The Sun. — 1854-03-14 (London, England)

SUDDEN DEATH OF MR. JUSTICE  TALFOURD.  STAFFORD, MARCH 13.  This day the two Courts sat for the despatch of business soon after 10 o'clock ; but before half an hour had elapsed the most painful sensation was created by tho sudden death of Mr. Justice Talfourd, while on the bench, and in the very act of addressing the grand jury. So sudden was his lordship's death, that he was literally carried out a corpse. The cause of death was an attack of apoplexy, brought on, as it appeared, by the excited feelings under which his lordship was addressing the grand jury, in reference to the atrocious crimes by which the calendar fof this county is stained on the present even more than on ordinary occasions. His lordship, in alluding to the state of the calendar, containing a list of upwards of 100 prisoners, many of" them charged with the most atrocious offences short of murder, called the attention of the grand jury to the fact that there were no fewer than 17 cases of manslaughter, and 30 cases where persons were charged with the crime of highway robbery. These- crimes, his lordship observed, might be traced, in a vast number of cases, to the vice of intemperance, which was so very prevalent in the mining districts ; and, while commenting upon this state of things, his lordship feelingly deplored the want of sympathy which existed between the higher and lower classes, and-urged the duty of the superior ranks of society to take a more lively interest in the welfare of those who were beneath them. While commenting upon these topics, his lordship became considerably excited and flushed in the face, and accurate observers noticed that his voice became somewhat thick and inarticulate. But, on a sudden, his lordship fell forward with his face upon his book, and then swayed on one side towards Mr. Sansom, his senior clerk, and his second son, Mr. Thomas Talfourd, his lordship's , Marshal, who caught him in their arms. Dr. Holland; and Dr. Knight, two magistrates who were on the bench at the time, immediately rushed to his lordship's assistance, removed his neckcloth, &c., and called for water ; but it was of no avail. His breathing was stertorous and his face livid, and but a feeble action of the pulse could be felt. Mr. Justice Wightman was hurriedly summoned from the Civil Court, and hastened to the spot, but only arrived in time to see his brother judge borne in mournful procession on the shoulders of six gentlemen from the court in which but two or three minutes before his voice had been heard. We ourselves saw the late leader of the Oxford Circuit and the beloved and respected Judge still wearing his scarlet robes, carried to the Judge's lodgings adjoining the court. On arriving there it was found that life was quite extinct. After a few minutes 111 r. Justice Wightman returned into the Civil Court, but was so much overcome that he could scarcely find utterance. At length he said, he was grieved to have to communicate a most dreadful and distressing occurrence—that his brother Talfourd was no more ; while addressing the grand jury his lordship was taken ill, and, according to the medical testimony, he could not have survived five minutes. Under these painful circumstances he felt it would be quite impossible to go on with the court to-day. He would, therefore, adjourn both courts until to-morrow'. His lord.