The Sun.
London, England, 1835-09-25 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

OLD COURT.-(THIS DAY.)
THE EDGEWARE-ROAD kURDER.--.THE UNFORTUNATE

STANYNOUGHT.

This being the day appointed for the trial of the unfor-
tunate Stanynought, the Court was crowed at an early
hour.

On the unfortunate man's being arraigned upon the Co-
roner's Inquisition, the Grand Jury having ignored the Bill
on the ground of insanity, he pleaded Not Guilty
and
ainppaeavreerd
to very
tremuloussurveythe scene before him
voice.HesatinMr.
withoutCope,s box,the least emotion.
Shortly after ten o'clock, Mr. Baron GURNEY and Mr.
Justice WILLIAKS entered the Court, and the prisoner was
placed again at the bar, and was given in charge to the
Jury for_the wilful murder of his son, Henry William T./
Dun-
can Stanynought, on the Coroner's Inquisition. The fol-
lowing evidence was then adduced.
John Finch—Stated that he was a schoolmaster, Had
known the prisoner some years, who was a stationer and coal-
merchant in Connaught-terrace. The prisoner's son was a
^i, nil of his ; he was aged nine years. Saw the boy at five o'clock
theiup staffs.
4 th of
theli even;ni.
• 1%,i• about half-past eleven r''-'- ' I
before
house, On
atnlicie
proceeded morning o f
September, was sent ....
Knocked
etdo• •... ...,...utm.
attlatheel-Vrissoonneerr's's chamber-door, when he answered
in an agitated tone, " Don't come in, don't come in ; I shall
shook you," Witness said, " Pray let me oome in—are you

----.'1•41( ,SP 117 N le
- ~.,,,,,,,,,_' -4 • x4_3IBINII 25 1835
_ ~....
.. _ ____...•
1 -
ill ?" Saw' t ire prisoner and his son in bed, apparentlY
asleep. Asled him again 4 What was aka... rivtter ?" .
said, " I dare not te4 yesu—rhaVlc
ii• poor brv, and
wounded mv5.,,,,r ;
I am dying." Witness said he would
fetch r medical man. The prisoner 'exPrev:ed a wish to i
hare Mr. Barker, and pointed to sou..e letters that he I
wished to be given to his wife and tbs..:t •
gentleman. 'Wit-
ness saw in the room a razor a',id a knife, with which
the prisoner said that
1.,e had wounded himself, -
Mr. Barker came, and
°P. examining the boy he found
to be quite. dead.
T:nere was a bruise on his %cad, his
features were 11.
and h. • ' •
—storted, is tongue protruded
Muth, P from Ins
, ....emoved the body ; and the
ti h
lat e had tried repeatedly to dr. prisoner then said
charcoal and stabbing himse_
1 ""troy himself, by burping
',Pt 'in.-the heart, but could not
effect it. He then 5.,...
.i.i he had destroyed his poor boy, by
smothering hir-.
nation --* ettween the pillows. Witness in a conver-
,-- „. ,
..,tittne prisoner, who seemed affected, said the boy
1 v..as an affectionate child ; to which the prisoner replied—
! Ile 'was, he was ; and had been the greatest consolation to
him, in his affliction. At one time lie exclaimed—" How
could I kill my poor dear boy l" and then he would attermv:
to justify it, by saying it was a charity, as he would 'nave
been an idiot all his life, like his father, grandf
7,ilier and
great-grandfather, who all died insane... The r,rlsoner seemed
anxious for some one to destroy him, an?, asked for Prussic
acid. He was a most affectionaf'e father, and appeared
greatly attached to the child.
By Mr. CLARKSON .-.... The razor, knife, and boot jack
were on the drawers. On the Tuesday night previous to
the dreadful act, saw the prisoner caressing his child.
By Mr. Baron GURNEY—Had a conversation with the
prisoner on Tuesday evening, when he told him he had
sent his son and shopman to Astley's, and that he meant to
go and see Fieschi. Witness called sometime afterwards
and found him gone. On his return witness said he thought
the prisoner's health was better, to which Ire replied,
" that it was not that—he had 'never been right since
he had been et Florence, where he had been suddenly
struck with a coup du soleil, and that he did not know what
sleep was since,"
I
Mr, Edgar Barker, a surgeon, attended at the house o'
the prisoner. Found Mr. Stanynought in bed. His ~.
was smeared with blood, from a wound or, the ler' ...rift.l
c side
which the prisoner stated he had I'llicted
e-n himself'
His child was on the bed de „'j. I asl-
ed him the,
cause. Ho said he bad meditPled the mur.
ider#Ofhimself and
child for some time, and lorought him,
from Gravesend for
that purpose. Ho aid he had tr:
ied burning charcoal, and
all to no purpose : and findirjg
be could not accomplish it
in any other ways be hall struck the boy on the head with
the boo**, and ti2ien smothered him with the pillow.
The prisoner had 'mounded himself severely, but not mor-
tally. The liter which was addressed to this witness by
the prisoner was read ; it requested him to break his fate
to his wife quietly, and ascribing all that he had done to
the state of his head. Witness had another conversation
with the prisoner, in which he spoke most irrationally.
Witness had not the slightest doubt at this time that the
prisoner was in an unsound state of mind.
Mr. Finch recalled—The prisoner was in good circum-
stances.
The prisoner's letters to his wife were also read, in which
'he begged her not to mourn over his death s
son, as it was the will of the Almighty, and that they werend that of his
son, as it was the will of the Almighty, and that they were
unfit to live,
Mr, M'Murdo, the surgeon of Newgate, had no doubt
of the insanity of the prisoner. During the time he had
been in Newgate he appeared in a placid and tranquil
state, and seemed to feel no remorse for what he had done,
which he considered an indication of insanity.
Mr. Baron GURNEY here addressed the jury. In the
present case that a young and innocent child had been
murdered by his own father there could be no doubt ; and
the only question for the jury was, whether at the time the
act was committed the prisoner was in a state of mind
capable of accounting for. his own actions. The jury had
it in evidence that the child was between nine and ten
years of age, an affectionate and well-disposed child, the
prisoner was also an affectionate father, doating and fond
of his child. Such being the case, what could account for
the dreadful act that had been committed? Why, the jury
had heard from the evidence of both the medical
men that they had no doubt whatever that at the
time the prisoner committed the act he was of unsound
mind. In the opinion of the Learned Judge, and his
Learned Brother, more decisive evidence of insanity had
never been brought forward in a court of justice. If, there-
fore, the Jury agreed with him, they would have to find the
prisoner " Not Guilty," but if they wished the case to pro-
ceed further, he would go on with it.
The Jury consulted for a few moments, and then re-
turned a verdict of " Acquittal," on the ground of insanity
at the time.

Mr. Baron GURNEY said, that a representation of the
case would be made to the Secretary of State, in order
that, for the sake of society, he should be taken care of
The prisoner, who sat during the trial and appeared to-
tally unmoved, was then removed from the bar.

NEW COURT.
CONCLUSION OF THE CONSPIRACY CASE.
This trial, which has been unprecedented in this Court
for duration, was brought to a conclusion this morning.
The Common Serjeant commenced summing up at half-
past ten, when the jury retired to consider of their verdict ;
and after an absence of two hours returned with a verdict
of Guilty against all the defendants.
The COMMON-SERJEANT then left the Court to consult
the Judges as to the modicum of punishment.
At one o'clock the COMMON-SERJEANT took his seat
again on the bench, and passed the judgment of the Court
on the defendants :—That John Bolton and Richard do
pay a fine of 1001. each to the King ; that Robert Bird,
Thomas Bird, John Cowderoy, James Hill, Josiah
Parkes, and Joseph Johnson, do pay a fine of 50L ; that
Richard Carpenter, John Newell, Samuel Pearce, and
Philip Sellick, do pay a fine of 30/. ; Thomas Corbett,
Edward Sylvester, 201. ; and George Dodd, William
Gulliver, John Gough, Thomas Trevett, John Sylvester,
and John Smith, 51. ; and that each of the defendants
be imprisoned -in Newgate until those fines be paid.
Mr. Bolton instantly tendered a chock on his banker for
the ivhole amount.

SHIPPING.--(THIS DAY.)
FROM LLOYD'S.
DEAL, SEPT. 24.—Wind W. N. W. light.—Arrived the
Fawn, Dab, from the South Seas; Red Rover, —, from
Sidney, New South Wales ; Isabella, Partridge, from Ja-
maica; Lively, —, from the Mediterranean; Cardiff,
packet, Jones, from Cardiff; Terre de Feu, Miegu, from
Dunkirk for the South Seas; Jones, Daily, from Rotterdam to
Leaham ; and the Ariadne, Fenwick, from Leaham to Ply-
mouth, and remain. Arrived from the River and remain the
Duke of Argyle, Brittain, for the Cape of Good Hope;
Africanus, Watkins, for Mauritius ; and the Florist, Cailu,
for Weymouth. The above have been under weigh, but are
again anchored, nearly calm. The Fawn, May 3, and 24 days
from Timor, left the Venelia with 1,300 barrels of oil; the
Diana with 2,000 barrels, and the Zephyr with 300 barrels.
WIGHT, SEPT. 24.—Arrived off his Majesty's ship Forbes,
Fell, from Calcutta.
BRISTOL, SEPT. 24.—Arrived the John Cabatt, Wood,
from Africa.
TENBY, SEPT. 24.—Arrived the'William Forescu, Salve-
sein, from Africa. •
BEAUMARIS, SEPT. 22.—Arrived the Myrna, Pei- L.
rom
Madeira ; and the Brisora, Firth, from Memel. -son, from
LIVERPOOL, SEPT. 23.—Arrived the
Bombay ; Catharine, Biddy,
fr-
,mMena, Gill, from
Wescott, from St. John's. - Demerara; Frederick,.
, iNiew Brunswick ; Lord Glenclg,
Pratt, from Princeiy P-,u. ward's Island ; Oswald, Fang, from
Quebec ; and :lope, Shad well, from Newfoundland. Off
port th'! Atterspool, --- from Bombay.
PORTSMOUTH, SEPT. 24.—Wind W., fine. Sailed the
Philr4delphia, Morgan, for New York ; Heininbald, Hibod,
for ditto ; Zenobia, Allen, for Calcutta ; and St. Christopher,
Court, - for St. Sebastian.
PLYMOUTH, SEPT. 23.—Wind S. S. W.
FALMOUTH, SEPT. 23.—Wind S. W., strong, and squally.
—Arrived the —, Brown, from Cherson ; Henry, Allen,
from Marsala; and Experiment, Williams, from Poole, with
damage, and leaky, having struck the Seven Stones, bound
to Newfoundland. Off port the Brilliant, Rogerson, from
Buenos Ayres.