The Sun. — 1846-04-11 (London, England)

THE COMMITMENT .OF SUICIDAL PRISONERS. Having mentioned the details that usually form the prine.pal portion of their reports,_ the visiting justices proceed to invite the notice of the Court to some matters that have requirA peculittr consideration, and as to which they deem it proper that the Court and county should be fully informed. . .  The yisitinii justices having learned that on the 11th ult a prisoner who had been committed for re-examination en a charge of murder, strangled himself in the prison, and that no intimation had been given by the committing magistrate to the 'governor of his being in an unsound state of mind, or incli'ved to commit suicide, they directed their clerk to address ;the letter, of which they annex a copy. dated the 18tfr ult., to the Secretary of State for the Home Departmentefrom whom they received an answer on the 21st ult., and, a ough unaware whether the directions suggested have been issued from the Home-office, they have understood with pleasure that in some subsequent cases their hints have been carried into effect in cases of commiteals from the policecourts. The visiting justices, in making their proceedings known to the Court, beg to' .draw the attention of the magistracy of the county at !ergo to the suggestion contained in their letter and to ,impress on them the propriety of their adopting it in ies'ery case which shall come before them, and to which the suggestion may be applicable ; as otherwise, prisoners so' peculiarly occur March 18, 18 46. afflicted may not receive special attention, ant; sad Tyc aunhappilyrlis lCarlisle-street, tre e ote, Soho,e catastrophes, distressful to the governor, and painx7ul to the ~ public mind, " Sir—A prisoner named John Rofe, who was Committed to the House of Correction at Westminster, on the 9th instant, from Worship-.street Police• court, to b`te brought up for further examination, for cutting and wounding Edwin Rofe, with intent to murder him, strangled himself in the water-closet of the prison, on the 11th instant, while the van was waiting to re-convey him to the police-court. In consequence of this melancholy event, I am directed by the visiting justices to acquaint you that it has occurred to them, that it is desirable that whenever a prisoner w'ao is about to be commited shall appear to be insane or of unsound mind, or shall be suspected of insanity, or an inclination to commit suicide, a private communication on the subject should be made by the committing magistrate to the governor of the prison. And I am therefore instructed to request you will be plea,ed to issue directions to that effect to the police magistrates. With reference to Role's ease lam desired to observe that it did not appear on the face of the warrant, as the fact was, that the person whom he attempted to murder was his own son, an intimation whereof would probably have led the governor to suspect that the prisoner was not of sound mind, and thatno communication was made, or message delivered, from the committing magistrate to the governor, either of that fact or any other, that would induce special tion or precautions with respect to him,although a itten, t did happen that both by the surgeon and the officers particular attentions were afforde to the prisoner. " I am further directed to state that the coroner' jury who sat on the body. in returning their verdicts, unaiiimously expr. ssi d themsees satisfied that every reasonlible precaution had been taken by the governor and the officers of the prison against the commi-sion of suicide, and that a relative of the deceased, who attended the inquest, joined in that opinion, and thanked the governor for the vigilance and kindness which he had shown to the prisoner. The visiting, justices, also, having cussed inquiry to be made into' the circumst9nces of the case, are happy to be able fully to exotic rte the governor and all the officers from any blame on the occasion, yet they trust that the precautionary me-.cures they have suggested frill be approved and sanctioned by you.—l have the honour to be, Sge. ,t C. P. ALL EN, Clerk to the Justices. "To the Right lion. Sir James Graham, Bart." o Whitehall, 21st March, 1846. " Sir,--I am directed by Secretary sir James Graham to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th. instant, submitting a suggestion of the visiting justices of the House of Correction at Westminster that