The Sun. — 1862-07-10 (London, England)

TRIAL OF MRS. VYSE.  The evidence for the prosecution appeared in The Sun of yesterday. Mr. Sergeant Ballantine having addressed the jury for the .defence, called the following witnesses : Mr. Richard Vine—l am a retired chemist and druggist, and live at Bayswater. lam the uncle of the prisoner, the brother of her mother. I had a brother named Peter. Vine, who committed suicide while in a state of unsound mind. My mother was of a very melancholy disposition, and used to wander about the roads and lanes crying. A first cousin of mine and other relatives, both on my mother's and father's side, have been placed under restraint.  Cross-examined by Mr. Chambers—My brother was not married, He had been a chemist and druggist, but had retired. He lived in my house, and committed suicide there. He had met with no disappointment in life. He died from taking prussic acid, and had been before committing the act in a depressed and melancholy state. He had always been rather weak in intellect. Dr. Hood, physician at Bethlehem Hospital, proved that James Aynsherd, a first cousin of the prisoner, on the father's side, was admitted in 1846 to the hospital and discharged uncured. All forms of insanity were hereditary. The kind of insanity of James Aynsherd was what was termed paroxysmal, which was a species of madness that often resulted in suicide or homicide. Mrs. Elizabeth Frampton deposed to various acts of eccentricity on the part of the grandfather of Mrs. Vyse on the mother's side. He was called " Mad Saunders." Mrs. Frick said that the maternal grandmother of Mrs. Vyse once attempted suicide, and another relative was subjected to confinement in her own house on the ground of insanity. Mr. William Dennis said that he had an aunt who was also a relative of the prisoner, who was subject to fits of insanity. Mr. Frick said that Mrs. Jane Taylor of Haviland, a first cousin of the prisoner, was a lunatic. Mr. W. Edney, of Ludgate-street, boot and shoemaker, said he had known the prisoner for some time. He made two pairs of boots for the two children. The prisoner was very much interested in their dress and appearance. I always thought that her demeanour towards her children was that of a very affectionate parent. I remember the Monday before the murder. She came to my shop and brought back the two pairs of boots, and appeared very excited. She said they were not elegant boots, as she had ordered. She was in a dreadful passion, and when I told her I saw nothing the matter with the boots she stamped her foot on the floor and said I was not to answer. She complained about her own boots, and lifted up her dress in a very extraordinary manner, and told me a gentleman had found fault with the toes of her boots. She stood in a very wild state and dashed about the shop. She also said that if she were me she would horsewhip my men. I expressed my opinion to my foreman and shopmen that she was out of her mind. She was generally very excitable. Mr. James Spence—l am a draper in St. Paul's Churchyard. On the 22d May I accompanied my wife to Mrs. Vyse's, between one and two o'clock, to purchase a bonnet. Mrs. Vyse was upstairs, and we sent for her. She seemed peculiar, in her manner, and did not seem willing to attend to busines. She also tore a flower out of a bonnet very violently, and dashed it to the ground. There seemed to lie a kind of smouldering fire of temper ready to burst out, and my opinion was that she was not in a proper state of mind. • Cross.e.carained by Mr. Chambers—Mrs. Spence found fault with the bonnet before the prisoner tore the flower from it. Elizabeth Burkitt—l was a servant with Mrs. Vyse for some years. I remember the death of her child, at Surbiton, in 1860. Mrs. Vyse came down when I informed her that the child was ill, and stayed with it day and night. After the death of her child her conduct was very singular, and on one occasion she threw the tea-things into the fire. She afterwards forgot the occurrence. Cross-examined—Mrs. Vyse was not intoxicated at the time. In fact she took nothing stronger than milk and water while she was nursing the baby. Dr. George Merritt; examining surgeon to the Indian troops—l am the medical attendant of the prisoner. After the death of the child Mrs. Vyse became subject to morbid melancholy with occasional fits of paroxysm. Mrs. Vyse always dressed with taste, and was very ladylike in her demeanour, and appeared almost unduly anxious respecting the health of her husband and children. I recommended her not to leave town, lest the cessation of her usual occupation should increase the melancholy. She is now two or three months advanced in pregnancy. I believe she was in a state of mania at the time the murder was committed.  Cross-examined—l ground my opinion as to her mental condition upon several circumstances— namely, her hereditary taint, her irrational impulses, the deterioration of her health from time to time, and her conduct throughout the affair. I have noticed her rush away in the midst of conversation with me, without accounting for her conduct. Her manner of conversation was also exciteable,and at times strange. This was before I ceased to attend her in February last. Dr. Forbes Winslow—l am a physician, and have made lunacy my study for 20 years. I have been in court during the whole of this day. Sergeant 13allan tine—Having heard the evidence, what condition is your opinion respecting her mental conMr. Chambers objected to this question, and the Court ruled that it could not be put. Examination continued—Under certain circum- j