Report of the trial of Daniel M’Naughton at the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey (on Friday, the 3rd, and Saturday, the 4th of March, 1843) for the wilful murder of Edward Drummond, Esq / by Richard M. Bousfield and Richard Merrett.
- Date:
- 1843
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report of the trial of Daniel M’Naughton at the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey (on Friday, the 3rd, and Saturday, the 4th of March, 1843) for the wilful murder of Edward Drummond, Esq / by Richard M. Bousfield and Richard Merrett. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
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![asked him if he had got the brushes for his boots, and he said he had. I gave him the clothes brush, but he did not use it. I saw him again on that day, about a quarter to ten 1 0 clock, when he went out. I did not observe, on that morning, anything about his manner 3 When he came back to me in September last, he said he had been to Scotland. I asked him *] if he had seen the Queen when she visited there, and he said he had not, for he was not in ' that part. I asked him if he thought the Queen’s visit had done trade good, and he said he thought it had. He was always very regular in his habits. I never knew him to '! stay out. Cross-examined by Mr. Clarkson.—He appeared to me to be a man of very sober habits. He was very reserved in his manners. He avoided conversation with people. When I have spoken to him he never appeared to wish to join in a conversation. I never saw any com- ;J panion with him. On the morning Mr. Drummond was shot he went out and returned j j lie ran up stairs, and then went out again. When he was ill, I observed that his head ap- I peared to be bad, and that he had much fever. When I spoke to him about the Queen's ] visit to Scotland, he seemed to wish to avoid my questions. He was not in the habit of 1 looking people in the face, but always hung his head down. He spoke quickly. His I habits appeared to me to be very penurious; he had but one change of linen, and one change | of socks. I had no idea whatever that he was possessed of such a large sum of money as 700/. No person ever called upon the prisoner while he lodged at my house. Whenever he came home at night he went to bed immediately. He never had a fire in his bed-room. He had no sitting-room. I always considered the prisoner very sullen and reserved. There ■ were five other lodgersjn my house. I let my house out generally. I make my living by ! it. I sleep in the room adjoining the prisoner’s room. I have heard him get out of his j bed at night, and I have heard him moan repeatedly, but it did not attract my attention, as 1 had observed nothing peculiar about him. I never heard him pacing the room of a night, but I have known him get out of bed, and smoke a pipe. I thought the prisoner was a person out of a situation with very small means. I attributed his sullenness to his difficulty in obtaining a situation. Re-examined by the Solicitor-General.—The prisoner used to go out and stay out all day until the evening. He has returned occasionally during the day. He did not take his ' meals in my house. He breakfasted out, except when he was ill. His room was never ' locked ; there were three table drawers in his room which had no locks. I saw the police find the powder flask and bullets in the table drawer; but I never knew that he had such things. For two or three weeks occasionally, I have heard him get out of bed at nights. I have heard him moan; that was when he was ill. When in health, he appeared to sleep well, generally speaking. In the latter part of the month of December, and up to the time he was taken into custody, he went out in the morning and came home at night pretty re- gularly. By Lord Chief Justice Tindal.—When he came to lodge with me first he brought a portmanteau with him, which he kept in his bed-room. He also brought that on Jhe second occasion. Fie took it away when he left me the second time, but did not bring it back on coming to lodge with me the third time. He then had nothing but what was about his person. The change of linen must have been in his pockets. He had no books lying about liis room. I gave him one religious book—“ Extracts from the Bible. I gave it him be- cause he asked me for it. His habits were just the same on Sunday as on other days. Mr. William Henry Stevenson, examined by the Solicitor-General.—I am private secre- tary to Sir Robert Peel. I knew the late Mr. Edward Drummond ; he was also private secretary to Sir Robert Peel. Mr. Drummond was in the habit of transacting business at his private apartments in the official residence, in Downing-strect. Sir Robert Peel was also in the habit of transacting business at that house. Both Mr. Drummond and Sir Robert Peel were very much in the habit of going from the private residence of the pre- mier, in Privy-gardens, to the house in Downing-street. In doing so you pass by the steps leading to the Council Office ; you may also go through the Treasury. John Gordon, examined by Mr. Waddington. — I have known M’Naughton about six years. He was working in the same close (court) with me when I knew him; he was 1 working for himself. I was manager for Messrs. Laing and Son, and occasionally employed the prisoner. I continued to employ the prisoner when he went into business for himself, in Stockwell-strcet, and until he gave up business, about a year and a half ago. I saw the pri- soner twice or thrice a week during the whole of that time. I paid him money, and he gave me receipts for the same. I was not in the habit of visiting him. I was not generally acquainted or intimate with him. We communicated only on matters of business. I never saw anything particular about his conduct on any occasion. I came to London in November last, when I met the prisoner in St. Martin’s-lane. I shook hands with him, and asked him, “ What he did up here?” and heasked “ What do you here?” and I replied, “In search of employment.’ Prisoner said, “ I am also in search of employment.” I did not know that he was in London until I met him then. Heasked me where I was going, and I told him to Mr. Hedge’s, in](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21971304_0026.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
