Celebrated trials of all countries, and remarkable cases of criminal jurisprudence / Selected by a member of the Philadelphia bar [i.e. J.J. Smith].

  • John Jay Smith
Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Celebrated trials of all countries, and remarkable cases of criminal jurisprudence / Selected by a member of the Philadelphia bar [i.e. J.J. Smith]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    494/612 (page 484)
    specting the melancholy subject of Mr. Perceval's assassination, he became less tranquil, and persisted in vindicating the act, and said, when his trial came before a jury of his countrymen, it would then be determined how far a minister was justified in refusing justice to an injured individual. Had he shot Mr. Perceval from personal malice, he should have been worse than a brute. It was the minister, and not the man, that had led him to commit the deed. He further declared, that had he a million of lives to lose, they would not prevent him from pursuing his object in the same way. Mr. Harmer, his solicitor, had been with him for two hours, to receive instructions preparatory to his trial, and he expressed a wish to retain Mr. Brougham and Mr. Alley as counsel. On Thursday, the grand jury, at Hick's Hall, found a true bill against Bel- lingham, for the wilful murder of the right honourable Spencer Perceval. It appeared that, with respect to the manner in which Bellingham passed the previous part of the day on which he committed the murder, he went with a lady to the European Museum, where he was detained till past four o'clock. He parted from her at the extremity of Sydney's Alley, and went down im- mediately to the house of commons, without having dined, and with his pistols loaded. He was so anxious not to be disappointed by the failure of the weapon, that, after he had bought his pistols, for which he gave four guineas, he went to Primrose Hill, to try how they would go off, and when he had ascertained their efficacy, loaded them for his purpose. His trial came on at the Old Bailey, Friday, May 15th. At half-past ten, the judges, lord chief-justice Mansfield, baron Graham, and sir Nash Grose, entered the court. The prisoner was immediately ordered to the bar. He advanced slowly, with the utmost composure of countenance, and bowed to the court. He was dressed in a brown coat, striped waistcoat, and dark small-clothes. The prisoner pleaded not guilty, and the facts, already stated, having been proved by several respectable witnesses, he was called upon for his defence ] The prisoner asked whether his counsel had nothing to urge in his defence. Mr. Alley informed him that his counsel were not entitled to speak. The prisoner said, that the documents and papers necessary to his defence had been taken out of his pocket, and had not since been restored to him. The papers were then handed to the prisoner, who proceeded to arrange and examine them. The prisoner, who had been sitting till now, rose, and bow- ing respectfully to the court and jury, went into his defence, in a firm tone of voice, and without any appearance of embarrassment, or feeling for the awful situation in which he was placed. He spoke nearly to the following effect:— I feel great obligation to the attorne)r-general for the objection which he has made to the plea of insanity. I think it is far more fortunate that such a plea as that should have been unfounded, than it should have existed in fact. I am obliged to my counsel, however, for having thus endeavoured to consult my interest, as I am convinced the attempt has arisen from the kind- est motives. That I am, or have been insane, is a circumstance of which I am not apprized, except in the single instance of my having been confined in Russia—how far that may be considered as affecting my present situation, it is not for me to determine. This is the first time that I have ever spoken in public in this way. I feel my own incompetency, but I trust you will attend to the substance, rather than to the manner, of my investigating the truth of an affair which has occasioned my presence at this bar. I beg to assure you, that the crime which I have committed, has arisen from compulsion, rather than from any hostility to the man, whom it has been my fate to destroy. Considering the amiable character, and the universally admitted virtues of Mr. Perceval, I feel, if I could murder him in a cool and unjustifiable man- ner, I should not deserve to live another moment in this world. Conscious, however, that I shall be able to justify every thing which I have done, I feel