The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-04-30 00:00:00

74041 4PFM43141 OCPURft7IIOI

We arts often aonwelled, gq, public journaliga, to Mall
eireUrnstancei of the most heartrending character; but we
have rarely been called upon to detail a more melanamly
narrative of facts than is involved in the following brief
statement of an appalling occurrence which took place in
this town on Tuesday morning.
About six o'clock on Tuesday morning the family of Mr.
Jenner, a cotton-broker of this town, was thrown into the
greatest consternation by an attempt made by Mr. Jenner to
take away the life of his two children, his wife, and it is feared
his own. The unfortunate gentleman has recently been
observed to recal to his recollection several circumstances
in his past life, when he was in a more prosperous condition,
and the remembrance appeared to prey greatly upon his
spirits, and, latterly, even to affect his mind. So much was
this the case, that, in a fit of despair, he on Tuesday morn-
ing discharged a pistol at one of his children, which,
unhappily, took effect, and the poor boy is no more,
He almost at the same time discharged another at his wife,
the contents of which lodged, we believe, in her head, but at
the moment we write the lady is still alive, and it is the
opinion of Mr. Ackerley, the surgeon, that she may possibly
recover. The wretched man then endeavoured to bring his
other boy to him, by speaking in the most. affectionate
terms to him ; but the poor fellow, was too terrified to do
so, and immediately fled from the house and gave the alarm
to the police, who took his father into custody, , where he
now remains. Mr. Jenner gave himself into the possession
of the police in the most quiet manner, and a double-barreled
pistol was taken from him, and another was found at the
back of the house. He (Mr. Jenner) has been noticed by all
who knew him as a most affectionate 'husband ; and the
only reason for the he has taken is to be found in the
expression which it is stated Mr. Jenner has been heat d to
utter,—that he would rather see his wife and family dead
than afflicted by poverty.
Mr. Jenner was noticed last on Monday evening, about five
o'clock, by a gentleman with whom he was in company, to be
in a very excited state of mind, and talked much of his reduced
circumstances and disappointed prospects, which were more
likely to make a deep impression on his mind, from his
having been many years since engaged in a very lucrative
line of business in Liverpool and Manchester. Subse-
quently to this he became unfortunate, and commenced
business hi Charleston, where he realised a considerable
sum of money, which was lost in the panic of 1825. He then.
established himself as a cotton-broker in this town, with
considerable success, until his health gave way, and his con-
sequent inactivity in all probability.caused the gradual loss
of his connections.

About three years since he went to Glasgow to prosecute the
same business, but met with little or no encouragement, and
about six months since returned to this town and took up his
abode in Portland-place, Everton, and has since been strug-
gling with difficulties, under which it would appear his mind
has been impaired. He has often expressed himself to those
about him as a deeply injured man, and become so excited
in the recital of his wrongs, whether fancied or real, as to
produce an irritation of mind bordering upon ins inity.
As we previously noticed, his great and devoted attachment
to his wife and children (two boys, the younger twelve years
of age, deceased, the elder, about 15,) has induced him to
commit this rash act, in preference to seeing them reduced
to starvation and want. Mr. Jenner appears to be about
fifty-five years of age.

AND COMMITTAL OF MR.
JENNER.
At two o'clock on Tuesday the prisoner was placed at the
bar, before Mr. Rushton and Alderman Evans. To many of
our readers his figure and appeartmce are no doubt familiar.
He is low set, rather broad, and round-shouldered, with a
reddish face and bald head. A chair had been placed for him
at the bar, to which he walked, and immediately sat down
with his right side turned towards the magistrates. He sunk
his head forwards, and thus remained during nearly the whole
of the examination, a small portio❑ of the upper part of his

EXAMINATION

head alone being visible.
Mr. Dowling said, the unfortunate prisoner at the bar was
charged with having shot his son, and shot his wife, with in-
tent to kit*. her.
Mr. Michael James Whitty was sworn, and deposed as
follows :—This morning at seven o'clock I was sent for to go
to a house in Portland-place, Roscommon-street. I went
and found Mrs. Jenner lying in the front kitchen, with blood
flowing from her head. She subsequently stated, in my
hearing, that she had been shot in the head. I went to a
front bed-room, and there found a boy with his head bound
up and bloody. He was just able to draw breath at inter-
.

vats of about two minutes.
We here introduce the deposition of Mrs. Jenner, which,
though it was not read in the Court, supplies the next link in
the chain of evidence.
Mary Jenner having been sworn, said, I am the wife of
William Jenner. I got up this morning before five o'clock,
and left Mr. Jenner in bed. We were preparing to go out
of the house to live in another. I went down stairs and got
a cup of tea ; I don't think my husband got up before half-
past five. He came down about that time. It was certainly
before six o'clock. He came down with his shoes in his
hand, and said he would clean them as the servant was out.
He went up again. I remember feeling something. and I
thought I had taken a fit. What occasioned the sensation I
don't know. I heard the children scream. I was sensible
before I spoke. I heard thechildren cry "Mamma, mamma,
murder !" I called for Mr. Jenner for God's sake to help
me ; I did not know he had injured me. I did not see him
after that. I cannot tell where I was standing when I re-
ceived the shock. lam not sensible who came to my assist-
ance. I cannot tell whether I heard anything before I fell.
No one but the children and Mr. Jenner and the children
and myself was in the house at the time. The servants were

sleeping in another house.
The next witness called was George Jenner, the surviving
son of the prisoner, a fine boy aged nearly thirteen years. The
poor little fellow looked exceedingly pale and ill, but he pre-
sented himself for examination with great firmness, and
evinced remarkable intelligence in his replies to the questions
put to him. He said the prisoner 'William Jenner is toy
father,, and he and my mother resided in Portland-place,
Roscommon-street. I slept in the front room over the front
parlour, and my brother William slept with me. We both
slept in one bed. This morning, somewhere between a quar-
ter to six and a quarter past six o'clock, I was awakened
by some report near me. 1 arose up, and saw that my father
was standing by the side of the bed on the side next to my
brother. I and my brother both got out of bed, and I saw
my brother standing near my father, who had a small pistol
in his hand. I caught hold of my father's hand, and begged
him not to touch us. I did not exactly know what state my
brother was in, but I smelt a smell of burning, and I cr:ed
out murder, and ran down stairs. As I was going down
stairs, I heard a report whith seemed to conic from my bed-
room. When I got down stairs I ran towards the front
door to get out, but I found the door fast, and then I went
into the front parlour. My father came up to me, and I
took two pistols cut of his hand. I asked him what made
him do it, and he said he was crazy. I kept the pistols in
my hand, and asked him where my mother was. 1-11 b said,
"Up stairs." I said I wanted to go and see her, but he
said he would not let me, and he wanted to get the pistols
off me. I did not find my mother, but, as I was coming
away, I saw something small lying on the bed, in my mother's
bedroom. I thought it was a pistol, but I could not see dis-
tinctly. I came down again, and I think I went to the front
door, but I don't recollect, I was so frightened. My brother
and my mother were in the house, and no one else, as the
servants slept out. I had not seen my mother. I went
into the parlour, and waited there till my father came to me.
He had someting in his hand. He caught hold of me by
the head, and directly I heard a report, but nothing touched
me. He had a pistol in his hand, and I immediately caught
hold of it and hit him on the side of the head with it. I had
the two pistols in my hand which I had before taken from
him, and this was a third pistol. I then beard my mother
shout out something. I asked him where my mother was.
He said she was lying down stairs, and I told him to let me
go to her. I got away from him. He tried to detain me
but I broke away from him. He tried to detain me but I
broke away from him. I went down stairs, and I saw a pool
of blood, and my mother lying on the kitchen floor. The
.blood seemed to come from her head, as her bead was lying
in it. Her head was from the door. My father came into
the kitchen. I said I would take the pistols and throw
them away. He tried to prevent me. I reached the door
that goes to the yard, and said I would throw them over the
wall. He left loose of me then, and I took the three pistols
and threw them all into the midden. I was going back to
the kitchen when I heard him coming down the stairs, upon
which I went back through the yard and opened the back
door. He came to the door that goes to the lobby, and told
me to come in and lift my mother up. I said no, I would go
and fetch a policeman to search him. I went out of the
yard door and soon met a man. I asked him if he had seen
a policeman. He asked me what was to do. I told him,
and he said he would go and find a policeman for me. I was
proceeding to Mr. Ackerly (the surgeon), when I saw the
man tell the police, and I went on to Mr. Ackerley's, and
the boy said he would send up Mr. Ackerley directly. The
policemen were in the house when I got back. I told them
where I had put the pistols. I did not see the police•officers
find them. I have seen them since. They are the same I
took from my father's hands. When I went up stairs I
found my brother lying down on the floor of our bed-room.
There was blood on the side of his head. He could not
speak.
William Maddox, police-officer 285, sworn. I was return-
ing from duty at twenty minutes past six o'clock this morn-
ing. I was in Great Homer-street. The last witness and a
Irian both came to me nearly together. The man told me I
must go to No. 25, Portland-place, as the boy's father had
shot his (the boy's) mother and brother. I went there. I
knocked at the front door several times. It was not opened.
At length a man's voice asked if it was George. I made no
answer. A voice, which I suppose was the prisoner's, was
heard again repeating the question. I said " yes," and he
opened the door immediately. It appeared to me that the
door was not locked, but only latched. I went into the house.
He (the prisoner) did not speak, but stood in the lobby. I
asked him what was to do. He did not speak. Two other
officers came, and I heard a noise and proceeded forward to
the kitchen. I found Mrs. Jenner lying on the kitchen floor.
There was a' great quantity of blood on the floor. I tried to
lift her up on a chair. Some one came down, and by the as-
sistance of that person, I placed her on a chair. She was
bleeding very much from a wound on the right side of her
head. She cried out " Who's that ?" I told her it was a
police-officer. She asked me what I wanted there? I told
her I was corning to assist her to get in a chair. She asked
me where Mr. Jenner was. I told her up stairs. But this
time Mr. Ackerley came down. I afterwards, inconsequence
of what the boy told me, examined the midden. Assisted by
officer John Thomas, I laded the water out till I found a
pistol. I then came up out of the midden. (Witness here
produced a small double-barelled pistol which had been
found.) John Thomas, who had assisted me, now proceeded
with the search, and I saw him find two other pistols exactly
similar to the one I had found. They are all made double-
barrelled rifle pistols. One barrel of the pistol I found was
still loaded. They have percussion locks, and there was a
cap in the nipple of the loaded barrel. ohn Thomas took
the cap off. The upper barrel was unloaded.
Thos. Wallace, police-officer 316, sworn. I accompanied
the last witness into the house of the prisoner. I saw 'Mr.
Jenner standing in the passage. I did not speak to him, and
he did not speak. I went down after Maddox, and assisted
him to raise Mrs. Jenner. I went up stairs and found a boy
lying on the floor before the window. He was wounded on
the side of his head, and insensible. I set him on a chair
and called for the doctor, who was in the kitchen. He came
up and dretsed his head. I put him in the bed, and he re-
mained there till he died. I staid by his side till he died,
which was about twenty minutes past ten o'clock.
John Thomas, police-officer 338, sworn. I went to Mr.
Jenner's house about seven o'clock, and found the other
officers there. I assisted Maddox to search the midden. I
saw Maddox find the pistol which he produced. When I
took the pistol from him the lower barrel had a cap on ; the
upper barrel had been discharged. I continued to search,
and found other two pistols, which I produce. They are
double barrelled pistols of exactly similar construction to
that found b y
haven
o
Maddox.
doubt,
Onepbw barrelde
r..
ball, and, I
George Archer, police-officer 67, sworn. About twenty
minutes past six o'clock I went with the other officers to the
house of Mr. Jenner. I entered behind them and I found
Mr. Jenner standing inside the passage and I took bold of
him, and asked him what was to do. He made no answer.
I searched him. In his right hand coat pocket I found this
pistol. (Witness here produced a pistol of similar construc-
tion to the others.) He had the coat on as now. (The pri-
soner wore a light gray cloth or frieze dressing gown.) This
pistol is loaded. It had two caps on ; one on each nipple,
and was on the full cock. I had some trouble to get it from
him, and in the struggle the caps fell off.
The barrels of this pistol were unscrewed by Mr. Whitty
and then banded to the officer. Both barrels were found to
be loaded with powder and ball.
Bryce Smith, inspector of police, sworn. I went to the