Northern Times. — 1857-06-22 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

TILE ISLINGTON MURDER.  Robert Robinson Tripp, 62, a singular looking old Man, was indicted at the Central Criminal Court, on Thursday, for the wilful murder of James Scott. The prisoner was also charged with the like offence upon the coroner's. inquisition. Mr. Bodkin and Mr. Robinson conducted the prosecution ; the prisoner was defended by Mr. Metcalfe and Mr. Orridge. The learned council for the prosecution, in opening the case to the jury, said that it was preferred by direction of the Secretary of State, and the case .was one that would require their most earnest consideration, as the life of the prisoner was undoubtedly involved in the inquiry. The facts were in a very narrow compass, and he believed that no doubt could be entertained that the deceased received his death by the hand of the prisoner, and the only questions the jury -would have to consider was, whether there were any circumstances in the case that would reduce the crime below that of murder, or whether the prisoner was in such a state of mind at the time as to be legally responsible for his conduct. lie then proceeded to state that the deceased was the landlord of a house in Giffordstreet, Caledonian-road, Islington, which he let out in lodgings, and the prisoner occupied two rooms on the second floor. t anpeared that the deceased, in Nov. last, had put a distress for rent into the prisonert department, and there was no doubt that this had created id feeling on his part towards the deceased. The transaction that was the subject of inquiry took place on the 7th of April ; and it appeared that, about half-past two o'clock in the morning a person named Silence, who also lodged in the house, heard a noise in the floor where the prisoner's apartments were, and upon his going up stairs with a light, be found the prisoner and the deceased standing on the landing, and the latter appeared to be in the act of reading a distress paper, or notice of that kind, to the prisoner. When the witness got upstairs the prisoner asked him for the light, and when he gave it to him he went-into his own room and deliberately took up a sword, rushed past the witness, and thrust the sword into his stomach, and inflicted a wound, of which he died in a few hours afterwards. The prisoner, who appeared to be a man of eccentric habits, was found after the dreadful occurrence sitting in his room coolly smoking his pipe, and when he was questioned he at once admitted that he bad stabbed the deceased, and said that he hoped he had given him his death wound, and he at the same time said he considered he was justified in what he had done, by the deceased coming to him and demanding his rent at such an unseasonable hour, and endeavouring to force his way into his room. In addition to these facts, evidence was given that the prisoner had complained of the deceased having put him to great expense by distraining upon his goods on a former occasion, and that he at the same time said, that be would give him something for himself if he did such a thing again- It also appeared that when the prisoner was told that the debewed was dead, he replied that he was sorry for it, he did not think he would have died, for he did not believe he had pricked him so sharp. Mr. Metcalfe addressed the jury for the prisoner in a very able speech, and he observed that it would of course be idle for him to attempt to deny that the prisoner had caused the death of the deceased, but he hoped he should be able to satisfy them that their duty would not require them to return a verdict that would consign the unhappy old man at the bar to the scaffold, but that they ought in charity, and also strictly in accordance with the law find him guilty of manslaughter only. He then proceeded to comment upon the facts of the case, and said that the conduct of the deceased in going to the house at such an unseasonable hour was clearly illegal, and that it was calculated to excite an old man of the condition of mind of the prisoner, and to goad him to the commission of an act which, but for the proceeding on the part of the deceased, he would never have thought of. The learned judge having summed up, the jury, after a short deliberation, found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter, and he was sentenced to be kept in penal servitude for eight years.