The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-25 00:00:00

of Surgeons, and had practised at Reading 33 years. He
had known Mr. Ruck since 1851, and Mrs. Ruck he had
been acquainted with for '2O years. They always appeared
to him to live together as a man and wife should. He went
down to Welchpool, in October last, in consequence of a
message he received by the telegraph. Mr. Ruck received
him very cordially, and said he was glad he had come, as
two fellows had been put over him to watch him, and pre-
vent him from going away, and he wanted to go. Witness
inquired where Mrs. Ruck was, and he said she was nothing
to him—she was a very bad woman, as bad as any woman
who walked the streets, and he then left the room in an ex-
cited and abrupt manner. Witness then invited him to
come and visit him at Reading, and he consented to do so ;
but appeared very restless and excited, and very unlike his
former self. They all started by the mail to Shrews-
bury. He made no objection to Mrs. Ruck ac-
companying him. While they were waiting for the
train at Shrewsbury, he appeared exceedingly restless,
and every now and then he exclaimed, " I will be off' to
Liverpool; she shall swing for it." He also said, "She
murdered two of my children." He then said that he had
painful proof that Mrs. Ruck had been unfaithful to him
with several men. Witness paid the bill for them all at
Birmingham, and told Mr. Ruck he had done so, but he
insisted upon giving the boots another fee. When they
arrived at Reading dinner was ready, and his wife informed
him that Mr. Ruck had escaped. Witness followed and
overtook him, and asked him where he was going, and he
replied in a harsh tone, " What is that to you ?" He then
said he would not go to his house again. He afterwards
raised his stick apparently to strike him, and he seized
his collar. Some persons then came up, and also a police-
man, and they went to the police-station, when Mr. Ruck
charged him with attempting to poison him by drugging his
wine. He then suddenly broke out with the charges against
his wife, and said that she was a prostitute. A fly was then
brought, and they returned home. On the following morn-
ing when they were at breakfast Mrs. Barnet handed him
a cup of tea, and he poured it into the slop basin, and held
out his cup for another, which was supplied him, and he
drank It. Witness then sent for Dr. Conolly, and after
he had examined Mr. Ruck, he and Dr. Conolly
signed the certificate of insanity under which Mr.
Ruck was removed to the asylum. Witness had no
doubt whatever that at this time Mr. Ruck was of
unsound mind. He talked of his property, and said that
his slate mines were worth £30,000, and that he had lead
and copper mines that were of untold value. Mrs. Ruck's
conduct was always unexceptionable and virtuous, and that
of a good wife. Witness saw Mr. Ruck in the asylum in
April last, but he was so angry and violent that he had no
conversation with him. _

Cross-examined—Witness was not aware that Dr. Still-
well bad refused to allow Mr. Fisher, the barrister (Mr.
Ruck's brother-in-law), to see him. When he went in April
he was accompanied by Mr. Williams, the attorney in the
present proceedings for the petitioner. In an affidavit he
had made in support of the petition he had described him-
self as having formerly practised as a surgeon ; but he would
swear that he was in actual practice, and the description
was a mistake. He was aware that the Act of Parliament
required every person who signed a certificate of insanity
should be a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in
actual practice. He was sorry to say that Mrs. Ruck
described the insanity of her husband as being hereditary.
She also said that the family were very eccentric. He did
not think, of course, that every eccentric man ought to he
confined. He did not think that hereditary eccentricity was
sufficient justification for confining any one. He was of
opinion that the state of excitement in which be found Mr.
Ruck might possibly, to some extent, be attributable to
drink.
In answer to further questions Mr. Barnet admitted
that he and Dr. Couolly did not examine him separately
before they signed the certificate of his insanity, which is
required by the statute, and he said he was not aware
that by so doing he had subjected himself to an indictment
for misdemeanour. He also stated that he had signed the
usual document, setting forth that he knew of his own
knowledge that the insanity was partly hereditary and
partly occasioned by drinking to excess, when be admitted
that he knew nothing personally upon the subject, and that
this information he had derived from Mrs. Ruck and other
persons. He likewise stated that be did not consider Mr.
Ruck was mad when he accompanied him to the Manches-
ter Exhibition in August, and he did not see him again
until he was sent for in October.
Mrs. Sarah Barnet, the wife of the last witness, confirmed
his testimony with regard to the delusions entertained by
Mr. Huck upon the subject of his wife being unfaithful to
him ; and she also said that upon one occasion, when the
table was laid for dinner, he took up a knife and played
with it, and looked at his wife in a most savage manner ;
and when the witness looked at him he laid the knife down
and slunk out of the room. Mrs. Buck, she said, was always
most kind and affectionate to him, and she never saw her
out of temper.
Dr. Cotaolly was the next witness. He stated that he
went to Reading to sec Mr. Rock in November last year,
and after having received an outline of the particulars con-
nected with his case he saw him alone. Mr. Ruck con-
versed with him in a very good-humoured manner, and at
length most unreservedly. He spoke to him of his wife's
infidelity in the most gross and coarse terms. He also said
that when she was at Vf elelipool she got drunk, and she
committed herself in his presence. On the 18th of June he
saw him again, having repeatedly seen him during ikat
interval, and the same delusions were then present to his
mind. He was of opinion that it would be cruel to set
him at large while these delusions existed, and he
felt assured, from the nature of these delusions, that
if he were to be freed from restraint, the conse-
quence might be that he would commit murder upon
his wife or upon some one whom he looked upon as her
paramour, or that in despair he might destroy himself. He
added that he had observed a change in the demeanour of
Mr. Ruck since the month of June, and be was evidently
now more reserved upon the subject of his delusions, but he
had no doubt that they still existed, and he should consider
it very dangerous to set him at liberty.
Cross-examined—l have not had any conversation with
Mr. Ruck since the 18th of June, but I have no doubt
that the delusions still exist in his mind, and I think
he ought to be restrained until he admits that they are
delusions. I believe that lie will eventually recover,
and that he would have been much better at this time
but for the excitement that has been create,' by three
proceedings. I should call his case that of mania, accom-
panied by delusions. lam aware that the Act of Parlia-
ment requires that no person connected with a lunatic
naylum shall sign a certitteate of insanity. I have no con-
nection with Moorecroft House. I merely visit the patients
in the same way that many other physicians do, and I le-
er:lye a fee for so doing; but I am in no way connected
with or interested in the establishment. I recommend ps-
tients to be sent there because I know they are well :reatil.
The establishment receives none hut gentlemen patients. I
have sent a great many patients there during the last few
years. I do nor remember having ever received a letter
from Dr. Stillwell, the proprietor of the establishment, in-
forming me that he ceuld not see any wound fir detaining
Mr. I?tick in the asylum. I never heard of Mr. Ruck
having committed, or attempted to commit, any act of
violence.
Re-examined—lt is my opinion that, on the /Bth of June,
when I last conversed with Mr. Buck upon the subject of his
delusions as to his wife's infidelity, that they not only existed,
but were more intense than ever. Ifs patient showed reserve
upon the subject of his delusion=, I should not consider that
as an indication that the state of his mind was improved, but
the contrary.
In answer to questions put by the learned Commissioner,
Dr. Conolly said that he was unable to speak to the condi-
tion of Mr. Buck's mind at this moment, but his belief was
that his delusions still existed, although he might endeavour
to conceal them. _ _ _ .

The Commissioner suggested that it would he advisable
that Dr. Conolly should have an opportunity of consulting
with Mr. Ruck before the case was concluded, and Mr.
James at once assented.
_

The inquiry was then again adjourned.

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EXECUTION AT TAUNTON.--Thomas Baker Buck-
k 11 and Betsy Bucknell, his
grandmother, e St. Michael, near
Tuesday, the 1—
fl
u,
m convictedurde r
ile
ffah
jt
at Creek
loth April last, was executed Yesterday
Taunton,grandfather
en and
the
ohn Buc ne
iven at the tri
gaol. Although the elidalee
.g left no
morning on the gallows erected on the summit of
air county
s ve iemently as-
serted his innocence, and evinced the utmost indifference
lklr.thTerenperhiasertnl,erthetosoeleienitfeosrs, who
doubt as to the prisoner's guilt, he ha 1
to
defendedLis impending p ehni
md g
• ted in his statement that he was
guilt, but he persisted exhortedfat fate.
innocent. The Rev. F. Howse, the chaplain of the gaol, and
the Rev. J. D. Ostrehavv, the incumbent of the parish of
Creeke, where the prisoner was brought up, also exerted
their influence to induce the unfortunate man to unburden
his mind, but he declined to listen to their advice, and re-
mained callous to the last. He was visited by his fither and
brother, and the scene is described to have been of a most
agonising description. Yesterday morning, shortly before
eight, the under-sheriff, the governor, and chaplain of the
gaol, visited the prisoner in the condemned cell, and soon
after Calcraft arrived, and proceeded to pinion the convict,
who bore himself with extraordinary firmness throughout.
Upon arriving on the drop the executioner placed the pri-
soner under the fatal beam, the bolt was drawn, and in a
few seconds life was extinct. Death was unusually easy.
The crowd was considerable, though not so large as when
Beale, the Leigh Woods murderer, was executed ;fist year
MELANCIIOLY CASE OF DROWNING.—About eignt
o'clock last Monday night a boy named George Wood,
about 13 years of age, in the employ of Mr. Page, baker,
Preston-street, Brighton, went into the sea to bathe not
far from' the bottom of Russell-street. He by some means
fu R
go Russell-street,
to el
prevent l -street,
beinggo t h odlrda
got out of his depth, which being observed by two boys by
whom he was accompanied, one of them named May, hying
dragged e dh his
sn
hhainmds'e butlf. wasTh The alarmobli wasgedto
given, but deceased was not now to he seen, as it was rather
dark. ,ikseine net was procured, with which two men
named
Collier and Collins succeeded iu finding the body,