Mr. Cruden greatly injured: an account of a trial between Mr. Alexander Cruden ... and Dr. Munro [and others], defendants ... July 17, 1739, on an action of trespass, assault and imprisonment ... To which is added a surprising account of several other persons who have been most unjustly confined in private madhouses / [Alexander Cruden].

  • Alexander Cruden
Date:
1739
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Mr. Cruden greatly injured: an account of a trial between Mr. Alexander Cruden ... and Dr. Munro [and others], defendants ... July 17, 1739, on an action of trespass, assault and imprisonment ... To which is added a surprising account of several other persons who have been most unjustly confined in private madhouses / [Alexander Cruden]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    illegal Court of the BLIND-BENCH, are too proud to make a humble Submiffion for their Crimes. They affociate with the reft of the Plaintif’s Adverfaries, and rather continue ftubborn and un¬ concern’d, than are penitent and forrowful for their Crimes, which entitle them to the Punilhments due by Law againft cri¬ minal Combinations. The BLIND-BENCH may be look’d upon to have fir ft a£ted weakly, and being once involved, to have afterwards aCled wickedly. This Court was founded for the fcreening of Wight? man and Ofivald from Punifhment; and their chief Plot was, by the help of Dr Monro, to fall upon Methods to fend the Plaintif to Bethlehem, they depending upon Monro as ready to aftert any¬ thing for that End to the Governors of Bethlehem, tho’ the Plaintif fhould have behaved as judicioufiy and compofedly before them as any Man in EnglandBlefted be God who fruftrated the Defigns of thofe unaccountable Men ! It’s faid that there are only three Governors and Dr. Monro, v/ho are commonly prefentat the common Meetings on Saturdays at Bethlehem, and that the DoCtor can bring to pafs what he pieafes. Can any reafonable unprejudiced Perfon fay that Wightman and his Accomplices have not greatly injured the Plaintif? Surely thoi£ who pretend to excufe them may be faid to be either as wicked or as biind as the BLIND-BENCH themfelves. The Plaintif’s Adverfaries by their horrid Lies and Falftioods have made many to fuppofe that he was really in Diforder ; which therefore fhould make him careful not to omit to anfwer any thing objected againft him. It was faid that fometimes his Friends had Accefs to fee him at Bethnal-Green, and at other times were refufed when he was not fit'to be feen. But this is abominably falfe, and eafily confuted; for his Adverfaries would have been glad to let any body fee him, if he had not been fit to be feen. Stridl Orders were given a Day or two after his Confinement at Bethnal-Green, that no-body fhould fee him without a Ticket from the three Turn-keys, Wight?nan, Monro, or Ofwald: But Wright's Wife and Davis, whether from Fear or from what other Motive they know beft, about three Weeks after the Plaintif’s Confinement allow’d fome Perfons Accefs without Tickets; but the Orders being renew’d moft ftriCtly about the 26th of April, no Perfon whatioever had Accefs without an Order or Ticket from one of the three aforefaid Goalers or Turn-keys. The Prifoner was chain’d to his Bedftead Night and Day, his Papers feized by Wright, and his Room-door lock’d on the faid 26th of April] for his Enemies by this Time were defperate for his refilling to fign the; Releafe, and wanted to confine him moft clofely, to keep him from Fen, Ink and Paper, that they might be able the more effectually to tranfport him to Bethlehem. Two Gentlemen, namely, Mr. Keifey Bull and Mr. Frederick Bull had been admitted to vifit the Plaintif without a Ticket in Aprili but afterwards they were refufed ablolutely by Wright*& E 3 Wife,