The Sun.
London, England, 1818-05-09 00:00:00

ASSAULT ON A CATHOLIC CLEIIGYSIAN.

A.young Frenchman, of most
,respectahle con-
nections, was then arraigned for assanhing and
wounding, with a drawn sword, the Abbe Ma-
thias, a 'Roman Catholic Clergyman, while pet-
forming the service of the Mass at the Spanish
Ainbas.iador's Chapel, on Sunday, the 15th March

The Rev. Clergymal stated the nature of the
assault, as we ►letailed it at the time.
The, prisoner, on being calle►l upon for his de-
_

fence, said, " My defence is, that he refused to
administer the sacrament to me as he ought to
have done; and this was a malicious act, fur
Which he deserved to die ; as there is no law in
this cOon.ry to punish, him fur such an act, 1
took it my own hands.''
Mr. ALLEY, as Counsel for the prisoner, caVe[i
a number of persons to.establish'his insanity.
The.Geutlenoui who paid the prisoner his al-
lowance from his friends in Ft'ance of 301. per
month, stated his beliet of his derangement for
the las.4.two or
three years. -Ile had tnat!e a se-
lions attempt to induce this Genthm at to believe
that he-could, live upon air.
The Lady where the prisoner lodged for the

last .13 months proved the following extraordi-
nary..cta.t►duCt la his mode of living : for some
►veeks he confined his diet tobreadAwit hour yeast)
and water—theri he would live for oveeks on fowl,
rating twenty-ot►e•per week—then for a time on
oranges-then on oil.cakes-r-then on boiled flour
and water—then on the juice of ponnded grass—
then on the juice of pounded ruses—then On t►n-
boiled. pease—then on boiled ones, eating each

day so much as three pecks of shelled ones, and
-one. peck
,irf them with the shells—sometimes
changing his diet to mutton, of which he would
t sfx.pounds a day. Ile had also a variety of
snits r,f iron armour made, weighing 214 lbs. each,
which he used to try on at the brazier's, and say
that he would walk in them 50 leagues a day.
He had also an iron crown, and a highly-polished
double-edged sword, about eight feet in length.
He avowed his intention of leading forty millions
of rmen to extirpate the Barbary States. The iron
suits orarmonr for himself and a horse were pro-
duCed- in Court.
A number 'of medical and other witnesses de.
posed_ to, his insanity., and after au aide charge
tromßaron GAKRow, the Jury, after a shuts con-
sultation, and without leaving the box, returned a
verdict of Acquittal, on the ground of mental de-
rangement at the time the prisoner committed

e act:

INSANITY.

Mathias Maher, a young man of youthful, but

very wretched appearance, who stands indicted
for fiavtt.g forged a deed, with intent to defraud
J.., Ward, and who has .been remanded
fram:Sessiost to Session; in order to ascet lain his
staifof.mind, was brought to the bar by no less
than three attendants. His beard is of conside-
rable.geowth ; he wore a strait jacket, and, in
addijiontO his .hands being' manacled behind, it
was found necessary to chain him : his appear.
ance altogether. was terrific ; he stared wildly
around,--and on the attendants placing him at the
bar, he exclaimed," Do you want to murder me;
I have been starved. It'oti have kept rue a month
without eating any thing. Are you going to give
me the baccn

Mr. SHELTON then read the indictment to him,
and asked loin to plead.
The unhappy man did not pay the slightest at-
tention to any'thing that surrounded him.
Mr. Justice BAILEY addreised him—Mathias
Maher, attend to me : Yon are called ni,on to say,
whether you are guilty or not guilty ; it you don't
plead ---
Prisoner—They hare been going to murder me
for these last seven months.

ALLEY observed, that he was instructed, by
the law of hutnani•y and the laws of England to
prove that the prisoner was not in a condition to
take his trial. He should therefore merely call
the evidence.-

Several witnesses were examined, some of
whom stated, their belief that the insanity of the
Prisoiter *as real, and others that it might be as•

•umeti.-

The Jury returned a verdict of Insanity.

P A R IA A N T.

HOUSE OF !AMON Fpi:Dx-r,-

The lloyal Assent waa given by Conimissilir? Ito
the Duke of Canthrirle,'s Po
--
chess of Cumberland's Atindiity the Loin
Bill, the Innkeepers' Rates liili,. the' ri..0.1) Corks
!WWI! rat Bin, the Glass Diries the N‘r,,t
Scotia Trade Bill, the Exeter, IN•it, and Nii,t-•
!in,....bant Gas Light Bills, the tVatelloo
Bill, Lee's Divorce Bill, and a number of others,
chiefly local and priv4e, iii all 81.—The Corn•
missioners .% ere, the Lord Chancellor, the of
Shaftesbilvv, and Lora Reileschtle.

The Churches Building. Bill, the Parish Vestries Bill, tile
Poor Laws Amendment Bill, the Lirerpoul Gas Light
and two Private Bills, were bromot up tioiu the 1-iipti.e of
Commons liy the Chancellor of the ENchi (pet , Mr. St m-ges•
Bourne, General Ciascopte, Mr: NI. A. Taylor, Mr. ISlacik
rti, and other Members, and read a first time.

Th, Earl GIiOSVENOR pi eseetted a Pcti:ioo from Saint
Luke, Chelsea, avainst 'the Parish Ve.trs Bill.—Ordered ru
lie upon the Table.
Lind AUCK L.: NI) presented a Petition from Leeds in fa-
vour of the Chimney Sweepers ltegalatMn Bill, :hid statihr;
that a Society had been folioed there for saperse,iimr, ItY
means 'of machinery, the employment of Chmliing
Ordered to he referred to the Committee on the Mil.
'lle Parish Vestries bill and the Poor Laws Amendment
Dill Wete ordered to be printed.

Sylces's Hyd•iiiiieter and the West India Trade Big
passed through Committees, and were reported W 1010111:
ame►►dment.

CHURCHES BUILDING BILL.

The Earl of LIVERPOOL, on moving the first reading
of the Churches Building Bill, unwed that it Ire printed,
which was ordered, and have notice of his intention to move
the second reading on Friday next, for which day the Lords
were ordered to be summoned.