The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-01-31 00:00:00

CASE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER

On Friday last, at the Police-court, a man, named John
Whalley, having the appearance of a countryman, was charged
with attempting to cut the throat of a man, named Watkins,
a lodger in the house of one Rowe, in Greetham-street. It
appeared from complainant's statement, that on Thursday
night he retired to rest as usual, and nothing occurred to dis-
turb him till about a quarter past one o'clock, when he was
awoke by a sort of scratching sensation about his neck. On
jumping up to ascertain the cause of this strange visitation,
he discovered the prisoner (Whalley) with a knife in his hand,
which he brandished about, and with which he threatened to
cut the complainant's throat. Prisoner also said he would
have his life, and made a thrust at him with the weapon, and
his lip was cut by it in the scuffle. He immediately ran down
stairs, :in a state of nudity, the prisoner following after him
wills the knife in his hand, and attempting to stab him. He
warded off the blows aimed at him with a stick which he
picked up, and thus saved himself from Whalley's deadly pur-
pose until he met with a policeman, when the prisoner was
taken into custody. The officer corroberated the latter part
of the story. The prisoner, on being asked what lie had to
say in his defence, said that he found the complainant in bed
with his wife, and, in the heat of his passion, he had acted in
the way stated. Evidence was called which disproved the
charge made by the prisoner as to his wife's infidelity, the
landlady of the house and a girl related to the prisoner's wife
deposed that nothing of the sort took place. The prisoner
was not drunk, but had had liquor. Some material evidence,
not then present, being deemed necessary, Mr. Rushton in-
timated his intention of adjourning the case till Saturday,
when he would give it a thorough sifting. The prisoner was
accordingly remanded. Mr. Wardle stated, in court, that
the prisoner's wife was a most respectable woman, having been
well brought up, and connected with a clergyman of the
highest respectability in the south of England. She had, un-
fortunately, married the prisoner, who had since led a most
abandoned life, and persecuted her in every imaginable way.
The prisoner had squandered away a handsome property since
the lady became his wife, sold everything he could lay his
hands upon, and had had repeated assistance from his wife's
friends until he had completely tired them out, and they
would do no more for him or her.

On Saturday last the prisoner was again placed at the bar.
A Mr. Shaw was called, who stated that he lived in the same
house as Watkins, and remembered him coming home about
half-past one o'clock on the morning in question. Shaw did
not know how he got in, but he opened the door of the room
in which he (witness) slept, and, stepping in, said, " It's me,
Shaw ; hush, hush ! " Shaw struck a light, and gave it to
him. A female inmate of the house stated that the prisoner's
wife slept with Mrs. Rogers. Mr. Rogers deposed that she
did not hear the prisoner enter the house. The first thing
she saw was the prisoner with his hand on Watkin's throat.
The prisoner's wife went to bed with her. She was out of
bed, and had told her (witness) that she went down stairs
from necessity, having taken medicine ; that, as she was re-
turning, she saw a glimmering of light, and, believing it to
her husband, she hastened up stairs, and got on the bed,
where witness found her when she awoke. Police-officer 120
recapitulated his former evidence. The prisoner said, if the
knife had been sufficiently sharp, he would have cut both
their throats (alluding to his wife and Watkins), and if he
had had a gun he would have shot them, for he found them
in bed together. Police-officer 292 stated, that, while Wat-
kins was dressin,, himself, the prisoner ran at him again,
saying, he would kill him. He (the officer) asked him why
he would do so. The wife was then down stairs. He (the
officer) went to her and said, "Your husband lays all the
blame upon you—what is the meaning of this? " She hung
down her head, and, upon his intimating to her more plainly
the nature of her husband's accusation, a gentleman, who
had been attracted to the spot, said he was sure she was guilty
from her manner. She said, " No, I was not in the bed, I
was only sitting on it." Mr. Rushton again questioned Mrs.
Rogers, who deposed that the prisoner had behaved very ill
to his wife. She (Mrs. Rogers) knew that the wife had taken
salts on the preceding night. Mr. Wardle said if this oc-
currence had not taken place, lie must have applied. on Fri-
day, for a warrant against the prisoner for abuse of his v.!lo.
Mrs. Rogers continued her statement, saying, that the
language of the prisoner to his wife was usually of the most
gross and abusive description. Mrs. Rogers repeated some
of the prisoner's expressions, which were excessively dis-
gusting, The case was adjourned about an hour, at the end
of which time the girl above alluded to was produced. Her
evidence was not, however, taken. Mr. Rushton said he
should remand the prisoner till Monday.
Yesterday the prisoner was again brought up and committed
to the assizes for trial.

APPOINTMENT OF A POOR-LAW COMMISSION FOR SCOT-
LAND.—The Queen has been pleaSed to direct letters patent
to be forthwith made and passed under flit; Seal appointed by
the Treaty of Union to be kept and made use of in place of
the Great Seal of Scotland, appointing Robert Viscount Mel-
ville, K.T., Robert Montgomerie Lord Belhaven, Henry
Home Drummond, Esq., James Campbell, of Craig,ie, Esq.,
Edward Twisleton, Esq., the Reverend Dr. Patrick Maclar-
lan, Minister of Greenock, and the Rev. James Robertson,
Minister of Ellon, in the county of Aberdeen, her Majesty's
Commissioners for inquiring into the practical operation of
the Poor-laws in Scotland. The Queen has also been pleased
to appoint William Smith, Esq., advocate, to be Secretary
to the said Commission.—Friday's Gazette.
INSANITY AS A PLEA FOR CRIMINALS.—The Times
has opportunely republished Lord Mansfield's remarks on
insanity as a plea for criminals, in the case of Bellingham,
who shot Mr. Perceval. The following is the material pas-
sage:—" If a man was deprived of all powers of reasoning,
so as not to be able to distinguish whether it was right or
wrong to commit the most wicked or the most innocent
transaction, he could not certainly commit an act against the
law. Such a man, so destitute of all power of judgment,
could have no intention at all. In order to support this de-
fence, however, it ought to be proved by the most distinct
and unquestionable evidence that the criminal was incapable
of judging between right and wrong. It must, in fact, he
proved beyond all doubt, that at the time he committed the
atrocious act with which he stood charged, he did not con-
sider murder was a crime against the laws of God and Nature.
There was no other proof of insanity which could excuse mur-
der or any other crime."