68 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 181S. 



been disturbed in his rest during 

 the last six or seven months pre- 

 vious to the murder, by his father's 

 singular behaviour: as for in- 

 stance, by his getting out of bed 

 at night, going down stairs and 

 misplacing the furniture, and by 

 his use of strange expressions. He 

 was convinced that his father la- 

 boured, at times, under mental 

 derangement, but nothing had oc- 

 curred of that description within 

 a month previous to the murder. 



Some other evidence, in corro- 

 boration of the facts above stated, 

 was gone through, when the pri- 

 soner was called upon for his de- 

 fence. He accordingly uttered a 

 long and unconnected address, 

 partaking more of a soliloquy than 

 of any thing else. He seemed to 

 rely on his insanity at the time 

 the fatal deed was committed, and 

 on the act being involuntary and 

 unpremeditated. 



The judge, in summing up, 

 stated to the jury, that they had to 

 confine themselves to the question, 

 whether the prisoner was sane at 

 the time of committing the deed, 

 the fact of the deceased having met 

 her death at his hands being indis- 

 putable. 



The jury in ten minutes return- 

 ed their verdict — Guilty. 



On Friday last he was executed 

 in front of the county gaol, War- 

 wick, in presence of a large con- 

 course of spectators. He declared 

 he had no personal animosity a- 

 gainst his wife when he went to 

 bed on the evening preceding the 

 murder ; but that on a sudden im- 

 pulse, and without any provoca- 

 tion, he jumped out of bed, and 

 perpetrated the horrid deed, with 

 a bar of iron, about 21 inches long. 

 After his condemnation he mani- 



fested an appearance of calmness 

 and serenity. He has left three 

 children to bewail his shocking 

 end, and the lamentable fate of 

 their mother. 



Extract of a Letter from Hod- 

 mill, dated August 17 : — " An aw- 

 ful visitation, in the case of a sud- 

 den death, occurred this day in the 

 church of this town. On the ar- 

 rival of the judges, sir V. Gibbs, 

 and Mr. Baron Graham, to hear 

 divine service, the clergyman, the 

 rev. Dr. Pomeroy, was not in his 

 place. The captain of the jave- 

 lin-men was therefore dispatched 

 for him, and he arrived after the 

 judges had been about 12 minutes 

 waiting for him. The chaplain of 

 the sheriff helped him on with his 

 gown : he went into the desk, and 

 opened the book, but he had 

 scarcely turned over two or three 

 leaves, when he fell down and sud- 

 denly expired. He was about 64; 

 years of age." 



Some days ago several men were 

 supposed to be lost in a mine, near 

 Wolverhampton, by the falling in 

 of a large quantity of earth. The 

 following letter announces their 

 almost miraculous preservation : — 

 Wolverhampton, Aug. 17.—" The 

 miners continued their exertions to 

 relieve the sufferers with increased 

 activity; and yesterday morning, 

 at four o'clock, having nearly 

 driven through to the stall in which 

 they were, one of them was heard 

 to call out, ^' work more to the 

 left," and, astonishing to relate, 

 by one o'clock at noon, eight of 

 the men, and the boy, were found 

 alive ! John Keeling, whose body 

 has not yet been found, was the only 

 one missing ; and it is supposed 

 the sand fell upon and instantly ' 

 buried him. When it became ge* 



