Star.
London, England, 1826-08-11 00:00:00

1

• lb`trouideert, the ifei llfr. Broughton and Mr. Etti went
.to th house of thealmiths on that day, accompanied by
John itolson. requesting to see their brother George;
the brother Thomai was taken by surprize, he appeired
"alarmed, begged them to stay, said hie broiler William
was gone to Drayton Market, and that the lunatic Could
not be seen, as he had the key of the roam with him.
In consequence 'nf this- ti,e Rev. Mr. Broughton said,
• is I.will break the door, the locks, or any thing, sooner
than depart w'thent having my curiosity satisfied with
respect to what I have heard of your brother's treat-
,meet." Th-mas Smith then said he %%mild go up and
tell his bro:her, Racily and prepare him forthe visit, by
telling him that another brother was coining to see
him, and this, the Learned Damsel said, was for a bro-
ther, said to be a common idiot—that he was to be ere-
pa: ed. lbcwnas Smith accordingly made via-toast& to
go•up stairs, mid they suspecting some tatilla went up
anther staircase, where they met D,liss Smith and
Thamas.• with whom they had somi conversation.
Going along they saw one room with a chain and staple,
in which they suspected the lunatic was confined.—.
What most convinced tie Gentlemen who visited the
lunatic was an intolerable stencil that proceeded front
the room—from this clean room I so often washed, as
suaed by the witnesses, as they entered into it ; and
their description of it defies the power of language ; it
was dark, no apeituie to it. the window closed up with
bricks. They f. mid the floor cover d with chaff and
human ordure—so much so, that they will swear there
was as much as filled tan balceti. Struck with hot rot,
t'.;ey opened the window, and pulled the bricks out of
the %viral° a, when they saw a bedstead, to which Miss
`smith went u p;and turning some of the covering, which
Consisted of an old ceat, two sacks, and pat t of a dirty
hlanka, she said, "There he is." There he was, cer•
. taioly, in the month of January, naked, stark naked!
Is irrg on a eh off bed, coiled up like a grey-hound.—
, -Mattress there was none ; but there the object lay. in his
own ordure. There was no mattress; he lay in chaff, con-
'Cid by beards only. This was the state in which the In.
alsazic was found, instead of being in th cleanly state re-
esented ; the stench was in fact so intolerable they could
-scarcely remain; they could not walk without being de-
...filed. The beat dof the lunatic was five or six inches in
length, and yet this was treatment to a person who was
. described to be treated, as one says, " with all possible
gnodiress.* This was the state which would be proved
by the testimony ol Mr. Broughton. Mr. Eld, and Poison.
It had such an effect on them they instantly determined
on uernoving him to a lunatic asylum; and, accordingly,
al laranghton wroe to Mr. Garrett, the superintendent
of it, who came about eight oclock on the Friday after-
wards, and found the stench even then so intolsrable
that he left the room to get some tobacco to do away
the effea son himself. N. thing even then had been
done to the loom. The lunatic was taken by him to
the lunatic asylum at Stafford, where everything was
done for him. It was found necessary to have him
placed twice in a warm bath, before the filth or disco-
louration of his body could be removed. or he could be
pronounced perfectly sweet. His pulse was low. He
was altogether weak ; and as the evidence of Dr.
MsPiters• n proved, brought on 'the other side with
difficulty, he was preserved from death, and to Mr.
Broughton's conduct, on this occasion, may be solely
at ributed his preseTvation. Mtn the details of such
treatment, what could it be compared to? Isiothing...—
D.ath itself WAS nothing to what. was infficted on this
ualtapny wretch.
" The Instruments of death that despots sometimes nee--
The lifted axe, the atomising wheel,
Luke's Iron crown, and Daarlen's bed of mai,"
AU, all. *ere as nothing compared to the treatment be
received. The cruel despot at least puts an end to his,
victim ; bete the wretch was 'kept lingering on for
weeks, nay years, and would have remained so until
nature mist at length have given way. It was said by
the medical men that there was no fracture; big he
would prove there must have been a fracture, tot as one
thiLh was ferny inches shorter than the other, such a
cinataction would be proved to have been caused by a
fracture, or, what was worse, by a fracture inhumanly
left to cure itself, for it did cot appear that on any occa-
sion a hatever a medical man had been called in to see
him. The Learned Counsel, after animadverting in the
strongest terms on the cruelty practised towards the
lunatic. and 'upon the evidence brought forward, ez-
pres:ed his surprise that the opposite party had not
inoueht forward the brother Thomas, instead of the
menial servants of the house, who had so completely
connadicted each other; but, he said, it wbecause
they felt they dared ant, although he was in Gloucester
last Stturclay ; but this conduct practised was not so
extrao Binary as they would learn when he read to them
A letter, addressed to the Surgeon, after the lunatic's
removal ro the Asylum. by the agent who conducted.
the case, to the tam% ing effect, with what object they
would boon learn : " Utteleteralltb Apr 11,1556.
e To re Smith, a Lunatic.
" Sag—l beg to apprise you, that it is the opinion of my client,
and the opinion of several medical men, that it is highly Impropec
the lunatic should be shaved, arid that in this manner at least visa
quest there will be no alteration made in his appearance pending
legal yr oceedings which have been instituted, or shall be instituted,
is this case. (Signed) " W. FLINT."
The object of 0 is letter aas avowedly to deter the
people of the Aey'urn from shaving this patient; how-
ever, they disregarded the admonition or threat, and so
far (rem finding that Smith winced under the operation,
he held out his face for it, and regularly turned his
cheeks for the razor, as coolly as any other man would
in a penny barbers shop on a S.iturday night. In con-
clusion;tlie Learned Gentleman said, he would leave
ca-
.e ca entirely in the hands of the Jury, upon a come
earison of the probabilities and facts as disclosed in the
testimony at either side.
The first twelve witnesses who were examined, proved that about
twenty or thirty years ago, Gewge Smith assisted the farming men
it many agricultural ems loyntenrs; he could speak, and mitre hay,
and seemed to understand what was said to him. In person he
was straight, and could walk as well as any other young man. They
also proved that a radius:li was kept on the dour of the room in
airich he was confined. ?Er room looked dark, and it appeared as
it h0.0.1s I..td been rut up against the windows.
Ttiomas E d, Etri.-1 live at Aston-hall, near Staff ird,
and accompanied Mr. Bri tighten and Poison, the coo-
table, to the hone of Mr. Smith. The first person art
Tnc:L wai Thomas Smith; Mr. Broughton asked him
1 4)LS, 11141. y brothers be had? .He replied, " Theie's my
b: ho is gone to market, myself, and my sister."
I .iakeJ lam where his punt untoriunate brother was who
was net of his mind? Ile did not answer; I said to him,
" ::.now %%here lie is—he is in a dal k room at the top
et ihe house ;" Mr. 11. said, "I must see. him ;" he
pi;elL omen, y u cannot see him—you cannot
see him end appeared very much alarmed ; I told
Lint we had tense tor the sole purpose of seeing him,
and see I im we woiad before a c :at the house.; the sis-
ter tame dov: Striae ; tiro a:.ked its if we would
down by the tire ;col t.rk.7 something? We it:-
tied au, 1t v.ais et out to take anything,