The Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1865-08-26 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

ANTECEDENTS OF SOUTHEY.  The murderer Southey resided some four or five years in Glasgow, and the Glotagow Herald has been hunting up some particulars of his career there. He followed the occupation of a billiard-marker at more than one establishment, but always endeavoured to convey to those with whom he came in contact the impression that that employment was beneath him, and that he was a well-educated man, and in the habit of reading works of high literary pretensions. He was more than ordinarily temperate in his habits, and his temperance WAS not altogether a matter of necessity, in the sense that because of his poverty he could not get liquor, because he has been known to exhibit a positive aversion to anything like indulgence. A person who knew him intimately while in Glasgow gave his opinion on this point in the emphatic form that "the man couldn't drink ;" while another, who for some months saw him almost daily, says he thought Southey (the name by which he was known in Glasgow) "too cool and sharp a fellow ever to get drunk." He was of rather a gloomy temperament, even at this time, and often lamented his hard fate in being compelled to remain a billiard-marker; so that he came to be looked upon as an "unhappy sort of fellow, who always wished to be better off than he was."  A gentleman writes te say that he believes there is not the slightest doubt that Forwood and Southey are one and the same individual, and he further says I enclose a letter which he addressed to me in the early part of July, and in which you will read that "circumstances have occurred to precipitate the catastrophe," which has since been carried into execution. 'rhis unmitigated villain stopped one in the liigh-street, Putney, in June last, to request half an hour's conversation. Ile was a perfectetranger to me, but had got hold of my name. It was impossible to shake him off, and having admitted him into my garden he occupied more than one hour in recounting his views of social obligations. After he had left I went immediately to the clergyman of the parish, who informed me that Southey had been residing in Putney some nine months, making a veryprofltable trade by threatening to poison several children, to shoot a nobleman,and to commit snicide Up to the 12th of July, the fellow frequently waylaid me on the road to and from home, bent upon my giving at least four hours Cr) the study of his case. This I positively declined, but thinking he might at the end of no many months have exhausted all sources of gain by his (Matins's threats, and willing to test his professional anxiety for legitimate ennployment, I wrote to hhn on the 111th of July, offering hire some work during the East Surrey elec. ion, intending, it he performed it well and conducted himself properly, to procure him permanent employment in London, that he might have a chance of extricating himself from his position. 'this off erhe rejected, on tho plea 14 urgent lousiness at Brighton, and there he was SeCTI by members of my family walking up and down the parade with a female the following week. My object in writing these lines is to show that Southey cannot plead want of work scan excuse for his villainy, and I only hope that he will not escape the punlehment due to him on the ground of insanity; for, in my humble judgment, he is finite sane enough to be held responsible for his acts.