The Herald of Wales and Monmouthshire Recorder. — 1885-09-19 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

INQUIRY IN LUNACY.  An important inquity has been held at the 'Oval Courts of Justice, before Master Nicholson and a special jury, in pit:stir-me of an order mode by Mr. Justice Fry, into the state of mind of Edward Ibm•k• burn, of the Bath Hotel,Piccadilly, and Kingaclerr, Flambshire. It appi.ared that Mr. Blackburn, 0.uhject .4 the inquiry, was a deaf mute, born is his father dying in 1837. He had always manii..ar...l iiome feebleness of mind, and up to the age of maturity .", under the are of his mother, who sent him Lo ondergo a course of instruction at the Deaf and Dumb Asylum at Rugby. On coming of age lie inh,rited some i. 200,000, and subsequently resided at K ingsclere, in Hampshire, up to June of the present year. under the control of a Dr. Andrew, and after wards of s Mr. Hutchinson, who managed all his ffairs, pecuniary and otherwise, subject to the direstion of an elder brother, Mr. Joshes Blackburn, who, a short time ago, was found insane by inquisitt n ii the court, and is now under control. On Gin death of Mr. Huthinson a Mr. Blythe, who WM3 Mr. Edward Blackburn's "private "solicitor, with the sanction if the relatives, got a gentle man of !int name of Burke to take charge of the lunatic, which lot did until June last. In May, however, Mrs. Scrutton, a married sister, and her two sons bad royon to disapprove of Mr. Burke as the custodian, and gave him "notice to quit," but he declined to accept it, and appealed to Mr. Blythe, who took counsel's opinion on the matter, which was to the effect that Burke should be retained so the keeper. In the temporary absence of Bark., however, Edward Blackthorn was taken away from Kingsclere, so that Burke had not been able to tinii him, and had lost all control over him. Hence these proceedings, which were taking lilaco at the instance of the Lord Chancellor, to determine Mr. Blackman's state of mind.—Dr. Smiles, • f Guildford, stated that he had married a sister of the a 'eget' lunatic, for whom considerable property woo putchased at Kingsclere when he came of age. N 1 twos was one of the committee appointed by the • court to take charge of him since he had fr. ii rentionsd from the custody of Mr. Burke. He loot examined him several times, and was quite cone that he was incapable of looking alter his own affairs. Edward bad once attempted to commit suicide in a pond at Brickiey. Witness, win' o exaniining him on one occasion, wrote on a tlive,of paper, and handed it to him "Who wool you like to be with you now that Joshua is linable to which he wrote in reply "Ye.." Anon, question put was, "Joshua always used to arrati_e about you?" and to that rhis reply was 211111L1 stay room. Joshua Bath C:.01(2. -Dr. Edwin Andrew, who bad formerly had chatge of }Award Blackburn, gave corroborative evidence.—Dr.Wood deposed ro.it. he lad examined Mr. Blackburn, and amongst other tests applied be asked him to draw witness a cheque for £lO,OO, which he readily did filling in toe words as "ten pound thousand," and of terwards offering witness his hand to confirm the gift. Blackburn was clearly insane. —Dr. Langdon Down, physician to the London Hospital. said he had examined Mr. Blackburn. and chewed him a sovereigu, caking him what coin it was. He wrote down .C 1 ls. Id. He wee unquestionably incapable of looking after his own affairs.— The learned commissioner then wrote several questions to Mr. Elackburra, Ane being "VI hat is your mourner to which be replied, " I will read Johnson's Dictionary;" and another, " Won Id y .41 give me a cheque for £5,000r to which he replied "Yo.'—The jury said they had beard enough, as th-y were quite convinced of his insanity.  Mr. Goldbeck, British consul.general at Frankfort, has received trom th- Prefect of Police in that city • copy of • letter addressed by that official to Mr.Wragg, containing a fud apology to himself and his fellow tourists for the treatment to winch they were lately subjected by the Fraukfort Recent storm* have caused several fatal disaster, ces Lakes Micisiiesn and Huron, ever 20 sessels having been wrecked. The schooner Advance capsized Dear Sheboygan, Wisconsin. one person onty being saved out of her crew of a.... The Large Milton was wrecked at Two Rivers, all hands im board, five in number, Deing drowned. The schooner Erie capsized near I Port Colborne, two of Issr crew being d:owued, while i She remaining four were rescued.