The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1884-08-09 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SENTENCED TO DEATH.  At the Leeds Assizes, on Tuesday, before Mr. Justice Matthew, Joseph Laycock, hawker, was. charged with the murder of his daughter, Sarah Ann Laycock, at Sheffield, on the 10th of July. Mr. Fenwiek and Mr. C. M. Atkinson conducted the. prosecution; and the prisoner was defended by Mr.. Meysey-Thompson. The prisoner on being brought up, or trial, seemed to be in a very prostrate condition. For some time he cried bitterly, and apparently felt. us position acutely. During the progress of the trial. ae gradually became calmer, but throughout the aroceedings he kept his head buried in his hands.. The dutails of the case were of a terrible character.. rho prisoner lived with his wife, Maria Laycock, in Sheffield. They had four children—Sarah Ann, aged eight years; Franci George, aged six years; MaryAnn, aged four years; and Joseph, aged two years. At about six o'clock on the above day the, prisoner saw a police-constable and made some 3omplaint to him about his wife drinking with mother man. He was perfectly sober at :hat time. At 10 o'clock the prisoner and his wife were having some supper together. He asked her to have some drink, and upon her refusing to take Any he said, "You might as well have some while you have the chance; it will be the last time you have the :glance." They afterwards went home quietly together. In the middle of the night a scream was heard, and apon the prisoner's house being entered a horrible sight presented itself. The body of his wife was found an the floor in the kitchen. Her throat was cut, and she was quite dead. The bodies of all the children were found on the floor in a bed room upstairs. Their throats had been cut, and they were all dead. The prisoner was also lying on the floor in the bed room, and close to his hand there was, a large table knife covered with blood. His own throat was also cut. A man named Pearson said to him, "Good God, what have you done?" He made no reply, but put his hands to his lips as if in the act of prayer. Later on he said, "Let me die, let me die.' The prisoner was at once taken to the hospital. While. being attended to he said to the surgeon, "Let me and "Cut my throat deeper." While he was in the hospital he thought he saw his children on thewall, and asked them to go. He was taken into custody on the 25th of July, and upon being charged with murdering his wife and four children, he said, " It was all through drink; it was about midnight when: I did it." The prisoner was said to have been very good to and fond of his children, but he had been in trouble several times for assaults. • The facts were undisputed, and the only defence set up was that the. prisoner was not at the time responsible for his acts. To support this contention several witnesses were• called on his behalf, and from their evidence it was shown that for some days previously to the 10th of ' July the prisoner had appeared very strange. Until lie was seven years old he suffeKed from an affection. in his head, for which he was attended by a medical man. His grandfather on his mother's side and his, father were both found drowned, but in each case an open verdict was returned, and two brothers of his mother committed suicide, the one by cutting his throat and the other by throwing himself before an. engine. The prisoner was also apparently subject t 0 delusions. The surgeon of the hospital at Sheffield to which the prisoner was taken, gave evidence tending to show that he was not responsible for his acts at the time he committed the crime with which he was charged. The learned Judge, in summing up the case to the jury, said that when he first looked at the de positions he came to the conclusion that it would not be right that the case should go to the jury upon the bare evidence the prosecution proposed to bring forward; lie had, therefore, asked learned counsel to undertake the defence and to obtain the services of some professional gentleman who would be able to make inquiries as to the previous history of the prisoner and as to his mental condition. With regard to the case itself, his lordship said the very atrocity of the crime itself rather suggested that it was not the act of a sane man, and that the jury would probably think that there was insanity in the prisoner's family at all events. The jury retired to consider their verdict, and returning into court after a short absence, found the prisoner "Guilty," and he was sentenced to death in the usual form. After the sentence, the prisoner remained clasping the rail of the dock with both hands. Two warders removed his hands with a little force. The prisoner then exclaimed to the judge, who had risen, "Thank you, your worship; thank you." Ho was then led by the warders down the steps.  I I Uai