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December 15, 1855.] THE LEA DE R. Ug3
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TRIAL AND ACQUITTAL OF MR. WOOLER. The t...
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THE MONOMANIA OF JEALOUSY". The madness ...
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OUR CIVILISATION. Thomas Tutton waa trie...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Avar With The Dead. The Following Letter...
that indicated by the police . Several citizens who expressed aloud their indignation at this arbitrary conduct were arrested . " I leave these facts to the appreciation of all : in such circumstances a son has only one duty to fulfil —to remember . " Marc Caussidiebe . "
December 15, 1855.] The Lea De R. Ug3
December 15 , 1855 . ] THE LEA DE R . Ug 3
Trial And Acquittal Of Mr. Wooler. The T...
TRIAL AND ACQUITTAL OF MR . WOOLER . The trial of Mr . Wooler for the murder , hyaloid poisoning , of his wife , took place at Durham , at the conclusion of the last and commencement of the present week , and has extended over three days . The facts of this case having been stated in the Leader at the time of their disclosure before the magistrates , we need not here repeat the evidence , which was very voluminous , and shall therefore confine ourselves to the speech of Mr . Serjeant Wilkins for the defence , and to the summing up of the Judge . Mr . Serjeant Wilkins commenced by imploring the jury to discharge from their minds all calumniating prejudices , and said that he was delighted at a request they had made , through their foreman , to be allowed to attend a place of worship previous to coming to their decision . He observed : —
"Mrs . "Wooler was a lady having perfect contro l over her own household . The prosecutor was her brother . N " o one can doubt that he is actuated by bitter feeling towards the prisoner . The prisoner was an indulgent husband . The prosecutor , although her brother , had never , from , the day of her marriage till the day of her death , crossed the threshold of her door . Unless you believe that the pxisoner has violated all the instincts of our nature , it is impossible to believe hioi guilty . It is said Mrs . Wooler died by arsenic . I admit it . But if , as Professor Taylor says , it might have happened by accident as well as design , I do not think thatl damage nay client by this admission . When I recollect that one of the medical witnesses has stated that another patient whom he attended died , a 3 be believes , by arsenic , I say that , but for the infamous conduct of the medical attendants , Mrs . Wooler might not have died . "
Glancing at the chief allegations , the Serjeant said : — " The prisoner requests Dr . Haslewood to write out a history of bis wife's symptoms , to be sent to bis nephew , in order to be laid before Sir John Fife . Dr . Haslewood was requested to give a faithful statement . He left out the last symptom—the tingling of the hands . Why did he suppress it ? Then with regard to his letters . It is said , that the prisoner wrote to his brother-in-law in London , who could uot come , but not to his brother-in-law in Gateshead . However , he did write on the 16 th and 19 th to the latter , and on the 23 rd to his son . It is untrue that he gave a false account of the cause of death when the registrar was at hi 3 house ; he had received the medical certificate of Mr . Jackson . It is untrue that he left bis
house on his wife's death and did not return till after tlie funeral . It is said , the doctors desired him to inform them of the tingling when it should take place . They have all denied that they desired him to do so . Then , it is said , that he substituted other urine than his wife's on the 23 rd . After having furnished his wife's for many days before , they would have you believe that he imposed upon them on this occasion . He sent afterwards the urine he had all along sent . Ann Taylor says she brought the urine out of the coachhouse . One of the medical witnesses denies that any uriuo was there that day ; but Dr . Haslewood suggests the solution of this . He said at the time a mistake had been made . Miss Lanchester slept in the deceased ' s room . Other persons were there also ; might not the wrong urine have been taken without uny evil intention on the part of any one ?"
Mr . Bnron Martin summed up with a minute recapitulation of the evidence . He observed : — " It is clear that the prisoner had a largo collection of drugs in hit ) possession . Dr . Jaoksou mid Dr . Haslewood state that Fowler ' s solution was among them . At tho inquest it is said that this bottle was not produced , but no importance appears to h < we been then attached to the circumstance . It does not appear but that , if tho prisoner had been asked about it , he could have produced it or given an explanation of it . Tho next circumstance roliod on was , that the prisoner had not furnUhod proper medical advice for called in
his wife . Of that you must judge . Having Dr . iTackson , he finds fault with him . [ Here tho Judge rooapitulated tho evidence on thiB head . ] Tho next matter urged was that tho prisoner kept a book in which ho entered hia wifo ' a symptoms . We may assume that no entry appears to make against him , or it would have been read . But indoert Dr . Haslowood fully explains all about this book . Tho next matter is very Important . Ib ia that the doctors having desired tho prisoner to communicate to them tho tingling of tho handa If it should occur , he omitted to do so . Upon thia point the counsel for the proseoution hou been mlsinatruoted . Dr . Jackson and Dr .
HftBlewood say they never bo requested the prisoner to in " form them of this , neither do they agree as to the exact time or manner in which the prisoner did communicate the circumstance . [ Here the Judge read their evidence on the subject . ] The learned counsel for the prisoner lias spoken in harsh terms of the medical witnesses . I do not adopt those terms , but it does seem to me , that their conduct , as detailed by themselves , was reprehensible . People , however , are often wiser after the event , and I believe that those witnesses now think that their suspicions were stronger at the time than they really were . Why did they not sooner find out this symptom of tingling of the hands by asking Mra . Wooler herself ? If they suspected that arsenic was being administered , they should have
gone before a magistrate , instead of simply twice using an antidote . [ The Judge commented severely upon Dr . Jackson ' s statement , that he had withheld from Dr . Hazlewood his suspicions . ] I think lhat Mr . Henzell was the first to suspect , and that the others did not pay much attention to his suspicions . The conduct of the prisoner at the time of his wife ' s death is said to have been improper . You have evidence on this head on which you , must form your own opinion ; but I would recommend you not to attach much weight to it . Different men have different modes of evincing their feelings . As to his conduct on receiving the note from Dr . Jackson , it was thought that he gave a false account of the cause of death . Would a man who believed he was writing to a murderer have written in the terms Dr . Jackson
used ? ¦ Does the prisoner take the letter as an imputation upon himself of murder ? It seems to me not . The will had evidently been prepared by a lawyer , and it would require a curious imagination indeed to discover from that will any intention to murder . As to the correspondence , the opinion of Dr . Haslewood and Dr . Jackson did not quite concur . There remains the discovery of the arsenic in the enema pipes . How it got there is involved in more mystery than I have met with in any other case . No motive is suggested . The prisoner ' s supposed knowledge of drugs is a two-ed > ied sword . He pays Dr .
Taylor for examining parts of the body , and does not evade the charge by absconding . I have commented on this case , and am prepared to read through the evidence if you desire it . [ The jury intimated they did not . ] The law requires , not suspicion only , but plain aud natural consequences , not far-fetched ones , from the evidence . It is for you to say whether you can safely come to the conclusion that the prisoner administered the arsenic . I am unable . I msy observe that , if I were to make a surmise , there is a person upon whom my fancy would rest rather than upon the prisoner . "
The jury retired at a quarter to six o ' clock , and , after an absence of ten minutes , returned with a verdict of NOT GUILTY . Mr . Baron Martin observed : " The country are indebted to you for your great attention , and I myself feel extremely thankful for the care you have bestowed . I would have interfered sooner , but thought it more satisfactory to allow the case to be fully heard . " During Mr . Serjeant Wilkins's speech , when that gentleman was alluding to the mental sufferings the prisoner had to undergo , particularly in consequence of the repeated examinations of his wife ' s body , Mr . Wooler was attacked with a violent hysterical fit of sobbing , which lasted some time .
The Monomania Of Jealousy". The Madness ...
THE MONOMANIA OF JEALOUSY" . The madness of jealousy was exhibited in a very fearful degree in a case tried at tho close of lost week at the Taunton Assizes . Robert Handcock , a labouring man , was indicted for the murder of hie wife . The couple had been married for several years ; and , until within the last two years , the man had been very quiet and inoffensive , but at that time ho became possessed with an idea that hia wife wuh on terms of improper intimacy with a man named Puncher . This belief amounted to a monomania , and induced the most violent outburnt « of passion . One of the wit nesaeH , a womau named Maria Mules , said that , on one occasion , Handcock " wan like a wild man , like a person mad . He took up a hatchot and said ho would destroy a wheelbarrow , aa it had been down at
Punoher'B . He asked hin wife to give him poison . I have seen him pull out bin hair by handfulm Ho asked for a razor to cut hi « throat . Hi « wife told mo to call for assistance . Hi » wife wanted him t > bo taken to tho uHyluni , and ahe fluid when ho came hnck cured she would live with him again . " On the first of AuguHt , Handcook and hie wife quarrelled <* i the house of Mary Ann Healo . Ho threatened her vith death , nnd she made no reply , but " Bat very sol mn in tho window . " Subsequently , who Baid that ho had threatened her bo often that who would rather be alive than dead ; adding , " Wh y don't you do it ? and then I flliould bo out of my iniaery . " Healo induced Haudoock to leave the house , which he did , but , a » he waa going out at the door , he said to hie wife that " It might be quicker than who thought for . ' She
looked at Mm and laughed , and he grew still more enraged , but left the house , only to return , however , in a few minutes . Heale then said to him , " Robert , don't say any more to your wife . I have been talking to her not to aggravate you , for fear you should do this Tnurder . If this dreadful deed was done , consider the consequences to her soul . " He answered that he did not care ; that he was determined to kill her , to gulf her in the lowest pit of hell , and to follow her himself . When he was intoxicated , which he would sometimes be , he was worse . He mentioned hia intention of murdering his wife to several persons ; and , on one occasion , when he was given in charge for violence to his wife , he said to the
constable , "I will have murder in this house tonight . " Hia wife , next morning , brought him some breakfast ; but he refused to have it , saying , " I'll have no more breakfast of you . You ' re going to send me away : send me where I may never come back again . " To the constable he observed , "People say I am mazed ( mad ); but I am no more mazed than they that say so . " In consequence of this suspicion of madness , Handcock was examined by a medical man , who came to the conclusion that he was labouring under monomania , but said that ho might remain at large , though he confesses to have bad a fear of the consequences . Another medical man -who examined Handcock after the murder said that the unfortunate
man told him that the offence of which he complained had been committed " as often as the hairs on liis head "—thousands of times ; and his manner altogether was incoherent . " Strong religious feelings , " says this medical witness , " were mixed up with revenge against Puncher . He spoke of the day of judgment , when lie should meet Puncher again . He said that the last word he should speak on the gallows would be that Puncher waa the ruin of his wife . " Mrs . . Handcoclt ' a brother stated on the trial that he disbelieved tho charge brought against his sister by her husband ; but added some particulars rather destructive of his opinion . He said that " the prisoner wished her not to go to Puncher's bouse . She said she would go to Puncher ' s when she liked . That was more than six or seven months ago . I have heard her say ' If I had sixpence , I would give Puncher threepence . ' "
On the night of the first of August , Handcock quarrelled with his wife , with whom he supped at home . At the time of retiring to rest , the woman would not allow her husband to come to bed . He then went out ; returned ; was again told by his wife that he should not come to bed ; and , being enraged , struck her " a light knock on the head" with a hammer . These facts were stated by Hfindcoek wheij in prison , to the woman's brother ; and lie'thus continued : — " I fancied I saw a little blood , and I thought I might as well go through it as not . I raised my hand , and struck her very ' lusty , ' nud tlie blood gushed out . I threw tho hammer directly down , and then I , cut her throat ; I thought I would put her out of misery aa soon aB I could . " He remained in the house for some time , and then went out , but afterwards came back , lit a caudle , looked at his dead wife , aud " felt very uorry . " Ultimately , ho fled , but was arrested the next day .
At the trial , Puncher was examined , and swore that he was innocent of the offence charged against him . He and Mrs . Handcock were about forty years of < ige . Tho accused was acquitted , on tho ground of insanity . _ .
Our Civilisation. Thomas Tutton Waa Trie...
OUR CIVILISATION . Thomas Tutton waa tried on Thursday week , at Taunton for attempting to murder his father by poisoning a dish of which tho parent partook . The ' acts will be within tho memory of our reader * -. Tho jury , considering that tho evidence was not concluaiye , acquitted the prisoner . The reporter for the daily paporn observes : — "It is impossible to imagine a more painful cose than this—a father and mother giving evidence against their own won , and four Biutere giving evidence againiit their own brother for an endeavour to take away tho life of his father . The Borearaa and criefj of tho women when being brought into court to give their evidence were appalling , and made one indeed regret that juntico required their proBonce . "— -Thomas Woods , Samuel K « f * , ° ?' William Foyle , William IMackman , and David SmlMi , alias White , " navvies , " were charged at KingHton , with the murder of John Donaldnoii , a po ico mapector in tho course of a drunken not at Hualemoro , Surrey Smith wa « acquitted , but all the other , mjjjj ££ g © ga &* # XaTedU . tho Ltli of lXn «« d « onfi « . uj . jeoted to wenty y " a < " tn—portaUou ; Kartwoed , M" *™* : ™ Z v > LL to ax yearn' i , enal Hcrvitude ; and Smith
to two voi r » ' hard labour . -Jonathan Maywooa w »» Sod at Svirpool for the murder of Martha Jones at W « Me , on the 2 1 » t of last July . A connexion exZtod between the man and woman ; and on tfa « khTof the murder they . lept at tne Halfmoon
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 15, 1855, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_15121855/page/5/
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