The Statesman. — 1809-07-04 (London, England)

BLANC. MURDER. Samuel Davy laps .put to the bar, and ar. raigned on two separate indictments, for the mur. der of Sarah his wife, and Henry, his infant child, of five or six months of age. The Prisoner (who appeared to he perfectly stupified, and never raised his eyes from the ground during the whole of the trial) upon being called on to plead to the indict. meat, guilty or not guilty, answered, in a tow voice, " Guilty, I suppose." Upon the Learned Junax desiring him to be told to plead net guilty, he did so accordingly. He was then given in charge to the Jury. Elisabeth Blackman, the mother of the deceased, was then called, and, under considerable agitation, detailed the . circumstances attending this most malsochoky„ catastrophe.—She lived in the house with het *Abler and son.in.law. They lived at No. 8, Skinner-street, Soarer's. town. On the 4th of June, the Prisoner desired her to bring the bed, in which she slept with two of her grandchildren, up stairs to the room in which he and his wifo slept, with their infant child of about five months old. She did so, the next day, Monday the sth; they all slept that night together in the same bedroom, and retired to their respective beds. She awoke about half-past four, and finding the Pei. soner (who had not got any rest for a week before) and his wife asleep, she would not awake him; he used to lie all night awake, talking to himself and moaning. She went to sleep again, and awoke about half.past six ; she saw the Prisoner standing by his bed-side; and her daughter bloody —alarmed at the sight, she hurried the two boys, who were in bed with her, one about ten, the other about six years of age, out of the room, to call fur help. lie bad a hatchet in his hand; she attempted to snatch it from him, and the handle came off in the stteggle. He pulled his wife out of the bed, and said to the wit. ness, " Do let me pat this poor creature out of her misery." She had seen him give her a blow with the hatchet before she got it from him. She then ran out of the room, to call for help; and her daughter was dead before she returned. The unfortuthate Prisoner at the bar had not been right in his head since last May fire years ; he had bees twice during that period confined in St. Lake's Hospital. He had been very low-spirited about the period of this misfortune, and she had reason to believe his insanity was then returning on him.— His wife bad made the observation to her, and had said he was always worse in the month oiJunc.— He had been always a kind and affectionate bus. band and father. She rather thought the derangement was a family disorder ; a sister of his was in the same state at the present time, and obliged to be kept under restraint. He had been four months confined, the first time in St. Luke's; ho was never right in his senses since that period.— There never had been any disagreement between him and his wife. James Davis, It butcher, living in the neighbour. hood, ran up stairs upon the alarm being given by the children. He put his head in at the door which stood close to the top of the stairs. He saw the wife sitting up in the bed, her head all over blood, and the Prisoner standing by the side of the bed with his lap-stone in his hand. (He was a shoe} seeker by trade.) lie cried out to him, et For' God's sake what are you doing ?" To which he replied, " Go down stairs, or I will murder you." thereupon_ pulled his head back, sod immediately the Prisoner hit the deceased over the head "With the stone, and down she fell ; he then hit her three or four times on the head. The Prisoner then build round and took a razor off a Chair by  •:q !" .1.% 411 (1.