The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-03 00:00:00

ASS CULT WITH INTENT, &C.

William Postlothwaite, a gentlemanly-looking person,
was indicted for grievously assaulting William 'Knight,
with intent to do him bodily harm.

The. prisoner pleaded nat guilty.
Mr. Doyle appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Robin-
son defended.

The counsel for the prosecution said in the present case
the jury would have in the first place to determine whether
the prisoner at the time he inflicted the injuries upon the
prosecutor was in a state of mind to be accountable for his
actions. The prisoner no doubt on certain subjects laboured
under delusions, but in order to become an irresponsible
agent it must be shown that at the time the injuries wore
inflicted he was incapable ok knowing right from wrong.
The prosecutor, Mr. William Knight, was then called.
He said—The prisoner, about four years ago, carne to re-
side with me, but I did not notice anything uncommon in
his appearance. Some time afterwards I learned that ho
laboured under certain delusions, but they appeared to me
of a very harmless description. Some times helused to tell
me ho was the Duke of Gloucester, at others ho said he
was Oliver Cromwell. He usually wore a large bolt, which
he said the Duke of Cambridge gave him, as a proof he
was of royal descent. Ile had a great fancy for bright
steel weapons. He sonietimes carried a polished steel
truncheon, which he called " his authority." On the 15th
of last December I was sitting in my kitchen talking
and playing with the children, when the prisoner came in,
and, without saying a word, stencle-me -violently en-the
temple with his steel bar. I fell to the ground, and blood
began to flow very copiously from my head. I said, "Oh,
Posse, what have you done this fo,f"_when he replied,
" I've done it with my authority. Those d— theatricals
have been enticing you to enter into a plot against me."
My wife very shortly afterwards entered the kitchen, when
the prisoner threatened to serve her the same way. I got
up, ran to the doctor's, and told the police what had hap-
pened. I was ultimately taken to Westminster Hospital,
of which establishment I have been a patient ever since.
Prisoner was always remarkably kind to me, my wife, and
all the children. I never apprehended the slightest danger
from him.

Mr. Robinson said he hardly thought it necessary to
make a single observation. The unfortunate gentleman's
appearance was quite sufficient.
The Recorder—What is that he is displaying before
him ?
Piltencr (holding up a buff leather gauntlet ornamented
with large brass balls), said—" I hold the glove, this
glove." Then, carefully turning it over and over, he laid
it again in'ont of the dock.
Mrs. Knight—l am wife to the prosecutor. I recollect
the day when the prisoner struck my husband. After my
husband got the wound dressed I went with him to the hos-
pital. On my return home I found the prisoner sitting in
the kitchen. I accused him of murdering my husband,
when ho replied, pointing to the blood on the floor, " Make
haste, mop up, the blood before the police come." I asked
him what could have mad• him act as ho had done, when
ho said, " I did it with my authority." I always looked
upon him as a very harmless person. He was always
exceedingly kind to the children. My husband never
quarrelled with him on any occasion. We always .treated
him as one of the family, and ho always appeared
pleased. He used to say he was the Duke of Gloucester.
I never anticipated he would inflict injury upon any nue ;
he seemed too kind to do so.
The house-surgeon of the Westminster Hospital gave a
description of the wound.
Spinks, a police-constable, said—When I took the pri-
soner into custody, I told him he was taken in charge for
wounding William Knight. He showed me a bright steel
bar, and said it was " his authority," and that he had done
it with that. On searching his apartment I found a quan-
tity of curious bright steel weapons, such as spear heads,
half swords, crosses, and truncheons.
This was the case for the pros&ution.
Mr. Robinson abstained from addressing the jury.
A verdict of not guilty, on the ground of insanity, was
returned.

The unfortunate gentleman was; then ordered to be de
:wined until her Majesty's pleasure should be known•

THIS DAY'S SHIPPING.

LONDON, lAN. 3.—Wind this day sit noon, South
moderate breeze, and squally at times. Thu weather con
tinues wild and unsettled.

Hum., Jan. 2.—Wind, W.S.W.—Arrivod—Niagara,
from Miramichi.

COWES, Jan. 2.—Wind, S.W.—Arrived—Alma, from
Siam ; experienced bad weather, made much water, lost
sails, bulwarks, &c., and had to throw part of her cargo
overboard.

HARTLEPOOL, Jan. 2.—Wind, W. by S.—Sailed—The
Selma, for Cuba.
MILFORD, Jan. 2.—Wind, S.W.—Arrived—Allerton
(mate in charge), from Sierra Leone, in ballast, and with a
black crew.

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
SOUTHAMPTON, Tuesday Morning.
Wind, S. ; blowing hard, and heavy rain squalls.
Arrived—Wonder, steamer, front Jersey ; Anne Ver.
non, from London. •

Sailed—Havre, steamer, for Havre; Parana, steamer,
for St. Thomas ; Courier, and Atalanta, steamers, for Jer-
sey; Argyll, steamer, for Carenton.
LIVERPOOL, Tuesday Morning.

Wind, S.S.E.
Arrived, Jan. 2.—Georgo Douthwaine, from Mauritius ;
Crimean, screw 'dement., from Alexandria.
Arrived, Jan. s.--Crescent City, from Bombay.

•
(BY SUBMAILINE AND unman TELF.OIIAPI.)
GuivEsEsn, Tueelay
Wind, S.E. ; tide, two hours' ebb ; weather cloudy.
Arrived, Jan. 2.—Coromandel, from Calcutta; Calypso,
from Jamaica; Barka'', from Chicacoloe ; Philosopher,
from Calcutta; Evelino, from Calcutta: Symmetry, from
St. Michael's.
Arrived, Jan. 3—Confidence, from Cronstadt ; Kathe-
rine, from Ghont ; Augusta, from Seville ; Blackness, from
Cronatadt ; Zuma, from Guernsey ; John Ellis, from Gib-
raltar; British Lion, from Madras; Swann, from Stock-
holm.
Sailed, Jan. 2—Jubilee, fur Shanghai; Ann White, for
the Cape of Good Hope.

DIAL, Tuesday Morning.

Wind, S.S.W. ; moderate.
Anchored—Madagascar, from Loudon for Belize ; Reso-
lute, from London for Liverpool.
Passed—The Resolution, from Bilboa, Sor Cronstadt,
having landed the captain and crew, five in runtber, of the
galliot Two Brothers, from Newcastle, for Malaya, which
foundered on the 27th ult., in lat. 46. n N., long. 4.25 S. ;
P. T. F. H. commercial code brig, from the westward, for
London.
Sailed—Metropolis, screw steamer, for Guernsey; Au-
gusta, screw steamer, for Liverpool.