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Leader (1850-1860), 3rd August 1850, Edition Town of 1, Page 438, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      called in by the prisoner and his wife , to pronounce that the deceased was suffering from debility and old age , and to prescribe accordingly , and to certify afterwards that these were the causes of death- Indeed , it was said that the prisoner and his abettors must have acted according to the formula of some medical handbook in carrying out

      their horrid scheme . It appeared that Tunnicliffe , who was a hale old man of seventy , and who possessed a little property , went to live with Chadwick last January . Soon afterwards the old man was persuaded to assign the whole of his property to his grand-niece and her husband , and this was no sooner done than the old man became ill , and died on the 9 th of February . The symptoms of illness were not such as to cause any suspicion on the part of the doctor , but the indecent haste with which the prisoner attempted to obtain possession of the property caused people to suspect that there had been foul play . The body was , therefore , exhumed , analyzed , and found to contain arsenic . Chadwick , when taken before a magistrate , made a long statement , in which he charged his wife with having been the instigator of the crime . The jury returned a verdict of guilty , and he was sentenced to death .

      Untitled Article

      A MADMAN'S WILL . At the Stafford Assizes , held this week , a remarkable case was tried in the civil court , involving the succession to a large amount of property . The form in which it came before the court was as an action of ejectment to try the validity of a will made in 1818 , the plaintiff—the heir at law—seeking to upset it on two grounds—insanity and fraud . The testator , Thomas Bainbrigge , was the representative of a very ancient family in Derbyshire , Warwickshire estates

      and Staffordshire , and inherited considerable in those counties , to which in the course of his life he made considerable additions . In early life he was a man of refined and polished manners , and moved in the best society in London and in the country . Having become attached to a young lady , some difference arose as to a marriage settlement . His father would not consent to his marriage , and the young lady died . This event soured his temper , he became somewhat less fond of society than he had been , and after his father ' s death retired to a seat on the

      borders of Sherwood Forest , about 1789 . He never appears to have married , but he had a daughter by one of his servants in 1790 , to whom he gave an excellent education , and introduced her as his acknowledged daughter into society . In 1803 , when she was thirteen , and when he was most attached to her , he made his will , leaving her his estates , for life , with remainder to her issue in tail ; and in default of such issue , to his own nephews . This will , however , was superseded by another in consequence of his daughter having , at the age of seventeen , allowed the coachman to become too familiar

      with her . By the second will he left his estates to three trustees to sell , and out of the proceeds to pay her an annuity of £ 200 a-year , and his sister , Mrs . James , one of £ 100 a-year , and to divide the surplus into three equal portions between the children of his brother Joseph , of his brother , Colonel Philip Bainbrigge , and of his sister , Mrs . James . The child by the coachman was bom on the 3 rd of February , 1809 , and was named Marianne . Though exasperated by his daughter ' s conduct , he allowed her and her child to remain in the house , and even took a fancy to the child . But the daughter offended him again . She

      became attached to a young man named Arnold , whose father had given old Bainbrigge some offence about game , and , in spite of all her father ' s efforts to keep her at home , she made her escape and was married to him . This made her father furious . He said ho would have forgiven her if she had married the coachman , but he would never forgive her for marrying Arnold , and vowed ho would never speak to her , and that no child of hers by Arnold should ever inherit a penny of his money . Under these feelings he made another will on the 4 th of August , 1812 , whereby ho conveyed his estates to two trustees , of whom Mr . Blair , an attorney of

      Uttoxeter , was one , in trust , to secure to his granddaughter , instead of his daughter , to whom lie left nothing , an estate for life , with remainder to her issue in tail , and , in default of such issue , for sale and division amongst his nephews and nieces . Of the daughter he never took the slightest notice , and her name was not allowed to be mentioned by the servants . In 1815 , after an accident which threatened to bo fatal , another will was made , b y which he left his estates to his granddaughter for life , with remainder in tail to her issue , and in default , of such issue to his nephew , Thomas Parker Bainbrigge . On this will the lessor of the plaintiff took his stand , and claimed the estates . Marianne was now dead , and

      the last of / her children died in 1845 ; and the issue in that lino being extinct , the question now arose who was on titled to the estates . Mr . T . P . Bainbri gRC said that in default of the issue of Marianne the estates came to him . The testator was perfectly sane in 1815 when that will was made . At that tune he mixed in society , kept his house in order , his servants in livery , was in the habit of jjoing out to dinner , was distinguished by activity and intelligence as a magistrate , his manners were polished , his language refined , and he was in every respect a highly-educated gentleman .

      At the close of 1815 , however , a material change was observed in his habits , from w hich it w as clear that his mind was utterly gone . His dress was so neglected that he became a marked character . He never washed himself , and the stench from him was intolerable . His stockings were in holes , his coat out at the elbows , his trowsers broken . He sometimes had a garter on one leg and none on the other . His hat was such as the boys put on Guy Fawkes , and altogether his appearance was such that the boys used to follow him through the streets of Derby , crying out , " Mad

      Bainbrigge . " When he rode out in his carriage , it was unwashed and uncleaned , and covered with the dirt of the fowls which roosted in it . His horse 3 were not groomed , and he took any of his farm labourers , without any change of dress , to drive it . He once drove into Derby with a man who had been just driving a dung cart , and in the very dress in which he had driven it . He was once seen bringing home a slaughtered ox on the top of his carriage . Another time he brought home a calf ' s head and pluck on the bow of his saddle . He wore a flannel waistcoat from March to July without o nce washing it , and when remonstrated with on the subject , he said washing would spoil flannel . He once made his labourers set out in the midst of a storm of hail and

      rain to make hay , and when a coach passed by , and the passengers shouted out , " Are ye mad ? " the men answered , " It is not we that are mad , but our master . " In 1817 a lady went up with the granddaughter Marianne into his bedroom , and there saw a bottle of brandy and a bottle of gin , and the poker and tongs on a chair near his bed ; and he told her on several occasions that he kept them there to protect him against the devil . He used to mutter frequently to himself . " I must go the devil , but I am not ready yet . " All religious feeling departed , and he cursed and blasphemed in a most frightful manner—in . such a manner that no one could doubt

      that he was in a state of complete mental aberration . That he taught her to curse and swear , and encouraged her in the most incredible obscenity , and in the use of language to which none but the most depraved could listen . So long as he had women servants , they remonstrated against this course of education for the child , but he only laughed and enjoyed it , saying , " She was a chip of the old block . " Such were the tricks she played and the language she used that females were not allowed in court while they were detailed . They frequently created a laugh in court ; but still many of them were of a most shocking kind , and such as the most precocious depravity could not , without education for the purpose , conceive . Iu May , 1818 , he left Derby to reside at his house at Woodseat . This , too , was overrun with

      vei-min , large and small , and when a servant complained that the rats were so numerous that the place was like a rabbit-warren , he said he would by no means have them killed ; they were his game , and he preferred them to hares and rabbits . The house was in a most forlorn condition ; the windows were broken , and the pigeons nestled on the shelves of the library , which contained some most valuable books , and on being remonstrated with about it , he said it was a good place for the pigeons . The kitchen garden was so neglected that it was impossible to get at the fruit without cutting one ' s way through a tangled maze of

      weeds . He used to drink excessively ; but liquor made him not drunk , but mad and furious . He used to have a bottle of brandy with a glass laid every night by his bedside . So things continued till the Saturday before his death , June 13 , 1818 . On that day he went toDraycott and drank a great deal , at least a quart of brandy , saying it would be good for his gout . He got home to Woodseat on Sunday night . On the Monday he got up , but about midday was put to bed in his clothes—and in those clothes he lingered from Monday till the Saturday , when he died . . _

      Previous to his death a fourth will was made , by which the reversion of the estates was left to the children of Mrs . Arnold , the daughter whom he had disinherited . The validity of this will was disputed on the ground that he was not of sound mind when it was made , and u host of witnesses were examined to prove this . Other witnesses were brought forward to nrove that he was perfectly sane . Many of

      them admitted that he had been always odd , eccentric , and slovenly ; others never saw him drunk ; some considered him a temperate man , and saw no liquor in his bed-room for months together—others saw it always ; some never hoard him curse or swear ; some thought him a tidy , proper gentleman ; many who said all the plaintiff ccmld desire against him admitted that ho kept excellent wines , and gave very good dinners and suppers . After having occupied the court four days , the jury returned a verdict in favour of the plaintiff .

      Untitled Article

      BALLOON EXPLOITS . The equestrian aeronautic ascent which caused so great an excitement for the last few days took place at Vauxhall , on Wednesday . So ridiculous a termination could not have been anticipated ; for , in lieu of a full-grown horse suspended to the balloon and mounted by the " veteran Green , " the animal proved to be an exceedingly small pony , standing about nine hands high , and

      weighing , at the outside , two hundred pounds . The little quadruped was gaily caparisoned , his legs secured with rope to the car , his eyes hoodwinked , and he was literally feasted with carrots to secure his amenity . The " ancient mariner " of the skies sat astride , his legs touching the bottom , of the machine , and bags of sand were doposited therein to make all steady . The whole affair had the air of a scene in a Christmas pantomime , and seemed rather a sly burlesque upon the Frenchman Poitevin ' s equally absurd exhibition at Paris . The balloon shot

      like a rocket into the clouds , and , after a few minutes , vanished into " thin air . " The disappointment of the crowded public was vented in laughter ; each man looked sheepishly at his neighbour , as though ashamed of his gullibility . All , however , terminated favourably . The pony and the veteran descended safely at Norwood , and returned to the gardens at a quarter to twelve . The pony was trotted round the illuminated arcades , amidst the cheers of the audience , and the aeronaut was complimented upon his achievement .

      A more pleasant aeronautic exploit was that of Mrs . Graham , who ascended from the Flora Gardens , Camberwell New-road , on Monday evening , with a family party , consisting of herself , her two daughters , a son , and another gentleman . The aerial machine took a south-west direction , and , passing over Wandsworth , Putney , and Barnes-common , descended in Richmond-park , without any accident . On their reaching terra jirma , they were invited to the mansion of Mr . Hobarts , the banker ; and , after passing a very pleasant evening , the aerial adventurers were taken to their residences in Mr . ltobarts ' s barouche , the balloon having previously been removed from the park and taken to Bayswater .

      Untitled Article

      A VERY INDISCREET YOUNG LADY . John Maxwell , a cab-driver , was charged at the Lambeth Police-office , on Monday , with having robbed a young lady , the niece of a highly-respectable practitioner in the vicinity of Brixton , of a silver , pencil-case . The story told by the young lady , who is in her twentieth year , and is described as of " very prepossessing appearance , " is rather a strange one . According to her own account she left the house of her uncle for a walk , on Saturday evening , taking with her , for an airing , two favourite dogs . On the Brixton-road she was overtaken by the cab-driver , who invited her to have a ride , and she was indiscreet enough , but not without considerable persuasion , to accept the invitation . After having driven her about for some time , he actually prevailed upon her to take the dogs home and join him again . He then

      drove her about for a while longer , and ultimately took his cab home to his master ' s , and then insisted upon her accompanying him to a house which she suspected to be of an improper character , and therefore she refused , and insisted upon returning home . He then demanded his fare for the time she rode in his cab , and threatened that , if she did not do so , he should give her into the custody of a policeman . Being without money , and not knowing what to do , she took out a silver pencil-case to write down her address , and this and other articles which she had about her he claimed as compensation for his fare . She wrote her address , and gave it to him , and immediately after she missed the pencil-case she had just used , and then appealed to a policeman as to what she should do . The constable , on hearing the young lady ' s statement , took the cab-driver into custody on suspicion of having stolen the pencil-case , but did not find it on him .

      Maxwell denied all knowledge of the pencil-case , and said the lady accompanied him of her own freewill , without the slightest force , and he continued to drink with her until he was quite drunk . The lady admitted having taken some gin and water atone public-house , but denied that she was in the slightest degree affected by it . Mr . Norton considered that the conduct of the prisoner was highly improper ; but feeling that it partook more of a personal than a public nature , he merely convicted him in a penalty of five shillings for being drunk . The lady he recommended to be more discreet for the future .

      Untitled Article

      BIGAMY AND MU 11 DER . A man named William Bennison was tried before the High Court of Justiciary at Edinburgh , last week , for bigamy and murder . It appeared that Bennison had married a woman named Mary Mullen , at Tavanagh , near Portadown , in Ireland , on the 3 rd of November , 1838 ; that on the 5 th of December , 1839 , his first wife being still alive , he married Jean Hamilton , residing in Storey-street , Paisley ; and that on the 12 th or 13 th of April last , in Steads-place , Leith-walk , near Edinburgh , he administered to the second wife a dose of arsenic in some porridge or oatmeal , from the effects of which , after

      lingering two or three days , she died . During the early part of the proceedings the prisoner ' s manner was confident , but as the evidence established , step by step , the crimes of which he was charged , his courage drooped . In the course of the trial it came out that Bennison was a member of the small sect of Primitive Methodists , and had during his stay in Edinburgh made great pretensions to sanctity . It was also proved that having deserted his first wife , and been absent from her for some time , he returned to her in Ireland , and induced her to accompany him to Scotland , where she died suddenly at

      Airdrie , not without suspicions of foul play . Her clothes were handed over by him to the second wife as those of a deceased sister , and when she , ascertaining that no sister of his had died , questioned him on the subject , his reply was that it was Vli a sister in the Lord . " The evidence in support of the charge of poisoning , though circumstantial , was quite conclusive , and among other facts educed by the examination of witnesses was the remarkable one that the prisoner was a member of two or three funeral societies , and that he had joined one of them the week prior to Jean Hamilton ' s death . On being urged to send for medical assistance , the answer made by the prisoner was , ' It ' s no use , she ' s going home to glory .

      Untitled Article

      438 ®! l £ % tVfott + [ Saturday ,

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 3, 1850, page 438, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1849/page/6/