Star.
London, England, 1822-08-14 00:00:00

1
state of. menial delusion -fox some weeks previous :to quarter of an hoer, and at the reiittest of the Coroner
drew up a special verdict.

been made:m such a proceeding. In fgct, no attempt!
at concealment was manifested on the part of the '
household, but, on the contrary, a desire was shewn
to afford the Public an opportunity of ascertaining
the particulars of an event respecting which much
interest must necessarily be excited.
The following is the description of the situation of
the body at the time the Jury viewed it :—The body
lay on the floor on the right•side, with the face in-,
dined to the carpet. There was a stream of gore
that had run from the window of the apartment to
the door, perhaps not less than three or four quarts
of blood in all. His Lordship's right hand was dyed
in blood. The body was in the precise situation it was
placed on the morning of th,e melancholy occurrence.
It had not been touched by any person. A cap was
on the head, and a long morning gown on the body.
Slippers and stockings were on the feet and legs. The
countenance was very pale and ghastly ; the eyes
were open.—The melancholy scene was truly appal-
ling, and will not be forgotten- for a long time by
those who witnessed it. The Jury returned to the
dining-room.
The. first witness called was Anne Robinson, who
being sworn, deposed as follows I wait upon the
Marchioness of Londonderry : I knew the Marquis
of Londonderry : his body now lies up stairs. In
my opinion he has been ill during the last fortnight,
but particularly so since Monday week. On Mon-
day morning he rang the bell; I answered it; he in-
quired why my Lady had not been to see him. ller
Ladyship had been with him all night, and I told
him so. Her Ladyship at this time was not in the
room. I then went away. The bell rang again.—
When I answered it he asked if Dr. Bankhead bad
been to see him ? I told him that Dr. Bankhead had
been with him about two hours and a half in the
evening. It was about four in the morning when he
asked me this question. When I told him that Dr.
Bankhead had been with him, he asked what he had
said to the Doctor—whether he had talked any non-
sense to him, or anything particular, as he had no
recollection on the subject? I replied, that I was not
in the room during the time that he talked with the
Doctor. I then left the room. He rang again about
seven o'clock. I went to him. He then asked me
what I wanted there? My Lady was with him at
the time. She had been with him since four o'clock,
and she answered, 6 that my Lord wanted his break-
fast: My Lard and Lady were in bed at the time.
I left the room and brought the breakfast up. He
sat up in the bed and tasted part of it. He found
fault with it, and said, ' it was not a breakfast fit
for him.' lie said there was no butter there ; the
butter, however, was on the tray, as usual, and I
pointed it out to him. The manner in which he spoke
struck me as being uncommon ; it was in a sharp
tone, which was unusual with him. I left the room
after this. The bell rang again in about half an hour;
that was about half-past seven. .My Lady was in the
room at this time, and I cannot tell vain rang the
bell. When I entered the room he asked me whether
Dr. Bankhead had come from town? I told him that
Dr. Bankhead had slept in the house. He then said
that he wished to see him. My Lady then got up
and came to me at the door, and said something to
me. I went to Dr. Bankhead, and gave him my
Lord's message. I went back to my Lord, and told
him that Dr. Bankhead would be with him in two
minutes. When my Lord saw me speaking to my
Lady, before I left the room to go to Dr. Bankhead,
he said there was a conspiracy ag:iinst him. My Lady
at that time desired me to tell Dr. Bankhead that he
was wanted as soon as he could come. When I re-
turnei and tcld my Lady that Dr. 13.inkbead would
come, my Lady got out of .bed and retired to her
dressing-room. At this moment my Lord also got
out of bed, and turned to the right into his own
dressing-room.—[Several questions were here put to
the witness to ascertain the precise situation of these
rooms. From the answers which she returned, it
appeared that the common sleeping-room opened
into a passage, on either side of which was a dress-
ing-room, Lady Londonderry's on the left, his Lord-
ship's on the right. At the extremity of the passage
was another door, behind which Dr. Bankhead was
waiting].—l had just opened the door of my Lady's
dressing-room, into which she had entered, when my
Lord rushed past me into his own room. I opened
the outside door, and told the circumstance to Dr.
Bankhead, who immediately followed my Loz d into
his dressing-raom. 1 cannot tell what passed there,
but I heard my Lord open his window before the
Doctor entered his room. Immediately when the
Doctor entered the room he (the Doctor) exclaimed,
Oh, my Lord !' or Oh, my Gov!' I cannot recollect
which. I heard no reply to this from my Lord. I in-
stantly rushed into the room, and saw the Doctor with
my Lord in his arms. I remained in the room till I saw
the Doctor lay him with his face upon the ground.
I saw the blood running from him while_ Dr. Bank-
head held him. I saw a knife. I heard my Lord say
nothing. I was certainly much alarmed. The knife
was in his right hand.—[A. penknife with an ivory
handle, and upon which there was no appearance of
blood, was here shewn to the witness 3.-1 believe that
to be the penknife which I saw in my. Lord's hands.—
After staying a feet minutes in my Lord's dressing-
room, I followed Dr. Bankhead to my Lady. I had
previously raised an alarm, and it was now general
throughout the house. To the best of my belief my
Lord did not live four minutes after I saw him. I
did not perceive any wound nor any blood while he
was in his bed-room. No person wa's with him in
the interval between his leaving his dressing-room
and his death but Dr. Bankhead. His state of mind
appeared to be very incorrect for the last three or
four days of his life. He appeared to be very wild
in everything he said or did. He wanted from me a
box, which, he said, Lord Clanwilliam had given to
me. His Lordship, however, had never given me
any. He also asked me for his keys when he had
them about hini. During the last fortnight he was
accustomed to say that everybody had conspired
against him. He was very severe in his manner of
speaking, which I never noticed before, he being in
general mild and kind. When he saw two people
speaking together, he always said, There is a con-
spiracy laid against me: A great many circumstances
induce me to believe that he was out of his mind a
fortnight before his death. He scolded my Lady on
Sunday afternoon, because, as he said, she had not
been near him all day—she had entirely forsakenlim.
Her Ladyship, hower., had been sitting with him
all the morning.“—The witness, in conclusions, ee•
peated her belief that igh Lordship had. been in a

his death.
The second witness examined was Chaska Bank.l
head, ALD. of Lower Brook-street, Grosvenor-square.
—" On last Friday afternoon, at five o'clock, I re-
ceived
a note from Lady Londonderry, desiring me
to come as soon as I could to see the Marquis of
Londonderry, at his house in St. James's7square. Her
note stated that she was very anxious about his Lord-
ship, as she thought he was very ill and very ner-
vous ; that they were to leave town for 'North Cray
at seven o'clock in the evening, and that she hopedi
would come before that hour. I arrived in Sti
James's-square at six o'clock, and found my Lord
and Lady alone in the drawing-room. Upc'a feeling
his pulse I conceived him to be exceedingly ill. He
complained of a severe head-ache, and of a confusion
of recollection. He looked pale, and was very much
distressed in his manner. I told'him that I thought
it was necessary that he should be cupped, and that
I would stay and dine with his Lady and himself
whilst the copper came. The copper soon arrived,
and took seven ounces of blood from the nape of his
Lordship's neck. After the operation was performed
he stated that he was very much relieved, and I ad-
vised him to lay himself quietly down on the sofa
for half an hour ; and, as he had scarcely eaten the
whole day, to take a cup of tea before he got into
the carriage to return to North Cray. He followed
my advice, and laid himself down on the couch,where
he remained very tranquil. After this he drank two
cups of tea. I waited until I saw my Lady and him-
self get into the carriage in order to return to North
Cray. Before his departure his Lordship said that,
as I must be sure he was very ill, he expected that I
would come ao North Cray and stay all Saturday
night, and, if possible, all Sunday. I sent with him
some opening medicines, which he was to take early
on Saturday, in order that I might know the effect
they had produced on my arrival. I know that he
took these powders on Saturday. I left town for North
Cray on Saturday, and arrived at seven in the evening.
I understood that his Lordship had not been out of
bed all day, and I immediately proceeded to his bed-
room. On entering his bed-room, I observed that
his manner of looking at me expressed suspicion and
alarm. He said it was very odd that I should come
into his bed-room first, before going into the dining-
room below. I answered that I had dined in town,
and knowing that the family mere at dinner down
stairs, I had come to visit him. Upon this he made
a reply which surprised me exceedingly. It was to
this effect—that 1 seemed particularly grave in my
manner, and that something must have happened
amiss. Ile then asked me abruptly whether I had
anything unpleasant to tell him? I answered, No;
that I was surprised at his question, and.the manner
in which it was proposed.' He then said, the truth
was, that he had ivason to be suspicious in some de-
gree, but that he hoped that I would be the last per-
son who would engage in anything that would be in-
jurious to him.' His manner of saying this was so
unusual and so disturbed, as to satisfy me that he was
at the moment labouring under mental delusion. I
entreated him to be very tranquil, and prescribed for
him some more cooling and aperient medicines, con-
fineJ him to barley-water, and allowed him slops
only. I remained with him during Saturday night,
and till one o'clock on Sunday morning. Though
his fever was not very high during any part of this I
time, yet the incoherence of his speech, and the un-
comfortableness of his manner, continued unaltered.
During Sunday I visited him frequently, and conti-
nued with him in the evening till half-past twelve
o'clock. I advised him to be as tranquil as possible,
and told him that I would endeavour to persuade my
Lady to come to bed. I slept in a room very near
that of his Lordship. On Monday morning, about
seven. o'clock, Mrs. Robinson, my Lady London.
derry s maid, came to my room door, and asked if
1 was dressed, telling me my Lord wished to see;
me by and bye.' I answered, that I was ready to
cons that moment; but Mrs. Robinson said, that she
did not wish me to come then, because her Ladyship
had not left the bed-room. In about half an hour
she returned again, and said, that his Lordship would
be glad to see me immediately, as her Ladyship-was
putting on her gown, in order to go into her own
dressing-room. On walking from my own room to
Lord Londonderry's bed-room, I observed that the
door of the latter was open, and could perceive that
his Lordship was nct in it. In an instant Mrs. Ro-
binson said to me, ' His Lordship has gone into his
dressing-room.' I stepped into his dressing-room,
and saw him in his dressing-gown, standing with his
front towards the window, which was opposite to

the door at which I entered. His face was directed

towards the ceiling. Without turning his head, on
the instant he heard my step he exclaimed, Bank-
head, let me fall upon your arm—'tis all over!' As
quickly as possible I ran to him, thinking he was

tainting, and going to fall. I caught him in my
arms as he was falling, and perceived that he had a
knife in his right hand, very firmly clinched, and all
over blood. I did not see him use it: he must have

used it before I came into the room. In falling he
declined upon one side, and the blood burst from him

like a torrent from a watering-pet. I was unable to
support him, and he fell out of my arms. I think

the wound must have been inflicted as soon as I put
my foot on the threshold of the door, as its nature
was such, that the extinction of life must have fol-
lowed it in the twinkling of an eye. ' I think that not
less than two quarts of blood flowed from him in one
minute. lam satisfied that a minute did not elapse
from the momeut of my entering the room until he
died, and during that time he said not a word, ex-
cept that which I have already mentioned. It was
impossible that any human being could have inflicted
the wound but himself. Having known him inti-
mately for the last thirty years, have no hesitation
in saying that he was perfectly insane, when he com-
mitted this act. I had noticed a great decline in the
general habit of his health for some weeks prior to
his death; but I was not aware of the mental dein-

sion under which he was labouring till within three
or four days of his decease."

The Gentlemen connected with the Public Preis,
and the Noblemen and Gentlemen spectators of the
melancholy inquiry, were requested by the Coroner
to withdraw from the room. whilst the Jury conferred
together as to the necessity of more evidence being
produced, -or whether they were satisfied with the,
evidence that had already beau elicited.
The Jurors were Idiscussists the question FR

The doors were then thrown 'open, and the ger.
sons were again admitted.
The Coroner said that the Jury were satisfied Oith
the evidence that had been adduced, and 'returned a
verdict, which he then proceeded to read, and was
in substance as follows :
" That on Monday, August IS, and for some time previossit,
the Most Noble Robert, Marquis of Londonderry, under a
grievous disorder did labour and languish, and became in 'come.
quence delirious and of insane mind ; and that,whilet iii that state
with a knife of iron and steel, he did inflict on himself, on, of;
left side of his neck, and on the carotid artery, a wound of nos
inch in length, and half an inch in depth, of which he instantly
died ; and, that no other person, except himself, was the c suer s.f
his death."
After the verdict had been returned, the Juif
proceeded individually to sign the 'presentment of
the Inquisition,-and strangers retired ; the Coroner
11 very politely sent a message to the Gentlemen con.
fleeted with the Press, stating, that the business
was not entirely finished. On their return to the
quest-room, the Coroner proceeded to address the
Jury ; he said, that in a case like the present he should
not be travelling out of the line of his duty, if he
offered his opinion upon the decision that had beea
come to by the Jury after their investigation of this
very melancholy and lamentable case. After the
evidence that they had received, he felt assured they
could not have come conscientiously to any other
verdict than that which they had done. He trusted
that no one would charge him, in the discharge of
the duties of his office, with improperly giving his
opinion; hut if it was any satisfaction to the .Jury or
to the Public in general, he must say that the mind
of the deceased was at the time he committed the
act, and previously, in a deranged state. A number
of witnesses could have been produced, who would
have given testimony in proof of his Lo:Aship's men-
tal defection prior to the 9th of August; but as 11:s
Lordship had been in public since that pet iod, it was
thought best to take only_such evidence as referred
to his Lordship's .state of mind subsequent to that
period till the day of his death.
The Coroner then complimented the Jury irpret
the uthight and honest manner in which they Lad
discharged their duty to the country, and he exln esscd
himself particularly pleased with their decision.
Di. Bankhead then produced a lute: from Lis
pocket, which he delivered to the Coroner.
The Coroner again addressed the Jury' and audi-
tory. He stated that the document he then held in
his hand he considered to be of great importance,
and which, had it been considered necessary, would
have been produced to the Jury. It was a letter
written by his Grace the Duke of Wellington, re-
specting the deceased Marquis prior to the commis-
sion of the fatal act, and it sheaved that such had
been the unusual conduct of the deceased, that sus-
picion had been excited in the mind of his Grace 6a:
the Marquis's intellects had been considerably af-
fected. The following is a copy of the lette: :
Apsley House, August 9.
" DCAI Sta—l called upon you with the intention st
to you on the subject of the health of Lord Londonderry,
to request of you that you will call on him. I told his Lire:.
ship that he was unwell, and particularly requested him to
for you ; but lest he should not, I sincerely hope that y, %a v
contrive by some pretence to go down to his Lori,hie. I !,are
no doubt he is very unwell. He appears to toe to Lev • !‘eeti
exceedingly harassed, much fatigued. and over-Work,d data
the late Session of Parliameht, and I have no doubt
under mental delu-ion, at least this is my impresino. I 5,,;
that you'll never mention to any one what. I have t.,11
sliming his Lordl/4hip.--1 am, &c. " WE.1.1.1 TON.
" To Charles ILtikhead, M.D." &c.
After the above document had been read the Jo: yr
expressed their thanks to the Coroner, and stated,
that the letter just read tended to shew the propriety
of the decision they had come to by their verdict.
The knife with which the fatal deed was perpe-
trated by his Lordship was larger in size than a com-
mon penknife. It had a white handle, and was a
clasp knife, with the blade bent or hooked like a
scimitar. It was viewed with great minuteness by
the Coroner, the Jurors, and many persons who weie
present during the above inquiry, which was atteEdedd•
by many Noblemen and Gentlemen, political friends
and supporters of the late Noble Marquis. It was
stated that several of the Opposition were present.
We are happy to hear so favourable a report la.t
evening of her Ladyship's health. She was said to
be much more composed, and, under all circuit:-
stances, ,vas as well as could be expected.
Last night, after the Jury had retinue] their ver-
dict, the body of the Marquis was laid out on a led,
ready for placing in a coffin. The preparations for
the funeral, which it is said will take place as pri-
vately as possible, are in great forwardness.

CHARGE or Rarra—Mrs. Gibson, an interesting looking young
woman, keeping a toy-shop near the 3laid and Magpk, Stepto y-
fields, applied yesterday to Lambetb.street Office, for a w..r.
rant to apprehend a Mi. Hardman and Mr. iiiienrronn, both re-
dents in the same neighboutkood. The Magistrate having put the
necessary questions to the applicant in a delicate manner, and
having received the answers warranting his jurisdiction, he
granted the warrant, and Fortune, the officer, was instantly dis-
patched to execute it. He ,oen returned with !dlr. Shearmaa
in custody, when Mrs. Gibson deposed that, on Sunday after-
noon, about two o'clock, the prisoner and the other accuse,: coded
at her house; they sent out for a quartern of sum, of which At:
drank a small portion, and they the remainder, when they de-
parted. She laid herself carelessly on the bed up stain, and re-
mained dozing about an hour, when she was suddenly alarmed
by Mr. Hardman rudely laying hold of her. She screamed oot
" Fire ! Murder ! Murder !" upon which she heard the pri-
soner, Who seemed to be adjacent, laughing extremely hearty.
She struggled as well as she possibly could, but her strength was
insufficient to resist the attack, and she swooned away, and am:
a little time faund herself alone; upon which she ran down start-,
having her clothes nearly torn of her back, her stockings by
heels, and her hair dishevelled. On opening the street door,
first person she saw was an old man, who stands opposite v. ith
frtftt stall, of whom she inquired, " Which way they bad gone;
Hardman was quite a stranger to her, and her only acquarritar:e
with the prisoner was, that she bad lived near hint about a yea"
ago, and dealt with him for beer, otc. Ile was placed such aparsituation during the perpetration of the outrage, that she is par
chive he must have seen and heard all that past. She 51.5,s no:
know how the parties gained a second ingress to the house ; the
oily persons in it were herself and a female child, aged about tour
years, belonging to a neighbour. the
The prisoner admitted having called about the time alluded to
at Mrs. Gibmes house, accompanied. *by Mr. 1-lardman, but he
did not hear her scream out, or give any alarm whatever, if silthad, he must have heard it.
The prisoner found substantial ball, and was liberated.—The
parties accused are each married men.
Search is making to bring forward Mr. Hardman.

DIED.
On the 9th instant, at Highgate, in the 45d year of her ale,
Mary, wile of Mr. Critehett, of Ake:agate-street.

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