The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1865-12-26 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

TRIAL OF FORWARD. On Wednesday the man Forward, or Southey, was brought up before Mr Justice Mellor for trial, at Maidstone assizes. The counsel for the prisoner applied that the trial might be postponed until one o'clock. The prisoner endeavoured to make a statement to the Court concerning the offences he is charged with. His Lordship : You must elect either to undertake your own defense or leave it altogether in the hands of the learned gentlemen who now appear for you. You will, in my opinion, do much better by adopting the latter course.—Prisoner : I cannot, my lord, conscientiously leave my defence to counsel, and oonsent to remain myself silent. I must speak in my own defence, at any risk—His Lordship: Well, you will have time to consider on the subject, and I should recommend you to give it every attention before you decide upon electing to conduct your own use. The trial was then adjourned until one o'cluk. The trial was brought to • close on Thursday. Mr. Smith, for the deletes, sought to prove that the prisoner was ksane. The prison Burgeon and other officials all expressed their opinion that be was perfectly sane. While the 'prison durgeon was being examined the prisoner several times shrieked out. For the defense three medical men were called, who all expressed opinions that the prisoner was insane. One of them lead he did not think the prisoner comprehended the !nature of the present proceedings, while another 'ithought Southey knew perfectly well that he was tieing tried for murder. After a careful summing up tiet jury found the prisoner guilty and he was sentenced to death. A correspondent thus describes how Forward occupied the past four monthi in prison:—Forward's chief desire ‘eeinci to have been to write e to convince that his mis•ion was to murder these five persons, and there is • dash cf inceherency in what he writes that would maims one Nee, he was mad, were it not clue from other circumstances that be is sane. His manner hes been while in gaol quiet and ed. But one ellusion to his friends seems to have affected him at all. Ile glories in the havoc of human life he has made, but the calling to mind of the name of an old schoolfellow seemed to bring hint-to a reoollection of what be was and what be is; but the emo ion was alight, and soon over. In appearance he looks much better than when he first entered the gaol; helm allowed the hair on his face to grow, , and the cunning eye has gained some additional lustre from the regularity of his lite. One dark and dreary page in the history of this case mug be that which tells of his invitaticons tooted interviews with, the clergy; latterly, he has expressed a desire to see different clergymen. The Venerable Archdeacon Davis Ins seen him, and the congregational minister has vi.ited him several times at his request; hut the ohject of Forward has not been to make peace with his God, but, on the-contrary, to argue with these reverend gentlemen that he has done right in committing these murders, on the ground that certain maidenlike recorded in the Bible, and the perpei trators were not punished, and, therefore he has • right to murder. It was at St. Leonard's that Foward was educated, and he has writen the clergymen th ere • letter 'taking that gentleman to give him a character and to see him. He reminds the rev, gentleman that he always bore a good character in the school, and that on leaving the rev, gentleman added his commendations to those of his inetructore ; he also states that he hes never forgotten the precepts he learned at school, and it is quite clear, too, from conversation that his memory is better than that of the bulk of hie more fortunate fellow countrymen. The clergyman at St Leonard'edid net grant him an inter. view, but wrote him a Titter -full of kindness and good advice, I have it on good authority, hut I state it asa rumour only, that Forward wrote a most insolent reply Such, then, are the leading facts in connection with hi history in Sandwich Gaol.  , = "MN', ,