The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-04 00:00:00

LAMBETH.

After the business of the court had been disposed of,
and as the sitting magistrate, Mr. Norton, was about to
leave the bench, Samuel Hill, a keeper in Dr. Arm-
strong's lunatic asylum, High-street, Peckham, was
brought into court in custody of police-constable P 41,
and placed in the felon's dock, on a charge of having
caused the death of Moses James Barnes, a pauper
lunatic belonging to Clerkenwell parish.
Mr. James Bennett, the assistant clerk to the board
of guardians of the parish of Clerkenwell, deposed that
information had reached the board that Moses James
Barnes, a pauper belonging to the parish, and who had
been sent to the asylum of Dr. Armstrong, in High-
street, Peckham, was in a dsne,,Trous state through itij u-
ries inflicted on him by one of the keepers there, on the
23d of last month. A meeting of the board was in con-
sequence called, and a committee appointed to visit the
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be done information had been received of the death of
the injured man.
Mr. NORTON—How long had the deceased been in
the asylum? Mr. Bennett—He had been sent to the
asylum about six or seven months ago, I should think,
from the parish of Marylebone, and for three months he
has been chargeable to Clerkenwell.
Mr. NORTON—What proof have you got that any inju-
ries had been inflicted on the deceased by the prisoner?
Mr. Bennett—None at present, Sir; but I shall be in
a position, on a future day, to show that the prisoner,
who was the keeper over the deceased, had fractured his
arm, and though the limb was so fractured, and very
much contused and swollen, he (the prisoner) had con-
cealed the tact from the medical officer of the establish-
ment. Besides, it was the prisoner's duty, on discovering
anything the matter with the patients under his care, at
once to report the circumstance to the surgeon or me-
dical officer of the asylum; yet, in this instance, the in-
jury was inflicted on the Monday, and it was not until
the Friday following that he called the attention of the
surgeon to it.
Mr. NORTON—Is it your opinion that the prisoner must
have been aware of the nature and extent of the injuries?
Mr. Bennett—Oh, yes, Sir; he must have been quite
aware of the fact, for it was part of his duty, and the
fact shall be proved on a future day, to assist in un-
dressing the deceased, so that there cannot be the
slightest doubt on the subject. The surgeons belonging
to the asylum, assisted by those of the Commissioners of
Lunacy, are engaged at present in making a post mortent
examination of the body of the deceased, and therefore
they are not in attendance to give their evidence.
Police-constable Samuel Brierley, 41 P, said that on
au application having been made on that afternoon by
Mr. Bennett, at the station-house, he, by direction of his
superior officer, accompanied that gentleman to the
'emetic asylum of Dr. Armstrong, when the prisoner was
pointed out to him as the keeper of the deceased prior
to his death. The witness, addressing the prisoner, told
him be should take him into custody on a charge of
having caused the death of a pauper inmate, but he made
no reply whatever.
Mr. NoraoN—Well, prisoner, this is a very serious
charge against you, and therefore I feel bound to caution
you, that anything you say may be taken down and
used against you. If, however, after this caution, it is
your wish to say any thing to the charge I am bound to
hear you. Prisoner—l deny the charge altogether.
Mr. NORTON—Do you deny having the charge and
care of the deceased for three months? Prisoner—No,
I don't deny that; but the evidence given against me is
false on three points.
Mr. NORTON-- Well, you can ask the witnesses any
questions you think proper. Prisoner—No, Sir, I shell
reserve my defence for another occasion.
Mr. NORTON was about to remand the prisoner for the

following (this) day, but having been told that the ingimst
would not take place before Monday, he extended the
remand to a week, and the prisoner, who seemed a
powerful and determined looking person, was removed
from the bar.