The Sun. — 1847-08-21 (London, England)

MURDER.—On the Learned Judge taking his seat on the bench this morning, John Ramsay, described as a cheesemonger, aged 29, was placed at the bar charged, upon his own confession, with the wilful murder of Henry Williams in the Minories, 2 years ago. The prisoner is a decently dressed, unhappy looking man. Mr. Bodkin and Mr. Clarke appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Clarkson for the defence. Mr. BODKIN minutely stated the case against the prisoner. The facts have so lately appeared before the public, that it will only be necessary to give a mere synopsis of the s:atement of the Learned Counsel, and of the evidence adduced in support of it. The prisoner and the deceased, it will be recollected, about two years ago, had been drinking in the neighbourhood of the Tower. They left the public house together, and took a hackney coach in the Minories, for the purpose of conveying them home to their residences, in the neighbourhood of Gray's Inn-lane. They stopped the coach in Redcross-strt et, and had something to drink. ile then drove them to Gray's Inn-lane, where they got out. They were both tipsy, and he noticed that one of them had a wound on his eye. He found blood on the cushion. A polict man who came up at the time they were entering the coach in the Minories, declared that both were utmost in a helpless state of intoxication, but neither seemed to have sustained any injury. The body of the deceased was examined by Mr. Fogarty, a surgeoe, in the neighbourhood of the deceast d's residence, Constitution-road, Gray's Inn-road, and he found a severe wound over the orbit of the eye, which t.enetrated to the brain, and had caused death. Such a wout,d might have been caused by the terule of an umbrella. Two umbrellas were found in the hackney coach, and the ferule of the one opposite the deceased, for the handle was downwards, was etsvered with blood, which had trickled downwards, which the Learned Counsel, said was an important tact in favour of the prisoner, as it led to the inference that the deceased had fallen forwat d, and that the ferule had penetrated into his head. This witness stated that if the blow had been inflicted by a man, using an umbrella for his weapon, that the wound would have slanted ue wards. The wound in the deceased's head was straight. Dr. Quain, who was also examined, spoke to the probability of the wound having been so inflicted, but its infliction would cause an immediate loss of the voluntary powers. 't he blood might not flow half an hour after. Certainly a wound of the kind would have prevented a man from getting out and in as he did in Whitecross-streFt. It will be recollected that the prisoner whilst intoxicated, or whilst labouring under the eff,cts of intoxication, positively stated that he murdered the deceased, and that he committed the deed by a heavy blow on the head of the deceased, whilst lying on the ground insensible in the Minories. On reflection, however, he recanted, sayiing. that, when he made the statement, he was suffering from delirium, and that he did not know what he was about.  Mr. Justice ERLE, who had stated that a careful perusal of the depositions had led him to the conclusion that the case against the prisoner could not be maintained, and who had requested that the nature of the wound the deceased had received might be explained, here interfered, and left it to the jury to say, whether, in their opinion, the prisoner was guilty or not guilty of the offence imputed to him. The jut), returned a verdict of Not Guilty, and the prisoner was discharged.