The Sun. — 1849-12-17 (London, England)

LONDO'N MERCLIAICT.—We slept at Soverein's Inn. Seeing a small shop over the way, I went into it, and found it kept by a late London merchant. " I was not always in this way," ho - said: " I frequented the Stock Exchange for twenty-five years, and drank my bottle of wino every day alter dinner." I thought if he had omitted the latter "custom of an afternoon." he might not now be in the pine-woods of Lake Erie.—Sir J. Alexander's "Acadie."  two children. Mr. Wightman, the surgeon, who attended the prisoner when he was confined owing to his spine being injured, gave instructions to the family to keep their eye 4 upon him, as he was not fit to be trusted, his mind being affected, and he might do himself an injury. The little boy and girl were found dead in the garden, their heads dreadfully beaten, death having been effected with a thick piece of wood. The prisoner's brother and mother spoke to his affection for the children previous to the injury he received, and deposed that he was apprehensive of coming to want, and was afraid of robbers entering the house by night.  Mr. W. Anderson, surgeon to York Castle, was called, and deposed that he visited the prisoner about an hour after he entered the prison. He was then quite insane, and had been so ever since. At times he was most violent in his demeanour, requiring two or three persons to restrain him. In his ►pinion the mental affliction under which the prisoner was suffering might have arisen from the injury to the spine producing inflammation of the brain. Mr. Justice CRESSWELL summed up, observing that after the evidence of Mr. Anderson and the other testimony in the case, there could be no doubt of the insanity of the prisoner, and that he was not therefore accountable for the act he had committed. It would, therefore, be the duty of the jury to return a verdict of not guilty on the ground of insanity, and the Court would order the prisoner to be detained in safe custody during her Majesty's pleasure. The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty on the ground of insanity; and the prisoner was then removed.  During the trial he occasionally wept, and at other times he evinced an air of indifference, and stared vacantly around him. It appeared that previous to this malady the prisoner was a teacher in the Sabbath school, and bore an excellent character.  John Cryer was indicted for having, at Gargrave, on the 19th of October last, feloniously cut and wounded William Beecroft, with intent to murder him.  Mr. Otter conducted the prosecution ; Mr. Dighy Seymour defended the prisoner. It appeared that the prosecutor, who is only 16 years of age, resides with his two sisters and two brothers at argrave, the prisoner living next door. About seven o'clock on the 19th of October, as the prosecutor and his sister were returning from work at the mill where they were employed, the prosecutor observed that his shoe was untied, and as he was stooping down to tie it, the prisoner, having an axe in his hand, rushed out of the house in a great fury and struck the prosecutor a violent blow on the side of the head with the edge of the axe. This rendered him insensible; and, on being sent home, a surgeon was sent for, who dressed the wound, which was of a serious and dangerous character, having made a fissure in the skull. It was endeavoured to be shown that constant quarrels had taken place between the two families. Mr. Digby Seymour addressed the jury for the defendant.  Verdict—Guilty. Sentence of death recorded. (Before Mr. Justice