The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-22 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY.)

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.

(Sittings at Nisi Prins, at Westminster, before Mr. Justice
Hill and a Special Jury.)
RUCK V. STILWELL AND ANOTHER.

This part-heard trial was resumed this morning. This
is an action of damages against the defendant, a sur-
geon, for giving a false certificate of lunacy against the
plaintiff; contrary to the act of Parliament, by which he
was confined for a period of ten months in a lunatic asylum.
The plaintiff was under examination and cross-examination
the whore—iii yesterday, and detailed the circumstances
under which h&' confined, when the court adjourned.
Mr. Ruck's Iditialinalioa'Avas continued by Mr. Cham-
bers, Q.C. He--irad<rtwe children by his cousin, Miss
Jones, which his.iifife-Iliffnorkr;ow of. Does not recollect
saying before the Lunacy-Zonfitaioners that he did not
receive any informaA9i 20hopt,4howil and supposed they
were murdered yortnight since, told
him they wer-e4limetd,Jle3h,Wneituttoyided for them, but
she has. They, ,ara, hi 1 ehildren7o Itegiieard from his
cousin, Miss Jones, about three months liga, but he paid no
attention to the letter. He was desired to see no person but
herself. He was always on his guard as to what
he said to Drs. Stilwell and Sommerville. Mr. Wain-
right cautioned me, but he did not, and his wife did not,
caution him net to talk about his suspicidhs, but he was on
his guard against doctors and strangers, and is on his guard
now. Mr. Wainright, on his return, told him his suspicions
were not well founded. His unhappiness after marriage
arose from having these children. He said they were new
very affectionate, but lived distant from one another. He
treated his friends affectionately. My wife and I condoned
the offence of inconstancy. I have been obliged to mort-
gage my property to a considerable amount. I have broke
the mines, but had not worked them. He acted in this
under the best advice. . • .
Cross-examined by Mr. Petersdorf, Q.C.—There was no
truth in the statement that theie was hereditary insanity in
his family. The writing on thetook was done after he was
liberated ; it was in his portmanteau. Miss Jones was his
wife's cousin, and Mrs. Matthews, his wife's mother, sent
for her to live at his house. Re never saw Miss Jones'
children ; he had only her • word for it. Her father was a
captain in the navy ; he had aquarrel with her. Mr: Wain-
wright told him that his suspicions were all delusions.
Neither Dr. Stilwell or any other person did anything to
remove his delusions. At first Dr. Stilwell talked about
them, but he used no reasons or arguments to remove them.
He made no inquiries about them of witness. Nothing
whatever was done by doctors or other persons to remove
his delusions. He does not know any thing particular
having been done to continue his impressions except talk-
ing about them. He never experienced previously the
noises in his head until he went to Wales in October. He
expected to be relieved under medical treatment or stimu-
lants. He thought by-condonation that it would be the
interest of him and his wife to forgive each other,*and 'not
to separate. Re told her this on the Tuesday, when he
was much better in his health. He was asked yeSterday
about money. All the profits of his estate were kept by
his agent, except necessary supplies. 'His farm stock sold
for about £2,000. He gave nd aufherity for it, and did not
receive the money. The house is -now let, and ,was let
When. he was in the asyhim. When Mr. Wainwright called
he said I had better see my selicifor about it. Mrs. Ruck
talked about' living separate; lee' occupied two separate
houses about two years.• not Wishtso7
at D
preiern. tshtiet.r
going to Kent to reside. George
Renville--Was
r4ileirs were
well's asylum, acid' my altel
not to allow Mr. Ruck
to post any letters, and never to lese sight of hire. He
took a drive with Dr. Nibble the second day after he came.
His manner was regular: I was four-months in attendance
upon him, and went to chtn4 and Walied with him. He
conducted himself with judgment 'there. I accompanied
him a-shopping• in the,vijlages. He laid out his money
very frugally: My orders. Pore Dr. Stilwell were to let him
spend his money, and this lasted about a month. He gave
him no medicine. He slept in the same room with him.
Dr. Stilwell asked if I could tell his friends if there was
anything the matter with him, and I told him I saw
nothing the matter with him, and repeated it to him. Dr.
Stilwell said to say nothing about his health fill about a
month, and then he would see him discharged. Drs.
Conolly and Jones attended there once a week, and Dr.
Wellery superintended it. No others examined the rooms
and patients.. He was at Moorecroft House every day, and
went over the grounds and establishment with Dr. Wellery
' and Dr. Stilwell and examined the patients.
Cross-examined by Mr. Chambers—He saw Dr. Conolly
enter the house and go down the passage into the rooms,
and shake hands with the patients and ask how they were.
The ground extends to several hundred acres. Saw him
speak to Mr. Ruck. He would say that Dr. Conolly
spoke to Mr. Ruck seven or eight times. He was at a ball
there. Witness left of his own afford about a month after
Christmas, after being four ,months there. He had a
quarrel with Dr. Weller, .wll6.3iraa;l4rUnk one evening, and
bullyragged me. Dr. &await told me to let Mr. Ruck
spend his money as fast as possihle, but I was not asked,
and cannot say that I did, net "say a word about it
before the Master iti" Lunacy. .M.r. Ruck talked
to him about his delusions.. , sad , suspicions about
his wife, and I told him they were all mistakes or
delusions. He did not report to Dr. Stilwell
his conversations and was not to talk with him about his
delusions. Dr. Barnet and Dr. Stilwell asked me whether
he talked about Dr. Barnet and his wife. I told him Mr.
Ruck said they were too intimate with his wife, and that
he suspected Dr. Barnet with being too familiar with his
wife. We did not always talk about such rubbige. I told
Mr. Stilwell that he was suspicious about being too fami-
liar with his wife, and he endeavoured to persuade him that
that was a delusion. He spoke to him about a gentleman
in the coach, but he did net tell him that was one of his
delusions. He said nothing More, but a gen-
tleman got into a coach and nodded to her,
and was too familiar - with him and endeavoured
to persuade him that it was a mistake. He does not recol-
lect any other delusions. After I saw Mrs. Ruck, I told
him she was a very ladylike person, and he must have been
mistaken in his suspicions about her. I might have said,
" All these here matters that you have been enquiring into
are quite old to me." I might have said so to him, and also
to the Master in Lunacy. He went out for a drive for
three or four hours. Other patients went to church with
other attendants. Dr. Stilwell said, in his office, that he
saw nothing the matter with him several times.

:The case was proceeding when we went to press.]

SHERTFFS' COURT.
(Before Mr. Kerr.)
COLEY V. MILLS.-REFUSAL TO COMMIT-CAUTION TO

MONEY LENDERS.

This was a judgment summons to recover Os. 6d. balance
of a sum of £5.
His Honour—ls this a loan society ?
Plaintiff—No. It is my own.
His Honour—How much of this £5 reached the bor-
rower ?

Plaintiff--I think 5 per cent. To the best of my belief
the borrower received about £4 14s.

Defendant's wife—Ho only had £1 7s. 6d. My husband
was security for the borrower, and excepting 165., we have
paid this debt down to the present balance.
His Honour (to plaintiff )—Do you expect me to commit
this man to prison for 9s. 6d. ?
Plaintiff—No. I want my money,
His Honour—Well, get it. I shall not commit. Sum-
mons dismissed.

A second case, by the same ,plaintiff, was similarly ter-
minated.

THE TALLY SYSTEM-THE JUDGE'S EXPERIENCE-
BISHOP AND NEW STEAD Y. 'ROSE.
This was a summons to recover the stun of 21s. 10d., the
balance. of an account for clothes. I
Defendant's wife appeared, and said that the balance was.
only 19s. 2d. She then produced her book, and his Honour
read various rules, and made comments upon them, adding
—This is a tally-shop.
Plaintiff—No;:itlif not. We never supply women.
His Honour-1'4.47; -yll just tell you my experience of
the tally system. Pee who' bi 7 at these shops get Bs.
worth of goods for 24.;4iiallh#g-tallyshop keepers insure
themselves against lO:isttflithesi)''Phitiges. I may also add
that the balance is aligejg ACgei iv,li6ii the defendant does
4
not appear. Whetirrieaci4 .itfiehd; ilig33,,,is always an
error. Mrs. Rose, ymi'sli Wieti)Whttlitelle shops; but
you must pay this dfal&airt :Ydr WA; 4 fi '
Mal'ihr. .

alll3
POLICE INTELLIGENCE.--(THIS

THAMES.

BURGLARY AND RODDERY.—James Hoick, a well-known
thief, about 19 years of age, was brought before Mr. Yard-
ley, charged with being concerned with another in com-
mitting a burglary and robbery on the premises of Mr.
Isaac Bullivant, hatter, of No. 231, High-street, Shadwell.
Mr. Bullivant said his premises were broken into on the
morning of the 14th of May last. He shut up his house
and workshops in the usual manner at one o'clock in the
morning. At seven o'clock on the same morning a girl and
a boy called his attention to the fact that his premises had
been entered and plundered. The thieves had entered at
the roof of a large building in the rear of the house in the
High-street, and dropped on to
°the floor. They came
through a ventilating place in thereof. A window was then
forced open, and two doors were also forced. He missed four
coats, 11, hats, 40 or 50 caps, and other property to the
amount of £2l. He had not recovered any of the property.
The hats were taken from various places.

Two women of the town, named Margaret Foley and Ann
Jennings, stated they saw the prisoner and John Fitzgerald
on the top of a wall in Irish-court, at the back of Mr. Bul-
livant's premises, or; the morning of the 14th May. They
got upon the roof of the workshop and entered the building.
A few hours afterwards they heard of the burglary. Both
women also stated that they knew the prisoner well, and
they had known him nine months.
Police-Sergeant Stimpson, No. 21 A, said that Fitzgerald
had been convicted for his share in the burglary, and sen-
tenced to four yeais' penal servitnde. The prisoner had
kept out of the way ever since.'
Mr. Yardley asked if there was aly prObability of any
farther evidence, and the answer was in the negative.
Mr. Yardley—Then i shall commit the prisoner for trial.