The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-11 00:00:00

THE MURDER OF A BOY IN NOTTING.
114111 FOREST.

MANSFIELD, THURSDAY.
Four years ago a bey named John Wesley Atkin-
son, 8 years of age, was found murdered in a field
near Nottingham Forest, a mile and a-half from
Nottingham. Previous to the murder the lad had
on a pair of new boots, but when the body was
found these had been taken off the boy's feet, and
the stealing of the boots appeared at the time to be
the only motive for the murder, which had been
caused by strangulation. A gipsy was apprehended
at the time, but the companion of the murdered
boy, who was present when Atkinson went away
with a strange man, could not identify the gipsy
as the person, but stated that he last saw his com-
panion with a man with red hair and whiskers.
This man decoyed the boy under pretence of giving
him half-a-sovereign to show him the way to New
Basford, near Nottingham, and he was not seen
alive afterwards.

A few days ago the wife of a man named Henry
Wilson, living at Mansfield had quarrelled with her
husband, and it came to the knowledge of the police
that she had reminded her husband that he was the
murderer of the boy in Nottingham Forest. The
man then lived at Bulwell, two miles and a-half
from the scene of the murder. From other suspici-
ous circumstances he was apprehended and placed
in Mansfield lock-up. This morning the prisoner
was brought before Sir Edward Walker and the
Mansfield Bench of magistrates, when his wife Mary
Wilson, stated she was in Pleasley-lane, near Mans-
field, with her husband, a few days ago, when he
got over a gate and told her to come and sit by his
side. She told him she wanted to go to Mansfield,
but the prisoner said she would never go to Mans-
field any more. He then grasped her throat
and tried to strangle her. Witness resisted, and
the prisoner then pulled a knife out of his pocket,
with which he tried to cut her throat. She after-
wards extricated herself and ran to Mansfield. In
consequence of the assault witness became very ill,
and her neighbours told her she would die, when
she said that if she did it would not be the first
murder her husband had committed.

She alluded to the murder of the boy in Notting-
ham Forest. At the time of the murder she read
the Rue and Cry, and the description of the mur-
derer corresponded with the person of her husband,
and when she told him so he showed great anger
and left her, and soon afterwards shaved off his
whiskers and burnt his coat.

The prisoner denied having a knife, but his wife
positively swore that he had.

The Bench said that the wife of the prisoner had
made a most serious charge against her husband
respecting the murder, and cautioned her ; but the
witness positively affirmed that her statement with
with regard to the murder of the boy was true.
Superintendent Palethorpe brought two youths
from Nottingham, who were with the boy shortly
before he was murdered, and who saw the man who
decoyed away the boy, but, for some reason which
did not transpire court, these boys were not con-
fronted with the prisoner:to identify him.
The bench, thinking that the woman had charged
her husband with the murder in consequence of the
assault he had committed upon her, said they
should send him to prison for six months in default
of finding sureties.
Upon hearing this the prisoner's wife said that
she dared not be at large if the prisoner was, as he
had declared he would murder her and her children,
and she had no doubt he would fulfil his threat.

The prisoner was then conveyed to gaol, and the
utmost exertions are being made by the police to
procure further evidence.

SUICIDE OF VISCOUNT 10.R7H.

We have to record the suicide of the Viscount
Forth, which occurred at Gloucester on the Bth
inst. The late Viscount was the only son of the
Earl of Perth, and was born at Naples in 1834.
As will be remembered, his name figured conspi-
cuously in a divorce case, which appeared in our
columns some months ago, in which some sad re-
velations of the deceased nobleman's habits of life
were disclosed by the Viscountess Forth in her
examination before Sir Cresswell Cresswell. The
deceased nobleman came to Gloucester in July last,
and took up his abode at the Spa Hotel, under the
name of Captain Drummond. He was accompanied
by a lady about his own age, who passed as Mrs.
Drummond. On the 19th ult, the lady gave birth
to a female child, but afterwards became very ill,
and was attended by Drs. Evans and Greaves.
Their skill, however, proved of no avail, for she
expired at five o'clock on the morning of the Bth
inst. The deceased nobleman was with her at the
time of her death, was very much grieved,, and
wept bitterly. Soon afterwards he commenced
drinking brandy, and appeared like a madman. In
this distracted state he continued for several hours,
after which he commenced packing his own and
the deceased lady's clothes, and in doing so he took
a small roll of paper up, saying "This belongs to
me.', He then left that room (in which were the
nurse and landlady) and proceeded to another op-
posite, followed by the nurse, whose suspicions were
excited by his conduct. He asked what was the
matter, at the same time putting a bottle to his
mouth. The nurse exclaimed, " Good God, he's got
hold of the laudanum bottle !" The landlady seized
the bottle and succeeded in wresting it from him,
but not until he had drunk nearly half. He said,
" It's only a little port wine," and descended
to the sitting-room. A doctor was sent for and
soon arrived; he found his lordship walking
up and down in the room, and was just in
time to prevent him from cutting his throat
with a knife. The deceased nobleman continued to
walk up and down the room, until at last he ex-
claimed, " Oh ! how funny I feel," and became in-
sensible. The stomach-pump was used, but without
success ; it was found impossible to restore him.
An inquest on the body of the deceased was com-
menced yesterday afternoon.
James Coyte, solicitor, of 21, Lincoln's-inn-fields,
London, identified the deceased as Lord Forth, com-
monly called Viscount Forth. Believed he was 27
years of age. Saw him alive about two months
since in London. The deceased was the only son of
the Earl of Perth.

Mrs. Holland, landlady of the Spa Hotel, deposed
that the deceased first came to the hotel a fortnight
before the Summer Assizes as Captain Drummond
with a lady whom he called his wife. They re-
mained for a fortnight, and then went during the
assizes to an adjoining house, and then returned to
the hotel. Mrs. Drummond died on Tuesday morn-
ing, having been confined three weeks previously
with a child which is now living. The deceased
had not been in bed for three weeks, and on Tues-
day morning witness went into his room. Mr.
Greaves, surgeon, took a knife from him. The
deceased afterwards began to pack his clothes, and
appeared almost out of his mind. He said he had
left something in the other room, and he must fetch
it. He then went into the bedroom where the
deceased lady lay, took something out of a drawer,
and put it up to his mouth. Her servant, who was
nigh, said, " Good God ! he has got the laudanum."
Witness went up to him and took it from him. Ho
said it was only port wine. (The bottle, with the
remainder of the laudanum in it, was produced ; it
bore a label, "Laudanum—poison," and had been
purchased for the lady from a local chemist.)
Witness sent for Mr. Greaves, surgeon. The
deceased said he was sure it was port wine he had
taken. This was between two and three in the
afternoon, and he died about eight o' clock the
same evening. The deceased had drank a great
deal since he had been in the hotel—principally
brandy, but witness never saw him intoxicated.
He was dreadfully distressed at the lady's death,
and said he should go to London and take the child
with him, and commenced packing his things.
During her illness she called him so often that he
remained in her room every night with the nurse.
When witness was watching him and following
him about, he said there was no occasion for her to
watch him, as he never intended to make away
with himself. He told witness the lady's father
would pay the bill. After deceased had taken the
laudanum he begged witness not to leave him.
During the whole of the lady's illness he was much
agitated and distressed. They appeared much at-
tached to each other. Dr. Evans and Mr. Greaves
were in attendance on her.
Susan Hale, a dressmaker, deposed that she was
sent for by the deceased lady a fortnight before her
confinement, and she had had the care of the infant
since. Witness confirmed the evidence of the pre-
vious witness as to the circumstances under which
the deceased had taken the poison, adding that the
deceased on entering the room said he was going
to see the dead body of the lady, and that on get-
ting into the room he locked the door, and on wit-
ness and Mis. Holland trying to get in he unlocked
the door, and then they saw him drinking the
laudanum. Ile had drunk about three parts of a
pint of brandy at a draught soon after the lady
died, and cried and raved about the room. Half
an hour before she died she begged him not to cry
for her. As soon as she had died the deceased told
witness she must go. with him to London with the
infant. Before taking the laudanum he had asked
witness for it, but she did not know where it was.
Jane Phillipps, the nurse who had attended the
deceased lady, stated that she never considered her
in
theany
roomdan ngerigh`trhaenddedeaeyaseadt gentleman remainedreguest
in .
Witness left the deceased lady on Sunday morning
last, believing she would go on well. The deceased
gentleman drank a good deal. Never noticed any-
thing extraordinary in his manner. They appeared
much attached to each other. The bottle produced
she never saw before, Laudanum bad been need for