276 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



the derangement of the prisoner 

 while he was there. 



Dr. John Weir, a physician, 

 and superintendant of the sick of 

 the Victualling-board. — He had 

 found evident marks of derange- 

 ment in the prisoner. He had 

 visited him 3 times, and upon 

 conversing with him he was ex- 

 tremely incoherent : he was very 

 often irascible, but his bodily 

 health was good. He most cer- 

 tainly assumed the character of a 

 person labouring under mental 

 derangement, and it was impossi- 

 ble for him to decide whether it 

 was real or assumed. An artful 

 man, he was convinced, might 

 pretend insanity, so as to baflBe 

 all the inquiries of the most skil- 

 ful surgeons. It was not one of 

 the characteristics of insanity, to 

 be able to abstain from food, 

 except in rare instances. Absence 

 of fever was a characteristic of 

 insanity. 



Dr. Andrew Baird, Inspector 

 of the Naval Hospitals, attended 

 with Dr. Weir the prisoner while 

 he was in Newgate. There were 

 circumstances which made a 

 strong impression on his mind, 

 and the conclusion was, the re- 

 verse of insanity. The prisoner 

 was furious in the day-time, and 

 quiet in the night-time. Tliis 

 was a circumstance which in- 

 duced him to think that he was 

 otherwise than insane. The sleep 

 of furious maniacs was not regu- 

 lated by day and night. 



John Fisher was then called by 

 the Court. He was one of the 

 turnkeys of Newgate, and visited 

 the prisoner sometimes twice a 

 day. On many nights the pri- 

 soner had been extremely noisy 

 and :s!eepless. He very frequently 



called out " murder,'' and rattled 

 his chains in the middle of the 

 night. When the prisoner first 

 entered the gaol, his nights were 

 passed no less sleeplessly. 



Dr. James Hatch, Medical 

 Superintendant to the Lunatic 

 Naval Asylum. — It was impossi- 

 ble for him to speak with cer- 

 tainty as to the insanity of the 

 prisoner. The period of the ap- 

 parent insanity had naturally ex- 

 cited the strongest suspicions in 

 his mind. He considered the 

 derangement not to have taken 

 place until after the committal of 

 the offence. If the apparent in- 

 sanity had existed previous to 

 the committal of the offence, 

 these suspicions would be mate- 

 rially removed. The same motives 

 which induced him to pretend 

 insanity might have so operated 

 upon his mind as to produce the 

 reality. The prisoner obstinately 

 refused to admit that he was mad. 

 He could not speak with certain- 

 ty, but he was inclined to think 

 that he might possibly be insane. 

 Mr. Alley was about to address 

 the Court in reply, but was pre- 

 vented by the Jury stating that 

 they had made up their minds 

 upon the question. 



Mr. Justice Bayley was glad to 

 hear the opinion of the Jury. He 

 had, himself, long ago made up 

 his mind upon the case. If the 

 Jury thought that the prisoner 

 was insane, and therefore was 

 mute by the visitation of God, he 

 would be kept in confinement 

 until the pleasure of his Majesty 

 was known upon this case. 



The Jury found a verdict. — 

 Insanity. The prisoner was im- 

 mediately taken from the bar 

 back to his cell. 



COURT 



