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

THE COMMITMENT OF SUICIDAL PRISONERS. Having mentioned the details that usually form the princ:pal portion of their reports, the visiting justices proceed to invite the notice of the Court to some matters that have required peculiar consideration, and as to which they deem it proper that the Court and county should be fully informed. The visiting justices having learned that on the 11th ult a prisoner who had been committed for re-examination on 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 inclined to commit suicide, they directed their clerk to address the letter, of which they annex a copy, dated the 18th ult., to the Secretary of State for the Home Department, from whom theyreceived an answer on the 21st ult., and, though unaware whether the directions suggestA 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 committals 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 large to the suggestion contained in their letter, and to impress on them the propriety of their adopting it in every case which shall come before them, and to which the suggestion may be applicable ; as otherwise, prisoners so peculiarly afflicted may not receive special attention, and sad catastrophes, distressful to the governor, and painful to the public mind, may unhappily occur : " Carlisle-street, Soho, March 18, 1846. " Sir—A prisoner named John Rofe, who was comtmhiett9edth to instant,the 'forties,: of Worship-street Correction ellVi eees t• m court,i ns to b er, one t i n g and him, woundingbroiigh brought pEdfsvorin u strangled himself in the water-closet of the prison, on the 11th instant, while the van was waiting to re-convey furtherliofe, examination,with intent to for murdercut 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 sv:io is about to be commited shall appear to be insane or of unsound mind, or shall be suspected of insanity, or nn inclination to commit suicide, a private appear on the communication on the subject should be made by the person whom committing magistrate to the governor of the prison. And I am therefore instructed to request you will be pleased to issue directions to . that effect to the police magistrates. With reference to Rofe's case, desiredflacaemof t l e warrant, to the thatfact a sdd thatnot th e ho 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 that no communication was made, or message delivered, from the committing magistrate to the governor, either of that fact or any other, that would induce special tette notion or precautions with respect to him, although it did happen that both by the surgeon and tho officers parti cular attentions wore afforded to the prisoner. I am further directed to state that the coroner's jury who sat on the body, in returning their verdict, unanimously expressed themselves satisfied that ever reasonable precaution had been taken by the governor and the officers of the prison against the commission of suicide, and that a relative of the dec eased, who attended the inquest, joined in that °P'tzlioll, an thanked the governor f a. the vigilance arid kindness which he had shown to the prisoner. Cho visiting justices, also, having caused inquiry to be made into the circumstances of the case, arc happy to 1)e able fully to exonerate the governor and all the olliecTs from any blame on the occasion, yet they trust that the recauthey have suggested the approved tionary measures will and sanctioned by you.—l have, the honour be, &c. o C. P. ALLEN, Clerk to Vick -,Justices. "To the Right Hon. Sir James Graham, Bart." ,g Whitehall, 21st Afar( .h, 1846. " Sir,--Iro am directed by Secretary Sir Js es Graham to acknowledge the receipt of your let ter of the 18th instant, submitting a suggestion of tit io visiting justices of the House of Correction atWrestrc mater that