The Sun.
London, England, 1832-06-09 00:00:00

MURDER OF MR. PAAS.

(From the Leicester Journal of Friday, June 8.)
We are indebted for the following information, as well
as part of the foregoing, to the kind politeness of Mr. Bur-
bidge, who is anxious to communicate to the public all
the information respecting this awful occurrence, which is
consistent with the ends of public justice ; and though
part of the confession is necessarily concealed, it is only
with the view of preventing the innocent from being stig-
matised under mere conjecture.
The prisoner in confession says,---I am guilty of having
caused the death of the unfortunate man, but my con-
science is not stained with the crime of cool and delibe-
rate murder. Mr. Paas called upon me one morning, but
whether on Wednesday or Thursday, from the agitation of
my mind, I ern unable to recollect, with two bills against
me, one of which I paid, amounting to 12s. and wished
him to call in the evening when I would pay him part of
the other. Mr. Paas came, but not being able to fulfil
my promise, angry words ensued, and Mr. Paas striking
me, I struck him again, and a scuffle ensued ; he threw
the hammer at me, and I concluded the affray by an un-
fortunate blow with the press bar on the back of his neck ;
he fell dead instantly. I will say no more of the remain-
ing part of the body except that it is buried.
The Magistrates advised him not to criminate himself
by any lengthened confession ; but if, from any motive of
unburdening his conscience, or of allaying the intense
anxiety of the surviving friends of the deceased, or a de-
sire to relieve those labouring under unjust accusation, he
he would state any circumstances connected with the con-
cealment of the body, they would take down what he
had to say ; upon his consenting to give it consideration,
the examination was concluded.

COURT OF CHANCERY.-(THIS DAY.

IN RE EAGSTER ,ILLAS NEWTON, A SUPPOSED LUNATI

Sir EDWARD SuGoan replied upon his application fi•
a Commission of Lunacy at considerable length. It wool
be a disgrace to the bar (in his opinion), for him to argu
the question, whether there was not sufficient evident.
before his Lordship to satisfy him that a Commissio.
ought to issue; the only point was, whether under th.
circumstances his Lordship ought to suspend the exercise
of his jurisdiction ; and the very ground on which th
other side had asked for that suspension, was a strong rea
son in favour of hastening the issuing of the Commission.
The proceedings in the Court of King's Bench were irre-
gular, without precedent, and had only been resorted to for
the purpose of protecting the person of this unfortunat.
girl from Mr. Newton. Provided even the Court rd
Law should find that the marriage was valid, stil
it would be utterly impossible for his Lordship t.
withhold granting a Commission. The girl was
perfectly incapable of the disposition of her per-
son or her property, and the consequences of allowini,
Mr. Newton to regain possession of her person, would ht
so awful, so disgusting, so distressing, and so ruinous it
their effects, that it would be impossible for his Lordship
to withhold the exercise of his jurisdiction. There was
not a doubt that the female was insane; the husband
(if husband he could be called) had abused the confi-
dence of the family, kept his intentions of a suitor (i
ever he had any) an entire secret from the whole world.
procured a professional person of the name of Wilson to
sanction his atrocious act of carrying off the girl, the object
of which could only have been to get possession of her
money, and it would be impossible for his Lordship to act
otherwise than for ever to deprive Mr. Newton from having
the custody of the woman again, or ever having one far-
thing of her money which could possibly be kept from him.
The LORD CIiANCELLOR, considering that the girl was
in the custody of Mr. Alderman Kelly, at present did not
think that his delaying judgment for a few days could be
productive of any inconvenience. He would give the case
his utmost attention, and dispose of it as soon as he could.
The first consideration that occurred to his mind was,
whether he ought not to delay giving judgment until
the opinion of the Lord Chief Justice and a special
Jury had been obtained upon the question in the
Court of King's Bench ; but this could not be got,
from the state of business there, till next spring. Again,
even if that course were determined upon, it would almost
be absolutely necessary to have Mrs. Newton produced be-
fore the Jury, but it would be impossible for this Court to
order such a production before a commission had issued.
Finally, whether the issuing of a commission from this
Court, to be executed before a Judge and two Commis-
sioners, would not relieve all parties, and all Courts, from
further difficulties and proceedings ; as, in all probability
the Court of King's Bench would adopt the result of such
a proceeding from this Court, and:upon it dispose of all
questions before it.