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that indicated by . the police . Several citizens who expressed aloud their indignation at this arbitrary conduct were arrested . " Heave these facts to the appreciation of all : in eueh circumstances a son has only one duty to fulfil —to remember . " Mabc Caussidieee . "
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TRIAL AND ACQUITTAL OF MR . WOOLER . Thb trial of Mr . Wooler for the murder , by slow 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 hei' own household . The prosecutor was her brother . No 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 prisoner has violated all the instincts of our nature , it is impossible to believe him 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 my client by this admission . When I recollect that one of the medical witnesses has stated that another patient whom he attended died , as he 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 his wife ' s symptoms , to be sent to his 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 ia said , that the prisoner wrote to his brother-in-law in London , who could not couie , 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 sou . It is untrue that he gave a false account of the cause of death when the registrar was at his house ; he had received the medical certificate of Mr . Jackson . It is untrue that he left his
wood say they never so 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 has 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 Mrs . Wooler herself ? If they Buspected 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 that Mr . Henzell Was the first to suspect , and that the others did not pay much attention to his suspicious . 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 x > ris ° ner take the letter as an imputation upon hiunself of murder ? It seems to me not . The will had evidently been prepared by a lawyer , and it wo \ ild 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 . Jiicksoh 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-edjed 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 and natural consequences , not far-fetched ones , from the evidence . It is for you to say whether you can safely corne to the conclusion that the prisoner administered the arsenic . I am unable . I may 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 .
house on his wife ' s death aud did not return till after the 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 lie 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 senh Ann Taylor says aho brought the urine out of the coachhouse . One of the medical witnesses denies that any urine was there that day ; but Dr . Haslewo * , d suggests the solution of this . Ho said at the time a mistake had been made . Miss Lauchester slept in the deceased ' s room . Other persons were there also ; might not the wrong urine have been taken without any evil intention on the part of any one ?"
Mr . L 5 aron Martin summed up with a minute recapitulation of the evidence , lie observed : — " It is clear that tbo prisoner had a largo collection of drugs in his possession . Dr . Jackaou aud Dr . Haalowood slate that Fowler ' s solution was among thorn . At the inquest it is said that this bottle was not produced , but no importance appears to have beeu then attached to tho circumstance . It does not appear but that , if the prisoner had boon asked about it , he could have produced it or given an explanation of it . The next circumstance rolied on was , that tho prisonor had not furnished propor medical advice for
his wife . Of that you muat judge . Having called in Dr . Jnokaon , ho finds fault with him . [ Hero the Judge recapitulated tho ovidouco on thin head . ] Tho next matter urged was that the priaoner kept a hook in which ho entered hia wife ' s symptoms . Wo may assume that no entry appears to make against him , or it would have boon road . But indeed Dr . Haslowood fully explains all about this book . The next matter ia very important . Ib is that tho doctora having desired the prisoner to communicate to thorn tho tingling of tho haudH if it should occur , he omitted to do bo . Upon thie point tho counsel for the prosecution has been misinstruoted . Dr . Jackson and Dr . Haalo-
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THE MONOMANIA OF JEALOUSY . The madness of jealousy was exhibited in a very fearful degree in a cane tried at the close of last week at the Tauuton Assizes . Robort Handcock , a labouring man , was indicted for the murder of 1 mb wife . The couple had been married for several years ; and , until within the last two years , tho man had been vory quiet and inoffensive , but at that time ho became possessed with an idea that hia wife wns on terms of improper intimacy with a man named Puncher . Thin belief amounted to a monomania , and induced tho most violent outbursts of passion . One of the wit nesses , a woman named Maria MuIoh , snid that , on ono occasion , Handcock " was liko a wild man , like a person mad . Ho took up a hatchet and aaid ho would destroy a wheelbarrow , an it liad boen down at hia wife to ive him
looked at him 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 yoti , for fear you should do this murder . If this dreadful deed was done , con-• sider 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 his intention of murdering his wife to several persons ; and , on one occasion , when he was given in charge for violence to his wife , ho said to the constable , "I will have murder in this house tonight . " His 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 Bend 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 , Handcoek was examined by a medical man , who came to the conclusion that he wrs labouring under monomania , but said that he might' remain at large , though he confesbes to have had a tear of the consequences . Another medical man who examined Handcock after the murder said that the unfortunate man told him that the offence of which lie complained had been committed " as often as tho hairs on hie 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 he should meet Puncher agaiu . He said that the last word he should . speak on the gallows would be that Puncher was the ruin of his wife . " Mrs . Handcock ' s brother stated on the trial that he disbelieved the charge brought against his sister by her husband ; but added some particulars rather destructive of hia opinion . He said that " the prisoner wished her not to go to Puncher ' s house . 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 ho 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 tho head" with a hammer . Tlicso facts were stated by Haudcock when in prison , to tho woman ' s brother ; and he thus continued : — " I fancied I saw a little blood , and I thought I might sis well go through it ns not . I raised my hand , and struck her very 'lusty , ' and the blood gushed out . I threw tlio hammer directly down , and then I cut her throat ; I thought I would put her out of misery as soon as I could . " He remained in the house for some time , and then wont out , but afterwards came back , lit a caudle , looked at his dead wife , aud " felt very sorry . " Ultimately , he fled , but was arrested the next day . At the trial , Puncher waa examined , and swore that ho was innocent of the offence charged against him . Ho and Mrs . Handcock were about forty years of age . Tho aooused waa acquitted , on tho ground of insanity .
Puncher ' s . Ho asked g poifion . I have seen him pull out his hair by handfuls . Ho oaked for a razor to cut hia throat . His wife told mo to call fur aRsiatance . Hia wife wanted him t > be taken to tho asylum , and aho said when ho oiune l ; tick cured Bhe would live with him ngain . " On tho first of August , Handoook and his wife quarrelled di the house of Mary Ann Heale . Ho threatened her v ith death , aud sho made no reply , but " sat vory ho ' , mn in tho window . " Subsequently , hug said that ho had threatened hor so of ton that who would rather bo alivo than dead ; adding , " Why don't you do it' / and then I ( should bo out of my misery . " Heale induced Haudoock to leave tho house , which ho did , but , m he was going out at tho door , he uuid to his wife thnt " It might be quicker than she thought for . " She
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OUR CIVILISATION . Thomah Tutton wo * tried on Thursday week , at Tauntou for attempting to murder his father by poisoning a dish of which tho parent partook . The facts will be within the memory of our reader ? . The jury , considering that tho evidence was not conclusive , acquitted the prisonor . The reporter for the daily papers observes : —" It is impossible to imagine a more painful case than this—a father and mother giving evidence against thoir own son , and four Bisters giving evidence against their ow . n brother for an endeavour to take away tho life of his father . The
screams and cries of the women when being brought into court to give thoir evidence wero appalling , and made ono indeod regret that justice required their presence . "—Thomas Woods , Samuel K «« t ™> ° <|» William Foylo , William Blaekmnn , and David Smith , alia * White , " navvies , " wore charged at "infptonf with tho murder of John Donaldson , a po £ « "" JfJ ' indictment charging hi , u w . t ; n-ault ami . o . Xho T'THn S doatl . of vZul » oi ">» subjected to P Hott ° . " i '^ ± « n . rt atioi . ; J .: «» tw « od , Wockman , Smith
¦ Ti ? f . to six years' penal « ervitudo ; and and * oy lo . *? « * ° H o ( r . _ j olintl . nn Uuywood was triTJi Z $$ fir tho murder of Marina Jones at R , ohdttlo on ' tho 21 « t of last July . A oonnex on IxStedI between the man and woman ; and on tho felt of tho murder they ule ^ t at me Halfmoon
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December 15 , 1855 . ] THE L E ' A-D E E . H 93
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 15, 1855, page 1193, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2119/page/5/
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