The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-23 00:00:00

'ER.

!NE.

BU

VICT, ELL.E.

The case of the wretched woman, Elled Rutter,
who recently murdered her husband at Dursley, is
now occupying considerable public attention, and
many and various are the reports in circulation
concerning her. That there should be a difference
of opinion about the enormity of her offence, or
about the prospects of her reprieve, we do not won-
der ; but that the state of her feelings, and her con-
duct within the prison walls should be so variously
represented, is at once a matter of surprise and re-
gret. We happen to know that those officialof
the county gaol who are brought immediately into
contact with the prisoner decline most peremptorily
to give any minute information concerning
c, her at
all, but they deny the prevalent and current report
that she shows any violence of disposition, or dar-
ing and stubborn impenitence. We cannot but ad-
mire the reserve displayed by the prison officers,
nor can we hide our conviction that it is their duty
to behave as they do ; but notwithstanding the ab-
re-
surd reports from without, and the very proper
serve within the gaol, we have been enabled from
other quarters to obtain some truthful particulars
concerning the prisoner and her prospects.
Ellen Rutter is said to be a natural child. From
her infancy she has laboured under disadvantages.
She never knew the fond affection of loving parents
—schooling, indeed, she has had, for a g"
mother's care provided that ; but while her head.,.
has been attended to, her heart has been untouchea
She never felt the blessed effects of a home edu-
cation. What wonder then, that at about fourteen
years of age she fell a victim to a foul seducer. ell
believe it to have been so. Her history is well
known in Dursley, and nobody denies the facts
which we record. For some time it is said that
Rutter lived with the author of her misery, and
afterwards became a resident, for ;ilea a year and
a half, at the Gloucester Penitentiary. It was uPen,
her leaving this institution that she fell in with
her late husband. She cohabited with him for a
long time before marriage, and ultimately becaevnn
his wife, because it seemed to be the lightest
that she, in her unhappy circumstances, could
choose. Her husband—a profligate before or
riage—became a confirmed drunkard afterwards'
and Ellen Rutter was continually subject to
violence and ill-usage or the most cruel description.
That this, together with her miserable antecedel
—her most unfavourable bringing up—she n„„
gradually rob her of all delicate feeling, all sel-2
of virtue, all ordinary affection, who can wonder •
We do not, for a moment, enter into the question
—Ought she to be hanged, or ought she not? wet
e
simply give an outline of her history, hoping thad
a lesson may be gleaned not only by poor wretch
beings tempted, as she was, to desperation,
but hY
mean, selfish seducers, who are not confined to one
class, and low, drunken husbands, who are gene:
rally to be found among the ranks and in the 13°'
tion of the departed.
It is stated that various petitions arebeing
drawn up in favour of the prisoner, sonic praPn,..°
for her respite on the grounds recommended by toe
jury ; some because of the want of evidence at the
trial, and the possibility of her statement being
correct, of her husband having provoked her to
the murder, and having violently struck h:rn
first before it took place. With regard
the first plea, m e are strongly of opin'
that Government will not notice it fori „af
moment. Concerning the second grouna,_ ",e
appeal, we cannot help thinking that tue'd
is something in it. The prisoner and her husbats
quarrelled every night before; they were sin.,
quarrelling when he was drunk, and he was,T;
tin wally striking her. Why should this one nig ;
when he was more irritated than usual, be made
exception ? Why, because other good people hall
gone to bed and could not see the quarrel, she
Ellen Rutter, contrary to all probabilities, be et"
victed of murder, instead of what we sincerely me;
lieve to have been aggravated manslaughteri
dTthmonskeeNnynheosks,nkonwowanwytehllinthgaotfathmeavnamrioauys
befefedeetospane.
rate at one moment, and yet asleep a very feW rait-;
ments after, and they should remember that had
prisoner herself had been drinking—she had
about four glassea of beer and had no dinner, ant
under such circumstances, was likely to lose o
nice discrimination, and to act (if, as we 00°1
her, in a violent passion) very much as she did °-
There was no premeditation, there was great tlrill
vocation—ought the verdict to have been capful
murder, or simply manslaughter ?
With regard to the conduct of the prisoner sill
her conviction, we have only to say that it elo;
dently has not been violent, desperate, or
way offensive, for that negative assertion has been
made by parties whom we can trust ; and °no.et-
contrary we hear that those persons who are bo-r
ting up a Dursley petition, have actually seen '
and report that she is most meek and quiet, valuing
the instruction given to her, and expressing r-
self as deeply penitent for the offence which so'
has committed.
A petition praying that her sentence mai. be
commuted to imprisonment for life is now lying
for signature at the Working-Alan's Institute.
Gloucester ,Tournal.