The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-18 00:00:00

THE CASE OF MR. IV. F. WINDHAM.

(Continued from The Sun of yesterday.)
Dr: Donald Dalrymple.—l have practised at
Norwich for 25 years. I was intimately acquainted
with the father of the alleged lunatic and with

his family. __l
have known the present Mr. Wind-
ham from his childhood, and have had frequent
opportunities of seeing him. For more than 20
years I attended professionally a private asylum
for the insane. My opinion is that his intellectual
powers are very much below par. I think he is fit
to manage his own person, but he is not able to go
into society with safety to himself or others. He
is certainly not fit to manage property or money.
In 1848 I saw him at Felbrigg-hall. He there
broke out into violent passions apparently without
any . adequate cause. I have heard him tell the

most transparent falsehoods, and when, as a friend
of the family, I remonstrated with him, he paid no
attention to me. I have frequently conversed with
him about his fondness for low company, pointing
out that it was degrading to him as a young gentle-
man, but I never could make the slightest impres-
sion upon him. He did not seem to be aware that
there was anything wrong or unusual in his con-
duct. When he broke out into sudden outbursts of

passion I do not think he was sensible of the diffe-
rence between right and wrong. In August, 1856,
he stayed two nights at my house. A horse was
hired for him, because I did not like to trust him
with one of my own. He rode out, but did not
bring back the horse. The saddle was brought to
my stable a week after, but the bridle has never
been seen or heard of at all. (A laugh.) On the
occasion of the ovation to General Windham, in
Norwich, he rode in the same carriage with me,
and I had the greatest difficulty in keeping him
down on the seat. He screamed and howled when
there was no occasion for it, and at the
dinner in St. Andrew's-hall he conducted
himself in the most outrageous manner, dis-
turbing the proceedings of the evening. He
was not labouring under the effects of drink.
He slept at my house that night. I went up to his
bedroom and found him lying on his back quite
naked. I saw him at a Volunteer review in Nor-
wich in the early part of the present year. He told
me his uncle, General Windham, was going to get
him a commission in the army. I said he would have
to undergo an examination. " No," said he, "my
uncle can do whatever he likes." The next time I
saw him was in the streets of Norwich. He was in
the company of three or four shabby-looking men,
and was standing with his arms thrown around the
neck of one of them, at the same time making a
loud noise.

Cross-examined by Mr. Karslake—Mr. Windham
is an only child. I think his parents spoilt him.
His father was a hot tempered man. His mother
was an exciteable person also. As a child Mr. Wind-
ham was allowed to do pretty much as he. liked, I
think he would have been better if he had been kept
with a tighter rein. He was frequently in the ser-
vants' hall and the stables. I never observed that
he was extremely fond of the housekeeper. I never
saw him in a page's dress which his father had
purchased for him. He was frequently restrained
by his parents, but irregularly restrained. I saw
him on the day of his father's funeral. He appeared
deeply affected in the church, where he shed tears,
but at the mansion-house after the funeral I was
painfully struck by the little emotion he displayed
at the death of his father. When I got him a house
in Norwich I did so at the request of his mother,
who did not ask me to lend him one of my own. I
never heard that he wore an ivory palate in his
mouth. His speech is peculiar, but it is not suffi-
cient in itself to attract the attention of bystanders.
At the Windham ovation his conduct was unbe-
coming. He yelled in a loud, boisterous manner.
The streets were crowded, flags were flying in
every direction, and everybody bearing the name
of Windham was in great vogue. At the dinner
there were a great many toasts given, and much
wine was drunk. When the health of General
Windham was proposed the cheers were deafening;
I never heard a greater noise made in St. Andrew's-
hall. Nis outbursts of passion even when a child
were most extraordinary. When spoken to about
some fault he had committed, I have seen him fling-
ing himself down on the floor, and then howling,
shrieking, biting the carpet, slobbering, and making
a noise totally unlike anything I have heard made
by a child of his age. I think he is capable of
managing himself. I have not seen him at Felbrigg
since he became of age, nor have I ever seen him
engaged in what may be called the practical busi-
ness of life. I have seen him driving, but I have
never driven with him. God forbid that I should
do so. (A laugh.) He drives and rides recklessly.
Although I never saw him transacting any matter
of business, I have stated in my affidavit, and now
repeat, that he is incapable from mental deficiency
of managing his own affairs. I have stated in my
affidavit that his habits were of a nature to weaken
powers originally defective. The habits I referred
to were those of associating with low persons, of
drinking, though not to excess, of gormandising,
and of consorting with loose women. Another
habit was one which I detected when I found him
lying naked in a bedroom in my house. What I
mean by saying that I think he is capable of man-
aging himself is, that he will take care not to get
his own neck into danger, At the same time, if he
were to:injure anybody else wilfully, insanity might
properly be pleaded in his defence.
Re-examined by Mr. Chambers—He has an im-
pulsive nature, and I think that nature would lead
him to do rash acts. The noise he made in the
streets on the occasion of the Windham ovation was
not at all like a hearty, English " huzza ;" it was
rather, to use a provincial expression, a " blare,"
and might be heard in a madhouse, but nowhere else.
Wbat made it more marked was that there was no
cheering or shouting going on in the streets at the
time.

By the Master—l define Mr. Windham's case as
one of imperfectly developed mental power. I be-
lieve the malady is congenial. He is able to protect
himself from physical injury, but that is all.
Mr. James Johnstone—l am a physician practis-
ing in Norwich, and have had a good deal of experi-
ence in mental disorders. I have known Mr. Wind-
ham personally almost from childhood. I saw him
on the occasion of the ovation to General Windham,
Ile was riding on a pony quite at random. At one
time he rode into the crowd. Lord Suffield caught
him by the collar, and asked him what he wanted.
He said, " I want my uncle Charles," in a very
peculiar tone. His Lordship led him away. I saw
him at a ball in Norwich in 1859. He was con-
tinually beckoning at a party of women in the
gallery, where they were admitted to see the danc-
ice., wanting them to come down to him or to observe
what he was doing. At one period of the evening
he trod on Sir John Boileau's toes, and instead of
apologising, as he ought to have done, commenced
something which sounded very much like swearing.
(A. laugh.) Shortly afterwards somebody trod upon
his toes. He caught his foot up in his hand, limped
across the room, and uttered a most extraordinary
noise—something like a howl. I have also met him
at subscription balls. He used to run his partner
through the dances, tear ladies' dresses, and other-
wise misconduct himself. His laugh was that of
an idiot,
Cross-examined by Mr. Karslake—l cannot give
you an idea of an idiot's laugh unless you come with
me to Colney-hatch. (A laugh.) I was never intro-
duced to Mr. Windham, nor have I ever been at
Felbrigg-hall as a visitor. On the occasion of the
Windham ovation his pony was frightened by the
artillery, but I am not aware that it dragged the
bridle out of his hand and broke away.
Re-examined—At one of the balls in Norwich I
was asked to allow one of my daughters to dance
with Mr. Windham, but I refused to do so, because
I considered him a person of unsound mind.
The Rev. Thomas Goodwin—l was residing in
Torquay in the early part of 1857. Lady Sophia
Windham applied to me to take charge of her son
for such time as I should remain in Torquay. I
consented, and remained with him for a fortnight
or three weeks. He was living with his mother,
and I went to the house every day. I attempted
to instruct him. His education at that time was
exceedingly deficient—not such as I should have
expected in a person of his years. While I was
with him I could not get him to do more than two
chapters in " Prescott's History of Peru." I attri-
buted my ill-success to his inability to fix his atten-
tion upon any subject for more than a few minutes
at a time. His mental power was defective. He
was dirty in his habits, untruthful, and boastful,
He would tell me things which on their face bore
the evidence of untrathfulness. He was very ex-
citable. I have seen him jump over chairs without
any cense. I have seen him jump upon his-mother's
shoulders and attempt to ride her like a horse.
When we were reading together lie would start
suddenly up and run round the garden, shouting
all the time. He was also liable to sudden bursts
of passion. On one occasion, because his mother
would not allow him to go out hunting, he swore
at her in a fearful manner, and threw down his tea-
cup. He was in the habit of gorging himself with
food, and ate like a pig, putting large
quantities
into his mouth at one time, eating from the
dish
instead of his plate, and mixing up the dishes in a
disgusting manner. I have seen him at an evening
party bringing in a large dog and turning it loose
among the ladies. (A laugh.) From my experience
of him I regard him as a person of unsound mind.
His mental faculties are far below the average.
Cross-examined by Mr. Klrslake—He was en-
couraged in doing nothing with me by his mother.
I tried him in ",Virgil," but the conclusion at which
I arrived with respect to his mental deficiency was
founded upon conversations which I had with him.
Re-examined—He could not talk upon the
'"111111"t elNect, He knew the meaning of a word