchen and shot it dead.
Mary Tomlinson examined—l was the prisoner's house-
keeper. When I first went to his farm at Whitwell he
acted in a very foolish way. On two iustaaaceahe set ray cap
on fire on purpose. At another time ho threw a can full of
water over me when I was ironing. In one instance he said
he had been waylaid by four men, suspicious characters,
and one he knocked down, and the scoond and the third
he laid sprawling, and the fourth ran wit/ay, On one occa-
sion he loaded a gun after firing off two.pistols out of the
window. I said it was foolish, and 'tie said it was to let
the people know there were firearms in the house. He then
took the gau and attempted to load it from a 2-lb. canis•
ter, holding a lighted candle in one ha nd, and I seized it
and took it away.
Robert Tomlinson examine I—l live at Barwick, and am
farming roan to Mr. Connell. I went as farm servant to
Mr. Dove. Had opportunities of °beetling him. I have
seen him and his wife play together like children. He would
take her under his arms, then throw h el' over his shoulders
and run up the field, and people ou the roads shouted after
him. I have seen him cry, and have board him say he was
tired of life, and did not know what 1 iis wife would make
him do. At another time ho had a load, al pistol, and pointed
it at me. As soon as I entered my cottage I said, Mas-
ter, what aro you going to do ?" He 'said he would blow
the place up. I told him to hush, and. sat down near him.
I wrested the pistol out of his hand ; was loaded, capped,
and cooked, and he frequently put it i n.to his month before
I got it from him. He had had some ThquOrthen. He some
time after got one of those six-bar; yelled revolvers ;he
loaded it very often, three barrels wit ti powder and three
with ball. He was not at all times capable of farming. I
have seen him cut the apple-trees aim( wet to pieces. I have
seen him pull others up. He shifted eine twice in a month.
I have seen him for hours together making up and down
crying. I did not think he was a soul id man at all times.
Cross-examined—Was that when he was drunk ?--I
never saw him drunk. I said he was not a sound-minded
man when sober. He was a fool at tie nes.
Re-examined—When he played with pistols they were
loaded and full cooked, and we thou{ ;ht it dangerous to
himself and everybody else. I never grew any other man
behave as he did. . • .
William Tomlinson examined—l AID a mason's labourer.'
'I was a farm labourer at Whitwell. Ono day the prisoner
came to me, with his shirt and his stact dugs in his hand,
into the field, and said he was going to 1 cave us. His wife
and sister came into the field, and he to' ld us to cover him
up with hay. They did not see• him, au d went away. He
did not go home, and I found him in tt le granary, covered
up with oat sheaves, at sin the morning. In January fol-
lowing the prisoner told me he had signed the teetotal
pledge, and asked me if coffee would do as well as ale for
drinking, and he fetched two barrels ofale out and emptied
them down the sink. He did not remain teetotaller long.
On one occasion he sent the boy to Mr., King's, a farmer,
for two linseed cakes, and said it would fatten the beast
for the market to-morrow. He did no' t act as a sensible
man in the management of his crops.
Cross-examined—He got drunk ; w metimes once a
month, sometimes ono a week. He di ii not say that he
had had a quarrel with his wife when die came into the
field. When sober he talked like other men.
Re-e arnined—He was sober when he came into the field,
and when ho emptied the beer barrels, a inat perfectly sober
when he sent for the linseed cakes.
By his Lordship—He did not talk red twonably, like other
men, in his farming.
Emma Spencer examined—l was in th. a prisoner's service
in Dec., 1553, as his housemaid. He ust pd to carry his wife
down stairs in the morning on his back, and serve her with
food like a child. On one occasion Mrs. Dove had been to
Leeds, when she ran into the room eryinl ; " Oh mother ! oh
mother !" and fell in a hysteric fit. He came with a pistol.
He said to me, "Now, Emma, we are goi kig all into eternity
to-night. I have three balls, one for ea eh, but I will not
hurt you." He fired off his pistol, and ti le a loaded it again,
and kept putting it in his mouth, and .1 thought he would
blow it down his throat. On another nig ht he said he would
blow Mrs. Dove's brains out and mine i f we stirred. He
said, " Where's your mother" to Mrs. Dove. I went for
her, and she wanted me to go first. She said she was ready
to die. I said I was not ; and when Mr s . Jenkins went in
she ran out directly with Mrs. Dove, au i l I ran away with
them to the brewhouse. He then kept i iring his pistol and
muttering to himself in the kitchen. H then sent for more
powder to Mr. King. He then took th to matches, and said
he would go and set all the buildings .an fire. Mrs. Dove
said to me, " You had better take your clothes out." She
never went to bed that night. He use) I to help his wife to
cook. I assure you I was frightened of the man. I did not
think he was right in his head, and I do) r't think he is yet.
Mrs. Dove was a very jealous woman,ai id tried to drive him.
She was a bad 'un, and was always up Joraiding him about
some Emma, and at first I thought it was myself till I got
into it.
Emma Wilkinson examined—l am a tow in the service if
Mr. Watson, Melbourne-place, Bradford L I was in the pri.
soner's service three weeks before the 1 Prisoner was married,
and six months after. I had frequent opportunities of ob
serving his conduct. He did not app rear to me to behave
like a reasonable man. He several tin see got up in the mid.
dle of the night, and would return n cz.t morning ; he was
sober at these times.
Cross-examined—Sometimes lie said ho was going to Leeds.
Re-examined—Sometimes it was 12 o'd jock, and sometimes
2 in the morning.
Annie Wilson examined—l went t.:, live as servant at
Whitwell farm in 1853, and lived there, five months. Mrs.
Dove very often had hysterical fits, and: very often I heard
her scolding him, and he used to go ii rto the fields and cry
like a man not right in his mind. He, was sober. He be-
haved very kindly to her while I was tl rare. He used to carry
her about in his arms.
Cross examined—He cried like an n mound man. I have
never seen an unsound man cry. He cried like a man that
was not right.
Re-examined—l never saw any other• man cry like him.
By his Lordship—He was very que or iu his mind some-
times to me. Mrs. Dove was the cause of it, I believe. She
used to treat him like a beast sometime:4 Called him a fool,
and said he was in liquor when lie had 1 sad none. He used to
go out and wander in the fields. He lised to jump ever the
hedges on horseback.
Joseph Abbott examined—l am a scl ,eolmaster and brewer
at Normantou. The first time I met One prisoner he told me
he had some black potatoes. I disput:ed it, and said I never
heard of such things. Before I had be, en three minutes in his
company I formed an opinion of the me tate of his mind, and
every time I met him only confirmed this impression. He
never acted as a rational and prudent r aau. He spoke of his
riches, and wanted me to make his will,and. I refused. He
wanted me to leave the whole t 3 Mrs. Dove, or her friends—
to her a; long as she lived. I had on that occasion a glass of
spirits and water with him. I left the :roomier a minute, and
when I returned I heard a noise whic'n made me think he was
drinking out of the bottle. My opie don was he had not the
common prudence of ordinary men.
Cross-examined by Mr. Overend- —You never saw black
potatoes ?—No.
Mr. Overend—Then inform yours Pelf. I have often seen
them.

William Watson examined —I aux postmaster at Wood-
house. The prisoner introduced hirris 31f to me and said ho
was a root-grown Methodist. My ve equaintance continued
nine months. He came to the class meetings.' I thought
there was considerable deficiency of in ktellect in him. I did
not think him perfectly sane. On ono occasion at meeting he
began to say he was worth 5,00 W. :and he would make it
20,0001. before he died. I said, " I_ wish you may get it."
He ceased to come and assigned noises in his dwelling-house
for ceasing to come. He said there *were noises, and ho got
up at nights in pursuit of those noise s, and he considered it
was not right to leave his wife and servant to be annoyed by
those noises.
Cross-examined—There was a great deal of aillinesis about
him.
The Rev. J. Woohner—l came from London. In Septem-
ber, 1552, I was minister at Leeds, on the Wesleyan circuit.
I visited the prisoner's father. On one occasion I found the
family in great alarm. The prisoner was on the premises
with a loaded pistol, and had threatonod the life of his father
or mother, and said he would destroy himself. I went ill
search of him, and found him at the house of a cottager. He
there declared he would kill himself or his father or mother,
and the poor family were much distressed. I sent for the
police. I saw him several times. The impression on my
mind by that wicked act confirmed. a prior impression that
ho was net a man of sound mind. do not mean a man who
had no control over himself, but wst safe to be at large. I
thought him defective in intellect. He seemed to have no
power to continue a conversation, and was restless without
apparent reason.
Cross-examined—This occurrence with the pistol was in
August, 18541 I did not notice tin it he was drunk ; but they
told me in the house that ho was tl to worse for liquor.
Sarah Furness examined—l live at Woodhouse. Mr. and
Mrs. Dove lived next door for nine months, and I had fre-
quent opportunities of seeing him, Ido not think he was of
sound mind all the time ho was at Woodhouse. Once he
came and said he had had a lark with some cows, and put
vitriol on their backs and cut off their tails to see how they
would run. I heard him once say he would break the piano
in pieces. He fired the gun at nkr door twice one Sunday
night when a preaching was going on. I have seen him
wheel Mrs. Dove in the wheelbarrow up the Barth.
The Court then adjourned at 7 o'clock.

ABOLITION OF IMPRISONMENT TOR DEIST.--A bill,
emanating from Mr. Apsley Pella% M.P., and Mr.
Hadfield, proposed to carry out still further the
benevolent intentions of the Legislature as regards the
abolition of incarceration for debt. That act will extin-
guish all writs of arrest issued before its commencement,
and all persons immured in debtors' dungeons (save in
the excepted cases), by virtue of writs ca. sa., &c., will
be entitled to demand their discharge from custody forth'
with. The judgments, however, will still hold good
against the property and effects of a debtor.
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