The Sun. — 1840-07-23 (London, England)

CHARGE OF MURDER AT HUDDERSFIELD. Alexander ~11Tachlan Smith was indicted for the murder of William Duke, a police officer, at Heddelse field, by stabbing and cutting him with a knife. John Danson, also a police officer at Huddersfield, on the 28th of April last, when this occurrence took place, was on duty near the market-place when his ate tention was attracted by a noise et the sits!! of a person of the name of Lennard, a gardner, and on going to the spot he found Lennard and the prisoner disputing about a plant, which the latter declared he had Purchased at the price of 24. Lennard alleged the price to be ls. 6d., and refs sect to permit him to take it away. They then had Loth hold of the plant, and the prisoner still refusing to let it go, Danson advised Lennard to go,befesse th_e_pagissrNtes, who were then, as he believed, still sitting in Petty Sessions. Tracy took the prisoner down to the lock-up, and went forward to the magistrates' room, but found they Are just gone. In the mean time the witness Danson, with the assistance of Duke, searched the prisoner, anti took out of his pockets a large clasp-knife, a pocket-book, two ! pencils, and a snuff-box. The prisoner kicked at Duke several times, saying—" Damn you, I'll make you remember meddling with a Seotehman." A chain was procured, which was fastened to him by a shackle round the leg, and a handcuff on the wrist of his left arm. The plant was then wrested from him by the witness Lennard, and Duke, and he was put into the lock-up No. 4. This was about a quarter to fans o'clock. A little before six o'clock the- witness was in the house of the deceased with Dalton,another (aces, when the) heard a great noise proceeding from one of the cells. They went across the yard to the door of No. 4, when Duke flung the door open, saying, " You blackguard, what are you making all this noise about ?" The prisoner made some reply, and rushed out instantly. Duke exclaimed, " Do you see that ?" and ran towards his own house. Dalton and the witness ran a few paces. in the opposite direction. They turned on hearing Duke make some exclamation, and saw Duke with his back to the wall of his house, and the prisoner stabbing him with a knife somewhere about the groin. The witness rushed upon the prisoner, and they closed and fell. He then found himself wounded in the left thigh, the side, and the back. The prisoner said " D—n you, I said I would make you remember meddling with a Seotehman." Dalton finally 'got the knife from him. When the witness got up Duke was lying near theft' on the ground. Was himself nearly a month in the infirmary. Francis Dalton, another police-officer, was present when Duke opened the cell door. The prisoner was sitting on the lower part of the bed, at the further end, with his right hand behind him. He oame out with a spring life that of a cat. The witness gave a similar account of the death of Duke as that given by Danson. When the knife was taken from the psisoner be became quite quiet, and ceased to struggle. He cried out, I've done for two of them, I'll do for fifty more, and then England-will-be free." Caleb Wiliiams, manager of the Quaker's Lunatic Asylum, near York, examined the prisoner in the gaol, and thought his intellect was impaired, and his moral feelings perverted. He did not seem sensible of the serious nature of the crime charged .against him. He said he had had three communications from Jesus Christ that he was safe. Has had much experience in ewes of mania, and did not think these delusions were feigned. His Lordship summed up, and the Jury brought is a verdict, of Not Guilty, on the ground of insanity.